Business

4 Ideas for 2017 Nondues Revenue Resolutions

As 2017 approaches, here are four questions to ask to create realistic routes toward accomplishing your resolutions related to nondues revenue.

I love making New Year’s resolutions; keeping them is another story.

Why? Change is hard, and as a New York Times writer points out, it’s also exhausting.

But, according to researchers from four U.S. universities that analyzed more than 100 studies, it’s no wonder. That’s because making New Year’s resolutions is out—making “questolutions” is in.

The idea is that asking questions and answering them is a better way of making resolutions and sticking to them. “By posing your resolution in the form of a question rather than a statement, you begin to engage with it,” wrote Melody Wilding on Forbes.com. “Your brain goes to work breaking down the problem, sequencing next steps and creating a path to success.”

And this idea doesn’t only apply to personal resolutions. Here are four questolutions to consider asking if you’re looking to boost your organization’s nondues revenue in the coming year:

How might my association forge a strong affinity relationship? With their targeted member lists, associations are ripe for affinity partnerships with companies that want to advertise their products to specific audiences. In 2017, think about what partners might work well in an affinity relationship. Are there out-of-the box ideas that might yield out-of-this-world ROI?

How might my association make money on online, on-demand learning? Members are increasingly looking for targeted learning opportunities that fit into their daily lives. Associations need to think about what types of learning would be most valuable to their members, as well as how to offer those opportunities at a profit. “The key is to price the online learning so that it is a member benefit, yes, but it also is priced to reflect the value of the content,” said Vicky Mossman, vice president of partner development at Scitent eLearning Solutions, to Associations Now Plus [ASAE member login required to read article].

How can we monetize our podcasts? While a recent Wall Street Journal article points out that the there’s still some hesitation by big advertisers over whether podcasts are here to stay and if they deliver good ROI, podcaster and association pro Craig Sorrell told Associations Now earlier this year that associations with podcasts should go ahead and search out sponsors. See if you can snag a standalone sponsor, but if not, try selling your podcast sponsorship spot as an add-on to an existing advertising package.

How can we use marketing to connect with—rather than sell to—our members? “People are tired of being sold [to], and Millennials can tell they are being sold [to] from a mile away,” according to Inc. “… What is working though are apps and services that connect people to what they want.” So, how can associations sell, without selling? By segmenting your marketing efforts and targeting the right members for your products. This year, prioritize leveraging your data to market products that your members want and need. That way, you’ll create connection rather than a sheepish sales pitch.

What are your 2017 nondues revenue questolutions? Let us know in the comments.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Emily Bratcher

By Emily Bratcher

Emily Bratcher is a Contributing Editor for Associations Now. MORE

Got an article tip for us? Contact us and let us know!


Comments