Spark Consulting
APRIL 2, 2019
Lewis and I are both going to take a crack at this topic, and I’ve elected to go first. I see partnership and membership as being founded on the same broad idea: individuals or organizations that seek some type of a relationship with an association. Whether they are individuals, companies, or other types of institutions, they have problems they can’t solve, or goals they can’t achieve, all on their own.
Associations Now
APRIL 3, 2019
The Educational Theatre Foundation hit the ground running, assembling a board and racking up big donations early on. An inside look at how it happened. Within just 18 months of the Educational Theatre Association launching its foundation, the group was able to raise more than $1 million to fund its programming. When organizations raise significant sums quickly, people always want to know how they did it.
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Membersuite
APRIL 1, 2019
???Event attendees are the “warmest” membership leads. Leverage their attention to improve member recruitment efforts! Try out these ideas for marketing membership to attendees before, during, and after your event.
Wild Apricot
APRIL 1, 2019
For 5 ways you can use your member profiles to share documents, letters of recommendation and more, take a look at these ways to use attachments in member profiles.
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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.
Higher Logic
APRIL 4, 2019
I recently read Trevor Owens’ book, Designing Online Communities , which looks at the design process for web communities from a cross-disciplinary perspective. He discusses how psychology, sociology, history, linguistics and other fields of study can influence and inform our thinking about online communities. Owens showcased the value of taking time to think about and develop a language for an online community.
Association Universe brings together the best content for association members and organizers from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Reid All About it
APRIL 5, 2019
The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community… When I was in charge of getting a new AMS back at my old association, I had no idea how to approach selection and implementation. Even worse, I didn’t even know how clueless I was. If only I had read a post like this one from the DelCor team about buying association management software.
Wild Apricot
APRIL 5, 2019
Charitable solicitation registration is every nonprofit’s passport to fundraising success. Find out how to register and start fundraising for your organization!
Higher Logic
APRIL 2, 2019
Bringing in new business is and always will be important. However, marketing doesn’t end when the ink is dry on the contract. Where are you focusing your efforts after that initial sale? Your new customers shouldn’t disappear into a black hole, never to hear from you again – that initial transaction should be the start of their defined customer journey, complete with strategic touchpoints for success.
Jamie Notter
APRIL 4, 2019
Take a minute and look at your organization from the 30,000-foot level. You’ll see that you have a number of key functions that need to be managed well if you’re going to thrive. Some of them are infrastructure functions, like financial management. Some of them will be product- or program-related, and will be somewhat unique to your organization. Then you’ve got some kind of sales/revenue function (for nonprofits that might be around membership or fundraising).
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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.
Blue Sky eLearn
APRIL 3, 2019
Part One & Two – What We Learned. Over the last two weeks, we talked about the ebbs and flows in the demand for certain qualifications and skillsets and how it affects the workforce for decades. We also dove into technological advancements and their effect on the workforce and the economy. Lastly, we have touched on what we can all do to be better lifelong learners, which will make us better prepared in an always-evolving world.
Eric Lanke
APRIL 1, 2019
I took a short break this week to do a college visit with my 17-year-old son. He's thinking about studying engineering (or math), and so we've been touring a couple of relevant universities to help him decide where he does and does not want to apply. This past week's visit was to the same university that both my wife and I graduated from, now almost 30 years ago.
Association Success
APRIL 2, 2019
Why do our members join? Why do our members join? It turns out, our most commonly held beliefs of this question are mostly wrong. Myth #1: Members Join for Our Benefits. Members join to go to the annual conference. Or they join to get a research report or one of 15 other great benefits. Sometimes members join to gain access to a benefit, but rarely.
Smooth The Path
APRIL 2, 2019
Motivating volunteers is the work of patience. Encouraging words, thoughtful goals, and kind reciprocation can make volunteering fun and meaningful. While motivating volunteers can take weeks, months and years, a few seconds is all we need to demotivate volunteers. Volunteers can become disillusioned, angry, and disconnected when associations: Blame them.
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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!
Associations Now
APRIL 4, 2019
Yes, your organization comes with benefits—but that’s probably not why members join. Also: the importance of language in online communities. Why do members join associations? Is it for the benefits or because they got an awesome deal on membership? Probably not, says Amanda Kaiser on Association Success. “These may be the reasons some members join sometimes, but overwhelmingly members do not join for the value,” she says.
Association Adviser
APRIL 2, 2019
In 1999, psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger published a paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that described a logical though unfortunate phenomenon : People who aren’t that skilled or knowledgeable about something usually don’t realize they’re not skilled or knowledgeable, but will think they’re pretty smart anyway. On the other end of the spectrum, people who are genuine experts in a subject area assume others around them are just as knowledgeable as them, and ca
Association Success
APRIL 1, 2019
Is your association ready for the Digital Age? Editor’s note: Every month, we interview a different author who has valuable insights that are relevant to professionals within the association industry. From widely varying perspectives and specializations, we hope to provide our dedicated audience with quality reading to continue fostering growth and inspiration!
Idea Architects
APRIL 1, 2019
Here's a very simple principle anyone who designs and/or facilitates meetings or workshops should commit to memory: for every content segment, a more engaging format likely exists. How should this reality inform our workshop or meeting design? I n T he Chronicle Higher of Education's Teaching newsletter , a Grand Valley State University professor suggests we should privilege active learning.
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.
Associations Now
APRIL 3, 2019
Recent research on sleep finds that consistency and balance are key when it comes to a good night’s rest—and sleep deprivation could mean some serious health problems down the road. A lot on your plate? Don’t let sleep fall by the wayside in the process. Study after study finds that sleep and health go hand in hand, and failing to keep proper sleep habits in mind could be a recipe for disaster.
GrowthZone
APRIL 4, 2019
Tweet. Sending emails without consideration to how they impact your organizations and your members is risky. Email filter systems track Sender Reputation (IP address) based on several factors, and like any kind of reputation, bad decisions can cause a loss of credibility. Even worse, if your sender reputation is damaged, it can damage the sender reputation of members who receive and forward your email.
Association Success
APRIL 4, 2019
How can you positively influence company culture without being a jerk? I suppose I’ve always been a catalyst for change, but it took me a long time to realize that it places me in the ranks of the minority. Everyone wants to grow and excel and I’m just helping. Right? However, the reality is that most people don’t want to change , especially in a setting and culture where they’re comfortable.
Smooth The Path
APRIL 4, 2019
Every once in a while our life is spared. The doctor’s test comes back negative. We manage not to crash our bike, or do crash it but are lucky enough to land on some fluffy grass. A car narrowly misses ours. There is an avalanche on the slope but not while you were there. We recover from a severe bout of the flu. We hustle off the mountain peak before the thunderstorm rolls in.
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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.
Associations Now
APRIL 5, 2019
Direct mail often doesn’t get the respect it deserves these days, but it’s a significantly more effective medium than digital tools like email or social media. And it’s getting more interactive, too. It’s way cheaper to send out another email or social ad than it is to go to all the trouble of physically printing something out and delivering it through the mail.
HighRoad Solution
APRIL 3, 2019
If you’re not familiar with the phrase “tech stack”, it might conjure up an image of something like a Jenga tower.
Association Success
APRIL 2, 2019
Get a chance to win awesome prizes! We believe that having your friends and colleagues join the AssociationSuccess.org community is the best way to build on the success we’ve experienced. We are excited to announce a referral program with a variety of exciting prizes to showcase our gratitude for the help. In order to enter the raffle for the Apple Watch you need 5 referrals, but don’t stop there!
Nimble AMS
MARCH 31, 2019
New features allow enhanced functionality to improve member engagement and manage revenue. Learn about the most significant enhancements introduced in the latest Nimble AMS product release. Shake off your snow boots, Springtime is here, and with it a new Nimble AMS release. Learn about the most significant enhancements introduced in Nimble AMS Spring ’19.
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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
Associations Now
APRIL 2, 2019
A new report analyzes webinar viewing habits. Take advantage of a few trends to increase the likelihood that members register, attend, and engage with your virtual events. Maybe you’ve been there: sitting through another boring webinar that seems to drag on and on. If so, there’s a good chance it was on a Thursday. According to a recent survey, 28 percent of organizations host webinars on Thursdays.
HighRoad Solution
APRIL 1, 2019
Associations exist because we know that we’re stronger when we’re part of a team. Good things happen when talented people come together to share knowledge, compare best practices and make connections, which is why associations work so hard to acquire members.
Effective Database
APRIL 3, 2019
I’m always fascinated by stories like this. In a nutshell, the state of Minnesota spent nearly $100 million for a new vehicle licensing and registration database, and may have to spend another $50 million to actually get it completed. And the project started over 10 years ago! The state audited the program to see what went wrong. They discovered that money was not the issue.
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