Associations Now

JANUARY 17, 2019

While association meetings have already felt the impact of the government shutdown, the effects are likely to persist in the months ahead, even if the government reopens in the next few days or weeks. Since the government shutdown started four weeks ago, we’ve done a few pieces on its immediate effects on association meetings. The American Meteorological Society , for example, saw more than 700 federal employees and researchers miss its annual meeting earlier this month, and the American Astrono

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DC America Conference Examples 107

Wild Apricot

JANUARY 15, 2019

Wondering how to keep your members connected? Consider creating a member directory for your organization to facilitate outreach, support your communications, and more.

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Directory Organization Communications How To 418

Spark Consulting

JANUARY 14, 2019

When is the best time of the year to begin renewal communications to members? How many notices should we send? Should we send paper or electronic notices? What should we send WITH the notices? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no one right answer to these questions. There are some good guidelines, which we’ll go over in a minute, but really, you have to test different options and, more importantly, PAY ATTENTION to what happens.

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Guidelines Class Communications Process 284

Higher Logic

JANUARY 16, 2019

The start of a new year is a great time to reevaluate your current marketing strategy and decide which tools and changes you can implement to drive maximum success in the months ahead. Now, I know strategizing is no easy feat, but approaching this task doesn’t have to be daunting when you’ve got guidance from the pros. Seth Godin, a best-selling American author and entrepreneur, recently shared a multitude of thought-provoking perspectives while promoting his newest book This is Marketing on the

Marketing 257

Marketing Strategy Products Tools 257

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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.

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WBT Systems

JANUARY 14, 2019

Become Educational Content Partners with Member Companies Before Someone Else Does. Read more about Become Educational Content Partners with Member Companies Before Someone Else Does.

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Education Content 181

Blue Sky eLearn

JANUARY 14, 2019

Your membership base is the heart of your organization, no matter what type of organization you work for. Without your members’ engagement, your organization wouldn’t be able to do what it needs to do. And unfortunately, members sometimes have to leave your organization. This occurs for a variety of reasons, most of them a natural part of the membership cycle, but it does mean that your organization has to constantly find new members.

Strategy 157

Strategy Social Media Discount Newsletter 157

Jamie Notter

JANUARY 14, 2019

One of my mantras is that workplace culture isn’t as complicated, difficult, vague, etc. as we make it out to be. I’m not saying it’s super simple and easy, but it’s definitely something we all can handle. And since we push it away as “too complex,” we lack a tangible vocabulary for it, which only serves to reinforce our (inaccurate) conclusion that culture is hard.

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Leadership 177

Higher Logic

JANUARY 15, 2019

All great buyer personas are alike; each bad buyer persona is bad in its own way. Sound familiar? Well, it’s not exactly how Leo Tolstoy began his classic novel, Anna Karenina, but if he’d been a marketer, we’d bet at least a dollar that he would have. And what is that common ingredient that makes all great buyer personas alike ? Great data. With robust, accurate data, your buyer personas go from guesswork and suppositions to precise tools that will guide your marketing strategy and sales enable

Software 136

Software Tips Survey Marketing 136

Eric Lanke

JANUARY 14, 2019

This post in Associations NOW recently caught my eye, arguing, as it does, for association conferences that span a fewer number of days in recognition of the increasing desire for "work-life balance" among association members. I've got a different take. Don't shorten the number of days that your conference spans. Shorten the amount of time I spend in educational sessions on the days that I am there.

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Education Conference Project Tools 113

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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.

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Blue Sky eLearn

JANUARY 14, 2019

Your membership base is the heart of your organization, no matter what type of organization you work for. Without your members’ engagement, your organization wouldn’t be able to do what it needs to do. And unfortunately, members sometimes have to leave your organization. This occurs for a variety of reasons, most of them a natural part of the membership cycle, but it does mean that your organization has to constantly find new members.

Strategy 150

Strategy Social Media Discount Newsletter 150

Association Adviser

JANUARY 18, 2019

I’ve been with Naylor for 22 years. I’m currently the longest-tenured sales rep in Gainesville, and man, have I seen a lot of changes – almost all positive – since I started with the company. Christine Ricci, senior sales representative, Gainesville. I’ve been with Naylor for 22 years. I’m currently the longest-tenured sales rep in Gainesville, and man, have I seen a lot of changes – almost all positive – since I started with the company.

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How To Handbook System Products 106

Associations Now

JANUARY 18, 2019

Volunteer work not only aids your community, but it can also help you develop relationships and skills that are helpful in a professional environment. Find out how your fellow association pros have benefited from volunteering. The personal benefits of community service and volunteer work can have a positive impact on your overall well-being, as well as bring skills and perspectives that are useful at work.

Recruiting 108

Recruiting Recruitment Leadership Marketing 108

GrowthZone

JANUARY 17, 2019

In today’s digital world, professionals of all types are looking for easier ways to quickly learn and consume content that will grow their knowledge and current skill set. Enter micro-learning. Micro-learning is a short-term focused way of learning that provides just the right amount of information needed to help achieve a specific objective – skills-based education for example.

Strategy 96

Strategy Handbook Member Engagement Education 96

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Association Success

JANUARY 15, 2019

Is remote working the answer for the many or the few? My friends were planning a get together last November at a cabin in Virginia. While we were chatting and figuring out arrangements, one of my friends said, “We can head up on a Friday, but if we do, I’ll have to work from the car. I can turn my phone into a hotspot for internet.”. I didn’t bat an eye at that at all.

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Virginia millennials DC Washington 93

Association Adviser

JANUARY 18, 2019

Happy New Year! As we all know, it’s customary to begin a new year by setting resolutions for what we’d like to achieve. This exercise can reveal better ways in which our time and resources can be allocated. After all, just because you may have a goal of being two-to-three times better in certain areas compared to last year, it’s not any more likely that you’ll suddenly have two-to-three times the budget to make that goal an easy reality!

Software 94

Software Association Management System Tools 94

Associations Now

JANUARY 15, 2019

The member experience ebbs and flows with activity throughout the year, which is why a content calendar can help you plan for member engagements in 2019. Here are a few tools and techniques to get you started. At the start of a new year, it’s a good idea not only to set a few New Year’s resolutions , but also to think about upcoming activities and ways you’ll engage your members in 2019.

Content 108

Content Social Media Member Engagement Team 108

GrowthZone

JANUARY 15, 2019

Get 1 CAE credit and and improve your organization’s renewal rates! Save your seat for GrowthZone’s upcoming live webinar, The Stickiest New-Member Engagement Programs , presented by association expert, Amanda Kaiser. We’ll be live on Thur., Jan. 24 th at 10 am pst | 1 pm est. Join Amanda when she explains how associations improved their new-member renewal rates by over 9% using 4 strategies the most effective new-member onboarding programs rely on.

Member Engagement 96

Member Engagement Education Content Strategy 96

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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Nimble AMS

JANUARY 14, 2019

How continuous delivery in association software can help offset costly upgrades and risk. When it comes to your association management software (AMS), you might not automatically think about how the software and upgrades are delivered to you. But it’s an important consideration. Old school software forces customers to wait for big, costly upgrades that are filled with risk.

Cost 87

Cost Software Course Technology 87

Association Adviser

JANUARY 17, 2019

Nothing exceeds the excitement that radiates off of a student getting ready to graduate or an industry newcomer who is excited about their career change. Except, perhaps, the fear that is palpable about next steps! Internships are key in helping students, recent graduates and career changers build experience. A section of job listings just for internships can be incorporated into your existing career center.

How To 84

How To Industry Technology 84

Association Success

JANUARY 14, 2019

How is your association committing to a competitive education strategy? Editor’s note: Every month, we interview different authors who have 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!

Education 82

Education America Price Strategy 82

Associations Now

JANUARY 15, 2019

A seemingly freewheeling networking event over food and drinks can provide the structure needed to encourage new and lasting connections. Conferences, working lunches and dinners, and team building events are still focused on their primary objectives—knowledge building and networking—but event organizers hungry for memorable professional development should think about food as an opportunity to create experiences that are more likely to engage attendees than standard hotel and convention center f

Team 90

Team Austin Texas Report 90

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Smooth The Path

JANUARY 15, 2019

Where do you get knowledge and insights about the association industry? I am lucky. I conduct member research all the time, so I get direct access to the bright spots in our industry. But I also frequently scan and read treasures from our knowledge leaders about membership, engagement, innovation, chapters, governance, trends and more. Are you hungry for some knowledge?

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Resources Newsletter Education Member Research 79

Association Adviser

JANUARY 15, 2019

Do you remember searching for internships while in school or as a freshly minted graduate? If you were like me, you probably didn’t have many contacts with hiring connections in your desired industry, so finding an internship was a long process of making calls, browsing the jobs section of company website after company website, or visiting offices in person to ask if any internship positions were open.

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Resources Revenue Industry Process 84

Velvet Chainsaw

JANUARY 17, 2019

We love stories. They connect on a personal and emotional level. We trust them more than statistical evidence. Unfortunately, we tend to overgeneralize from others’ stories, from anecdotal information and from small sampling sizes. We tend to confuse now with “what always is” as if our immediate situation consistently represents the entire universe of similar situations.

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Sample Class Conference Examples 89

Associations Now

JANUARY 18, 2019

Technology can streamline many processes, but not all associations are taking advantage. Here’s how to plan an efficient tech strategy. Also: tools to boost and revamp your content. Technology is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal, yet only 25 percent of associations prioritize technology to help manage their organizations, according to Salesforce.

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Technology Strategy Class Tools 88

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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

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Smooth The Path

JANUARY 17, 2019

Words are open to interpretation. If we ask on a survey, do you feel supported by the association? What does that mean exactly? As a respondent I might deliberate for a while. Is the survey asking me about the time 5 years ago when a staff member connected me with another member and eventually I got a great job through that connection? Or should I respond with the experience I had two months ago where I called the association, left a voicemail, and no one got back to me?

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Survey Member Research Resources Association Value 68

Association Adviser

JANUARY 18, 2019

Dave Bornmann, Naylor Association Solutions. Have you recently stopped to think about how your association’s tech solutions can complement one another to maximize your existing resources and provide a better member experience? Too often, associations think of their technology solutions from too narrow a perspective: How can my AMS more effectively manage my member data, or, how can my career center help me provide increased member value?

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Newsletter Directory Learning Management System Social Media 74

Idea Architects

JANUARY 15, 2019

When it comes to staff hires or promotions and volunteer elections and appointments, it's long overdue that we shift emphasis from time served to talent demonstrated. Marking time alone is not qualification. It's what was contributed and accomplished in the time served that matters more. Yet, too often the mere fact that one has been present for a number of years is seen as necessary and sufficient for hiring, appointment, or advancement.

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Resources Organization 68