In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Julie McDowell, Director of Strategic Communications & Digital Content, and Becca Battisfore, Senior Content Strategist, at the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for an in-depth look at how a legacy association is modernizing its approach to content, data, and digital engagement.

From managing messaging across member and customer audiences to aligning analytics with KPIs, Julie and Becca share how the CAP’s digital team of five supports 18,000 members and countless laboratories worldwide—all while driving measurable impact.

🎧 Whether you’re leading a large communications department or a lean digital team, this episode offers real-world insights on prioritization, collaboration, and content strategy that actually works.

Key Highlights

From Skepticism to Strategy: Julie reflects on launching the CAP’s social media presence more than a decade ago—and how the team turned early doubts into a thriving online community for physicians and laboratory professionals.

Audience First, Always: The CAP’s content strategy starts with a single question: who is this for? Learn how the team balances the needs of two overlapping but distinct audiences—members and customers—through smart segmentation, email strategy, and channel selection.

Metrics That Matter: Becca breaks down how she approaches analytics—from what metrics are truly meaningful to how data drives decision-making. She explains why open rates are outdated and how she connects clickthroughs, behavior, and conversions for a complete picture.

When to Stop Doing What’s Not Working: Julie shares one of the most liberating lessons for association communicators: give yourself permission to stop doing the things that aren’t driving results. Focusing on what works energizes teams and delivers greater impact.

Collaboration as a Core Strategy: From internal “road shows” to sharing data across departments, Julie and Becca explain how transparency, shared KPIs, and storytelling have helped build buy-in and alignment across CAP’s 600-person staff.

Storytelling Through Sound: As the voices behind the CAP’s long-running CapCast podcast, the pair discuss how audio storytelling has evolved from quick Q&As to powerful narratives that humanize members and spark connection—from personal wellness journeys to myth-busting forensic science.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful, data-driven, and refreshingly candid conversation about what it takes to build smarter content strategies in associations today—and how to lead with both heart and analytics.

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Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with top association leaders and communication strategists to uncover what’s working, what’s changing, and how they’re leading their teams—and their missions—forward. Stay tuned!