Association Success
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
We need to think about the digital expectations of this generation, and meet them. I am not an expert on Millennials, but I have three daughters aged 22, 20 and 18 so I am definitely gaining some basic understanding of how they think. I have also studied, in a previous life as a designer, how technology changes the way that the generation react to the world around them.
YourMembership
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Keeping new members engaged with your association is key. This approach ensures your organization thrives for years to come. Think about it: Most people decide if they’re going to participate in your association long-term within the first months, days and even minutes of joining. The first interactions with your organization make a lasting impression on a new member.
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Wild Apricot
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Sean Kosofsky, MPA, shares what he learnt throughout his time as an executive director and what he wishes he had known sooner.
Reid All About it
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community… Brain Food is quick and dirty this week. I haven’t had time since returning on Wednesday night from our Arizona hiking vacation to do any of my usual work on this week’s Brain Food post. Because our North Carolina home is surrounded by trees in rain-soaked ground, I’m preparing for the winds of Hurricane Florence and the inevitable power outage instead of giving my usual attention to this post.
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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.
Blue Sky eLearn
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
Supporters, members, and donors are the lifeblood of your organization or association. They’re the very reason for your membership program in the first place. Needless to say, keeping them engaged is of paramount importance. Slipping engagement statistics can be a serious warning sign for your organization! While no membership programs actively neglect their engagement techniques, it can still be incredibly easy to forget about the foundation of your success: member engagement.
Association Universe brings together the best content for association members and organizers from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Wild Apricot
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
Looking for fundraising software? Check out this up-to-date guide to see which one best suits your organization.
Eric Lanke
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
A shout out this week to Jeffrey Cufaude at the Idea Architects blog , who recently offered this piece of wisdom regarding the growth goals set by many an association board in many a strategic planning session: Double our membership. Increase conference attendance by 50%. Triple non-dues revenue in five years. These are a few of the growth goals I have heard tossed about in strategy conversations over the years.
Associations Now
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
News outlets, borrowing from association membership tactics and pay services’ subscription strategies, are mixing up the two concepts. Also: why the president of the American Heart Association helped introduce the new Apple Watch. As you might know, the world of journalism is diving headfirst into membership-driven offerings. But one place where news outlets are getting tripped up is the terminology: Some are mixing up subscriptions and memberships.
Higher Logic
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Since its founding only 12 years ago, Jama Software has made a huge impact in the product development software market. With clients like SpaceX, Caterpillar, Boeing, and NASA, Jama Software helps companies developing life-and-economy-critical products keep a system of record and action. After Jama launched an online community, the staff has seen their community become the best resource for all things Jama, from customer support to product improvement.
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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.
Wild Apricot
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
Learn how you can spend more time out in nature and less time managing your association or organization with Parks and Recreation Management Software.
GrowthZone
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Utilizing digital assistants from Siri to Cortana, from Alexa to Google Assistant, is producing a dramatic increase in voice-based search. As each year passes, the presence of devices that offer voice search continues to grow at a fast pace. It’s not just an idea for the future, it is here and getting bigger by the day. Devices such as Amazon’s Echo feature Alexa to help with voice-activated queries and commands, like, “Alexa play: Piano Man.
Associations Now
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
Content marketing is a valuable tool for associations looking to attract new members, engage existing ones, or gain more conference attendees. But all too often, content marketing programs get off track. Here’s how to get back on the rails. Content is a means to an end. That’s according to Omnipress Marketing Director Tracy Grzybowski. “The whole reason you’re publishing your content is because eventually you want someone to take an action,” Grzybowski said.
HighRoad Solution
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
At HighRoad Solution we are often asked “what is the difference between marketing automation and email marketing and how can my organization benefit by utilizing both?”. While we widely recognize that email marketing is a powerful and effective tool to implement under any market, combining the forces of email marketing with marketing automation can drastically impact your association’s email marketing strategy.
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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!
Idea Architects
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
Whether you are a presenter preparing for a conference or a meeting planner working with speakers, here are six things speakers need to know to design a more powerful learning experience. While more knowledge is definitely desirable, these six areas are the foundation for speaker success. The desired outcomes Not just for the end of the presentation, but for when people have left the conference and are trying to apply the new information in their personal and professional efforts: What is it tha
Smooth The Path
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
Every summer during Fourth of July week my husband’s family has a week-long reunion at a cabin in the Pennsylvania Poconos. Usually, twenty to forty people are there for every meal. This summer I decided to make my favorite from scratch pancake recipe for the whole gang. These are the best pancakes I have ever tasted, and I looked forward to wowing my husband’s family.
Associations Now
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
With the negative press and declining fortunes of social media suggesting that another path is needed for content marketers, one route that’s emerging is a not-so-dusty throwback: search engine optimization. Here’s an SEO refresher. For years, SEO was the MVP. Then it became second fiddle to social media. Are we ready to welcome it back to the lead role?
HighRoad Solution
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
This will sound outrageous to many email marketers according to a recent report by Litmus , but it’s time you plan for the apology email. Not planning for one because you think will never be in that boat is a missed opportunity for three reasons: it means you’re playing it too safe, you may be in a culture of fear, and you have poor quality assurance.
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.
AMR Management Services
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
AMR employees meet a therapy dog at the 2018 ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo trade show. . Left to right: Whitney Wilgus, Rhonda Clark, Lauren Santangelo. Three AMR employees recently attended.
Association Success
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Be realistic about your abilities to avoid burnout. Productivity is an evaluation of how effectively you are able to get things done (or not). If you’re productive, you are able to produce, complete, show up and show out. What’s the cost of this productivity? If I am productive at work and people there think I’m a go-getter, what’s happening in my personal life?
Associations Now
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
Digital communities offer a lot of benefits, but if your association is only seeking increased engagement, it might be time to consider another strategy. Also: why traditional sponsorship tiers need to be rethought. An online community can boost your organization’s reach and help meet strategic goals. But what people aren’t talking about is that these perks might not apply to all associations.
GrowthZone
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
THE CHALLENGE. AGC MA Operations Manager Barbara Canoni led the efforts for the association to evaluate various software options where all member information could be accessed in one place. She knew finding the right technology would be a long-term cost savings investment. “We needed a system that would help us provide our members with timely and accurate information,” said Barbara.
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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.
Idea Architects
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
Imagine a professional whose success in her day job depends on an unyielding mastery of the details and a fine-tuned control over the execution of all activities. Now imagine that successful professional bringing these same strengths—the ones that make her a standout in her field—to the work of being a board member for your organization. Ugh. It is incredibly challenging for some volunteers to initially understand how skills they rely on every day in order to be successful can become potential l
Association Success
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
This short animation shows how lessons from the past can prepare your association for the future. Predictive analytics are a powerful and proactive tool to prepare our associations for the future. The following animation walks you through using a predictive analytics model effectively. If you’d rather see it in writing, the transcript is below! As markets are changing, companies are seeking business in new areas of the world.
Associations Now
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
When your members ask questions via social media, do you respond? It might be hard to keep up. When one association was faced with an onslaught of direct messages, it built a chatbot to answer frequently asked questions. Your member services team might be good at picking up the phone or replying to a member’s email with 24 hours, but when was the last time you checked your direct messages on social media?
Smooth The Path
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
I belong to a couple of professional membership organizations that are for-profit. One is a group for entrepreneurs (just over 1,000 members) and other is a group of professional speakers (just over 700 members). These groups are not huge but when I take a look at their online community member participation looks like a community of 100,000 members.
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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
Delcor
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
Hurricane Florence may not be headed directly toward the DC region, but will certainly impact association and nonprofit operations across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. Wherever you are, it’s never too soon to be prepared for similar potential disasters. Here’s a rundown of resources to help your association or nonprofit weather the storm—now or in the future. 1.
Beth Kanter
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
My Networked Nonprofit co-author Allison Fine and I have been actively researching and writing about the Age of Automation with an eye towards our next book. This past year wrote an op-ed for the Chronicle of Philanthropy on the age of automation and it implications for fundraisers as well as other articles, including Leveraging the Power of Bots for Civil Society on SSIR Blog and The Robots Have Arrived: How Nonprofits Can Put Them To Work on Guidestar Blog.
Associations Now
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
The American Nightlife Association is aiming big with its latest partnership, which will allow its members to accept different forms of cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. With an association’s help, you soon might find yourself paying for a night at the pub with a little cryptocurrency. In a new partnership with the decentralized payment system Paytomat, the American Nightlife Association will help build a system for its more than 30,000 member merchants—including nightclubs, bars, and event venue
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