YourMembership

DECEMBER 30, 2014

Goodbye 2014. Put it in the books. It has been a remarkable year with a number of highs and a few lows along the way. But isn’t that typical of almost every journey we go on? While I think we’re all ready for the “fresh start” the New Year affords us, it is also to pause for a moment and look back at the year that brought us here. So as a final toast to 2014, we look back at some of the ideas and strategies we shared with you the past 12 months.

Recruiting 150

Recruiting Recruitment Tips Strategy 150

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 17, 2014

'Is your non-profit or association taking full advantage of sponsorships? Here''s an overview of a new article in our Hub by Joe Waters designed to help non-profits start building sponsor partnerships.

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Association Leaders

DECEMBER 16, 2014

'I recently read an article published in the New York Times about how IBM develops new ideas through a collaborative team effort. You can read it here. A critical value most successful teams have is TRUST. When members of a team trust each other, they can accomplish great things together. Unfortunately, trust doesn’t always exist on teams. IBM has developed this interesting collaborative structure for teams that seems to work for them when trust doesn’t exist.

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Team New York Process 163

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 9, 2014

'How do you write good marketing copy? In a nutshell: Think about your audience. Who are they? What do you know about them? Use that information to craft a personalized message. Talk like a real person, and write like you speak. Shorter and simpler is better than longer and more complex. Don’t be excessively formal, don’t use jargon, and don’t use undefined acronyms.

Marketing 304

Marketing 304

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Member Engagement

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 30, 2014

'The champagne is chilling and we’re pumped to watch the ball drop as we find ourselves humming “Auld Lang Syne.”. Yep. 2015 is nearly here. Maybe not quite so exciting for event planners, however. We know: It’s crunch time for you. Time to book all your conferences and events and finalize the budget. The past few months have been a bit harried, no doubt.

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Fort Worth Kentucky Dallas Oregon 142

YourMembership

DECEMBER 18, 2014

Last week we held our December Thought Leadership webinar Mindful Associations: Fuel 2015 Success with Vision and Gratitude , with Holly Duckworth, CAE, CMP, recognized speaker and CEO of Leadership Solutions International. Holly joined us to share some very interesting principles and techniques she’s developed and included in her first book to be released in January 2015, titled Ctrl+ Alt+ Believe: Reboot Your Organization For Success.

Leadership 150

Leadership Tips Innovation Content 150

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 10, 2014

'On Thursday December 4th, 2014, Wild Apricot held an exclusive live demo for US Green Building Council Chapters. Below is the recording and transcript of this demo to show you how easy it can be to set up a website, manage memberships, build a directory.

Directory 150

Directory 150

Mariner

DECEMBER 23, 2014

'The most common lament we hear (ok it’s tied with “we can’t find volunteers”) is how can we get the volunteers to actually do what they say they will. As we’ve always said here at Mariner, volunteer management is really HR management and so the many principals for motivating employees are relevant.

Team 186

Team 186

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 3, 2014

'One of the best ways to promote your association and its programs, products, and services is to let your members, customers, audiences, and other stakeholders do it for you. In other words, to use testimonials. ASAE’s June 2010 Communications Section newsletter (login required) listed 7 key questions to ask to generate compelling testimonials: Why did you choose to participate with <your program>?

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Newsletter Communications Products Marketing 300

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Strategy

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 23, 2014

'This guest blog post by Mark Athitakis , a contributing editor for Associations Now, originally ran Dec. 22 on Associations Now. Athitakis has written on nonprofits, the arts and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History. You can follow him on Twitter at @MarkANMag. Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now.

Leadership 142

Leadership Social Media Case Study Revenue 142

Optimist Consulting

DECEMBER 18, 2014

'I recently helped a client by running some discussion groups with their members about the organisation’s benefit offering. One of the key findings was how much the members valued the Special Interest Groups (SIGs). I have found this elsewhere too. I think SIGs can be an embodiment of an organisation’s USP, bringing together like-minded members to share ideas, challenges and best practice.

Tips 100

Tips Case Study Tools Resources 100

YourMembership

DECEMBER 11, 2014

America’s hiring again and associations and their members have reason to celebrate. Last Friday the US Bureau of Labor Statistics announced a very strong jobs report that caught many economists by surprise. With more than 270,000 jobs added in September the unemployment rate fell below 6% for the first time since before the recession. That trend has continued through November.

New York City 150

New York City New York Newsletter Social Media 150

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 10, 2014

'On Thursday December 4th, 2014, we held an exclusive live demo for US Green Building Council Chapters. Below is the recording and transcript of this demo to show you how easy it can be to set up a website, create a directory and so much more. Wild.

Directory 174

Directory 174

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Mariner

DECEMBER 18, 2014

'The year is almost done, which means many of us are starting to ponder our New Year’s Resolutions (again!). We’ll spend the coming days in quiet reflection on where we failed in 2014 and how we can better ourselves in 2015. Whether it’s making changes to our physical, mental or spiritual well-being, we’ll forge ahead with a list of resolutions written in the spirit of renewal.

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Virtual

DECEMBER 16, 2014

'A very smart polling professional once told me the formula for satisfaction was “S=P-E”. Put another (actually understandable) way, Satisfaction equals Performance minus Expectations. I love this. As consumers, we see this all the time. Check in to a Holiday Inn and you’re happy with a clean room. Check in to a Four Seasons and just having a clean room isn’t enough.

Survey 125

Survey Association Management Resources Products 125

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 16, 2014

'Two years after graduating college, I entered the association world. I served as director of communications for an association for four years – and I loved every minute of it. As all association professionals understand, resources were thin but job responsibilities were huge. I was all things communications, media relations and public relations. But marketing?

Marketing 145

Marketing Social Media Content Report 145

Optimist Consulting

DECEMBER 18, 2014

'At the recent PARN Communications Special Interest Group, where I was facilitating a workshop session , I saw a great presentation by James Murphy, Global Head of Digital Services at RICS. He talked about strategies and challenges for social media at RICS, the 120,000-member-strong organisation that serves development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure professionals.

Social Media 109

Social Media Guidelines Review Tips 109

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YourMembership

DECEMBER 4, 2014

Reinvent the tired, predictable conference experience by using readily available technology to wow your attendees, simplify communication, and create a spectacular, lasting impression that takes your organization above and beyond their expectations. Your First Impression Starts BEFORE Attendees Arrive. You know the sayings, ‘First Impressions Mean Everything’ and ‘It only takes 7 Seconds to Make an Everlasting Impression.

Conference 150

Conference Social Media Cost Technology 150

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 9, 2014

'The newest article in our Membership Knowledge Hub – A New Way to Think About Leadership Development – explains that membership-based organizations need to empower their volunteers and volunteer leaders by strengthening and building their leadership capacity.

Leadership 229

Leadership Organization 229

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 15, 2014

'Everyone should read this great post from Seth Godin, The Tragedy of the Last 10%. In it, Seth describes how increasing market share and profitability can come when a company lowers the price of its product by 10%. Sometimes, the same thing happens when the company can re-engineer its cost structure so it can subsequently lower its price by a second, or even third 10%.

Price 130

Price Member Engagement Products Revenue 130

Virtual

DECEMBER 10, 2014

'A lot is made about bad customer service. But let me tell you, customers themselves are no picnic. Tom Peters once said “when your flight is messed up and you approach the counter, treat that person like she is the only person in the world that can help you. Because she is.” A lot of customers haven’t gotten that memo. So what does this mean? It means that no matter what you do, you and your staff may have to deal with a tough (sometimes irrational) customer.

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Committee Association Management Organization 122

Speaker: Andrew Olsen, CFRE - EVP, Fundraising Solutions at DickersonBakker | Kat Landa, CFRE, CSD - SVP, Talent Solutions at DickersonBakker

Across the nonprofit sector, organizations invest heavily in donor retention efforts, yet the struggle of cultivating lasting relationships remains. While attracting new donors is crucial, the lack of repeat donors poses significant financial risks. Through a comprehensive analysis of industry data, experts argue that there is a direct correlation between donor burnout, donor retention, and the talent retention crisis.

Analysis

Aaron Wolowiec

DECEMBER 9, 2014

'Just as we all start trying to lose those holiday pounds, it looks like 2015 is going to be a fun year for food and drinks. Drinks served in mason jars. Art installations created from donuts. DJ booths made from cookware. Out-of-the-box – and off-the-plate thinking – will define 2015, according to a new e-book by socialtables, which produces cloud-based software for the hospitality industry.

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Sample Conference Software Course 165

Optimist Consulting

DECEMBER 18, 2014

'The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) has partnered with the Content Marketing Institute on its 2015 UK content marketing report. It is one of the most comprehensive content marketing reports in the world with over 5,000 marketers taking part across the globe. It does include for-profit organisations, but I still think the findings are a good indication of trends in content marketing.

Content 100

Content Marketing Social Media Survey 100

KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

DECEMBER 1, 2014

'What does the future hold in store for me? The picture isn''t clear. I never anticipated becoming an association executive. I still remember moving to Bethesda, Maryland, from Joplin, Missouri, starting my first job in associations - working for the Parenteral Drug Association. What was an association and how could I explain it to my family? These were the questions that plagued me whenever I wasn''t worried about how to make my next strategic move to make more money and move up in position.

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Missouri Social Media Maryland America 118

Wild Apricot

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'This week''s link round-up offers insight and ideas on: board meeting breakout sessions, tools for capturing and acting on member feedback, reinventing your events, and developing an "attitude of gratitude".

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Tools 263

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

💢 Do you find yourself stuck in never-ending review cycles? Are you wondering if your Subject Matter Expert actually got that last review request? Are you having trouble trying to decipher impractical or conflicting feedback? 💢 If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, you may benefit from a crash course on managing SME relationships!

Review