How associations can support members through professional development.

Members’ needs and expectations evolve as they move through their careers journey and look to associations for support. Here are some tips and tricks to take your online learning program to the next level.

Your members look to your association to be a leader, especially when it comes to continued education and certifications. With such a big responsibility, are you prepared to be the best learning resource in your industry? Here are some tips and tricks to take your online learning to the next level:

1. Enhance value.

For all members, it’s important to keep the following in mind: The greater the benefits, the greater the value. By providing your members with a variety of benefits, they will start to see increased value in their membership, turning them into lifelong members and lifelong learners. Some great benefits that pack a valuable punch include:

Scaled learning: Provide your learners with a variety of learning opportunities in an array of formats.

Learning recommendations: Recommend personalized content, courses, and certifications for each member.

Integration with existing systems: Create a seamless user experience by connecting your learning environment with your association management software (AMS), e-commerce, customer relationship management (CRM) system, and online job board.

Centralized learning hub: Create a learning portal that mirrors the look and feel of your association’s branding.

For all members, it’s important to keep the following in mind: The greater the benefits, the greater the value.

2. Empower your learners.

Let your learners be in control of their professional development. By giving them a learning system that can help them throughout the life of their career, you’ll be providing learners with a tool that will keep them coming back year after year. Give your members:

Interactive learning and simulated self-prep: Let learners create their own tests based on recommendations.

Connections with social learning: Provide a social learning community complete with open learning forums and peer discussions.

Guidance: Let your learners explore personalized learning paths complete with certifications and objectives that will lead them down a chosen career path.

3. Lead the way.

Give your members a learning roadmap complete with ample opportunities to show what they are made of via certifications and digital badging. Coupled with fresh, innovative content, your members will be able to take full advantage of your engaging and useful learning system.

Certifications: Offer members the opportunity to complete certifications based on learning objectives.

Continuing education: Provide support for those who are going through a continuing education process with a variety of courses and learning opportunities.

Digital Badging: Create your own digital badges for members who complete learning objectives or courses that can be shared via social media and through your job board.

Content creation: Stay on top of the latest learning trends by delivering industry-leading professional education through expertly designed, quality content in a variety of formats.

By giving them a learning system that can help them throughout the life of their career, you’ll be providing learners with a tool that will keep them coming back year after year.

4. Focus on the future.

When reviewing your learning solution or searching for a new one, make sure you pay special attention to your future processes and usability.

Easier check-out: Sync your learning management system (LMS) with your e-commerce system for easy purchase management.

Create opportunity: Open seats for purchase in your courses for groups and chapters to purchase.

Re-use and re-purpose: Segment and resell content to members and member organizations with differentiated pricing to provide additional revenue opportunities for your association and additional learning opportunities for your members.

So, here comes the big question: Can your current learning solution do all this for your members and your association, making you the best continuing education resource in your industry? If you have any doubt at all, we have the perfect solution for you.

Crowd Wisdom by Community Brands is an award-winning and industry-leading LMS that provides a powerful and robust learning experience. A state-of-the-art, modern platform, Crowd Wisdom can multiply your non-dues revenue, provide your learners with an unmatched learning experience, and much more.

By partnering with Crowd Wisdom, you’ll also gain access to the Community Brands LMS Content Creation services. Our skills and experience paired with our deep knowledge of learning technology perfectly positions us as the optimal course development partner. To learn more about this service, click here.

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