Wild Apricot

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

If you want to speed up event registrations and increase engagement among your members, encourage them to download our free Mobile App: Wild Apricot For Members.

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YourMembership

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

Member engagement is the lifeblood of an association. Active, engaged, passionate members renew their memberships and help to bring even more new members into the fold. But this isn’t simple to achieve. It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the daily operations of your work, forgetting that you’re also supposed to be a cheerleader and champion for the issues.

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WBT Systems

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

New players in the online learning market are bringing fresh ideas to online course development and marketing. They’re making millions of dollars in revenue, so they’re doing something right, for example, knowing how to validate an online course idea. If your online course doesn’t meet a market need, it won’t succeed. No demand, no students. Before you invest too much in developing and marketing an online course, first find out if there’s an audience who is willing and able to spend money on the

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Course How To eBook Price 161

Higher Logic

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

Creating personas is a valuable practice for many departments across organizations. From marketing and sales to product and client success, personas help teams to focus on understanding the needs and pain points of their prospects or customers. This helps organizations deliver more personalized experiences, content, and solutions that are tailored to meet the needs of specific segments of your audience.

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Press Release Case Study Newsletter Social Media 184

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Customer education has become a key driver for growth, retention, and product adoption. Our latest 2024 State of Customer Education Report uncovers critical data and insights from a survey of over 200 industry leaders, offering a look at the evolving role of education in driving business success. Inside, you'll find data on key trends and strategies, including: Strategies for Scaling & Customization: Find out which investments in learning technology deliver the biggest ROI and scalability.

Education

Reid All About it

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

The weekly list of free educational events for the association community… Ernie Smith at Associations Now provides really smart advice on SEO (search engine optimization) for your website and blog based on Google algorithm changes over the last few years. You can’t keep doing what you’ve always done because those old things may no longer work (and could hurt your rankings in some cases), and you need to comply with Google’s new demands.

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DC Washington eBook Case Study 150

Eric Lanke

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Lately, I've been spending more time than usual on my association's financial operations. After many years of outdated practice, I've decided to bite the bullet and redo my association's account codes and reporting system so that they are better aligned with the current strategy and programmatic focus of the organization. Now, don't get me wrong. We've been building and maintaining the ability to track and report numbers in strategic categories that make sense at the Board table and in the opera

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System Conference Report Strategy 100

Jamie Notter

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

I was talking the other day to a leader in an organization whose culture was fairly traditionally “hierarchical.” There was a clear hierarchy there, and people had it on their radar that you shouldn’t do things or say things unless someone above you in the chain either knew about it or had approved it. This also left the culture somewhat “guarded,” as people were often unsure what they could say, so they simply chose not to say much.

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Association Adviser

FEBRUARY 7, 2018

This is a guest post by Sohini Baliga, Director of Communications at Taxpayers for Common Sense , and Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE, CEO & Chief Strategist at Spark Consulting LLC. Elizabeth Engel, Spark Consulting. Associations don’t always have all the answers (we know, you’re shocked). We definitely have some major advantages, not the least of which is that we are highly a cooperative and collaborative community, in large part because there’s not a lot of intra-industry competition

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Social Media Recruiting Recruitment Software 95

Aaron Wolowiec

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

In this episode of the Leading Learning podcast, Tracy King and Aaron Wolowiec sit down with Celisa Steele to talk about the topic of learner engagement—including what it is and, just as importantly, what it isn’t—how to prime learners for engagement, and the importance of “constructing” learning experiences versus “manufacturing” them.

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Ever wonder why brands like Apple, LEGO, and Sephora are going all-in on branded communities? It’s because online community building is the secret sauce to connecting with audiences in ways that ads and emails simply can’t. But here's the best part—it’s not just for big corporations. Associations can create thriving online communities too. GrowthZone’s eBook, "The Power of Community," breaks down exactly why a branded online community can be a game-changer for your association.

eBook

Higher Logic

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

Your online community wasn’t a whim. You didn’t buy, implement, and grow it for no reason. You did it to make a positive impact on your business. And chances are you’ve been successful. But have you used business metrics to prove that success? The Difference Between Vibrancy Metrics and Business Impact Metrics. The most common online community metrics we see are vibrancy metrics like the number of discussion posts published, blogs viewed, and emails sent – all things that are essential for a hea

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eBook Revenue Cost Tips 87

GrowthZone

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

From pistachios to polar bears, February is full of random (and not-so-random) holidays. Holiday observances are a great way to keep your association’s social media feeds active. We’ve shared several February themes to get you started: Monthly Observances. American Heart Month. Black History Month. Canned Food Month. Great American Pie Month. National Cherry Month.

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Social Media Tips Washington How To 84

Association Adviser

FEBRUARY 7, 2018

This is a guest post by Sohini Baliga, Director of Communications at Taxpayers for Common Sense , and Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE, CEO & Chief Strategist at Spark Consulting LLC. Elizabeth Engel, Spark Consulting. Associations don’t always have all the answers (we know, you’re shocked). We definitely have some major advantages, not the least of which is that we are highly a cooperative and collaborative community, in large part because there’s not a lot of intra-industry competition

Social Media 84

Social Media Recruiting Recruitment Software 84

Aaron Wolowiec

FEBRUARY 7, 2018

Innovation can come from anyone, anywhere. New ideas should absolutely be encouraged at all levels of your association, from staff to the board to new members.

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Sales often gets a bad rep. Yet, if securing sponsors, advertisers, and exhibitors is part of your role, it’s essential. But what if it didn’t have to feel time-consuming, uncomfortable, or worse—icky? Join us for the 3-part virtual Sales Accelerator Labs , where customer experience and sales expert Carrie McIntyre will show you strategies to make sales easier, more effective, and dare we say, enjoyable!

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Spark Consulting

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

Have you ever wondered how some charitable organizations get major donors to write those five-figure checks? Or, how they manage to attract all those millennials to volunteer? Or, how they put together those beautiful, emotionally-compelling, multi-channel, integrated-end-of-year campaigns? Join me and my Steal Like a Fundraiser co-author Sohini Baliga on Wednesday, March 21 at 2 pm ET for a FREE webinar (thank you, generous host Wild Apricot!

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Strategy millennials Recruiting Recruitment 75

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

The customer loaded her cart with more items than she originally planned to buy so all of her purchases would not fit into the three canvas grocery bags she brought with her. The cashier started packing the remaining items in plastic bags. While the customer is swiping her credit card, the cashier double bagged a 1/2 gallon carton of milk and a can of kidney beans.

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Resources Conference Member Experience 76

Forj

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Michael Hartman of Sandstorm Design will be presenting during our February eLearning Thought Leaders Series Webinar ! During this webinar, viewers can expect to learn about how usability testing can help drive a significantly improved user experience for your members. Michael Hartman leads the development team, information architects, user research, and usability studies at Sandstorm Design and is excited to share his expertise on the topic of usability in the association space.

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LMS Tips Learning Management System Case Study 70

Velvet Chainsaw

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

One of society’s greatest paradoxes is that we have more connections today than we did in the past but there is less community and conversation. As a conference organizer, you can seed your annual meeting with experiences that nurture authentic conversations, deep connections and community. You don’t have to sacrifice honest talk for today’s casual chat through digital communications or to sidestep sensitive polarizing topics.

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Conference Education Communications Industry 78

Speaker: Radhika Samant and Todd Wuestenberg

Employee recognition has often been deemed a "feel-good" initiative, tied closely to rewards. While we understand its importance, we tend to associate recognition with intangible outcomes like engagement and sentiment, rather than direct impacts on retention and high performance. In today’s workplace, the true ROI of recognition lies in its ability to regenerate tangible, business-driven results.

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Association Success

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

How transforming our offerings gave our members what they really wanted. Nobody wants to be put in a box. And in fact, it is equally as frustrating to attempt to engage a person and address their needs when they have been boxed in. When it comes to membership models, we can use this fact to re-think the way we attract and retain members. While traditional membership strategies segment members into categories based on a shared feature such as career stage, this compartmentalization doesn’t offer

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Class Price Revenue Course 66

GrowthZone

FEBRUARY 7, 2018

The purpose of a press release is to get attention, make news, and generate publicity. It’s cost-effective marketing (free) and they can be used to create brand awareness for your association. Keep your website at the top of search engine results through blogging. Download How to Write an Association Blog People Will Read. The Basics of Crafting a Press Release: Make it newsworthy; it’s not an ad, it’s a news article.

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Press Release Social Media Cost Report 60

Idea Architects

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

We don't have enough time. I don't think we have the resources. These are the increasingly common cries I hear from individuals and groups make about changes they want to make in their organization's culture or on a specific project, or when talking about new initiatives to explore. And my increasingly frequent response (after offering some empathy for their plight) is one simple question: Do you envision that changing anytime soon?

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Resources Project Cost Marketing 60

Velvet Chainsaw

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Frequently, when we think about next markets, we mention Next-Gen, Millennials or Gen-Z audiences. We immediately jump to the generations following or before ours. Or those that will have the largest working and buying power. One of the growing markets that is often overlooked is the Perennial Market—people of all ages, sometimes over 50 and sometimes in their 30s.

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Marketing Handbook millennials Social Media 72

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The annual Cognition virtual conference is back on October 16, and this year it’s FREE! You’ll enjoy: Inspiring Keynotes from top learning industry leaders, providing fresh perspectives to help you outperform the competition. Hands-on, Skill-Building Sessions to elevate your growth, retention, and product adoption strategies. Exclusive First Look at the latest innovations from Thought Industries, empowering you with tools to grow faster.

Conference

Association Success

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

Paying attention to the naming game can help you with your webinar pricing methods. One of the issues with which I routinely see organizations struggle is how to compete with free Webinars in their market place, or related, how to justify charging for some Webinars while offering others for free. Webinars have become a commodity item often closely associated with content marketing, meaning that a charging for them has become increasingly difficult.

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Strategy Price Course Marketing 60

SilkStart

FEBRUARY 7, 2018

Associations and nonprofits can now source high-quality and hand-picked photos through an entirely new web platform by SilkStart. February 4th, 2018 (VICTORIA, BC) —SilkStart, a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Membership Management Platform, today announced the launch of Stock Photos for Associations to connect member-based organizations with high-quality imagery for their websites and marketing efforts.

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Cost Membership Management Software Resources 55

CommPartners

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

Last year was a period of great movement with technology providers within our community. There was an increase in M & A activity as organizations sought to extend their presence and gain strategic advantages and market share. While some may tout that bigger is always better when it comes to technology, there is a flipside […].

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Examples Technology Marketing Organization 51

Velvet Chainsaw

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

Belonging precedes believing. It’s true for our association members. It’s true for our organization’s leaders. The ways we include or exclude others influences their thoughts and actions. It’s more than what we say or write. It’s how we invite others to join and belong, how we greet them, how we appreciate them, how we accept them. Belonging is vital because belonging precedes believing which precedes people behaving together.

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Resources Education Communications Organization 69

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Unlock the secrets to building strong communities and sustaining growth with GrowthZone’s “5 Pillars of Community” ebook. In today's digital era, fostering a sense of belonging is more important than ever. GrowthZone’s informative ebook will help you transform your association’s community and discover new opportunities for growth. Explore the importance of personal and virtual communities, the ACHIEVE Model for success, and the key pillars including Direction, Shared Responsibility, Personal Val

eBook

Association Success

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

How to create a video strategy that supports the big goals of your association. Imagine being seated in a giant general session room with thousands of conference attendees. The lights go down, the crowd’s excitement builds, and the giant screens light up with….a PowerPoint presentation. Event fail! Everyone instinctively knows that an upbeat and engaging video is a great way to kick off a conference, but few people take the time to really think through an effective video strategy for a big event

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Video Conference Library Strategy 60

Membership Marketing

FEBRUARY 7, 2018

One of the questions that I am frequently asked is how to calculate membership servicing costs. It is an important question to building and sustaining a success membership marketing program. But how you answer the question can have profound implications on your membership program. Here is a real life story on how NOT to calculate the cost to serve a member.

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Cost Revenue Analysis Recruiting 49

Beth Kanter

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

For the past five years, I’ve been an adjunct professor at Middlebury College in Monterey teaching a graduate course called “ Networked International Organizations ” for students pursuing an advanced degree in International Development. As part of the class , we look at different examples of networked strategies and digital platforms and tools and how they can be used to advance civil society goals.

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Class Video Analysis Examples 47