Optimist Consulting

AUGUST 28, 2014

I am delighted to include this blog by Chord UK Ltd; a specialist telemarketing agency that has helped a number of membership organisations engage with their members over the phone. The main advantage that the telephone offers is the ability to personalise every engagement and even more crucially, to have a two-way conversation.

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Optimist Consulting

DECEMBER 17, 2015

On 3 rd December I delivered a full-day workshop for the Small Charities Coalition on Building engagement through e-mail newsletters. Engage with members, don’t broadcast: Tailor content to your members’ needs and provide opportunities to interact with your organisation, rather than broadcast information.

Newsletter 100

Newsletter Content Social Media Committee 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 13, 2015

Many membership bodies only use the phone when chasing for renewals – which is a missed opportunity to cut through the information overload to reach and then engage members. Download my presentation.

Marketing 100

Marketing Member Engagement Communications 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 13, 2015

Many membership bodies only use the phone when chasing for renewals – which is a missed opportunity to cut through the information overload to reach and then engage members. Download my presentation.

Marketing 100

Marketing Member Engagement Communications 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 13, 2015

Many membership bodies only use the phone when chasing for renewals – which is a missed opportunity to cut through the information overload to reach and then engage members. Download my presentation.

Marketing 100

Marketing Member Engagement Communications 100

Optimist Consulting

JULY 20, 2016

Consider your starting point: Are your members currently engaged, generally happy and satisfied? If you are trying to do this with less engaged members, you may find it is more of a challenge to make your case and carry your members with you to achieve your goals.

Communications 100

Communications Proposal Project Social Media 100

Optimist Consulting

NOVEMBER 29, 2016

With CRM systems becoming increasingly more sophisticated, the data you hold on your members can really help to tailor automated emails to your various member audiences, which is far more engaging and effective than receiving a blanket, impersonal e-communication. And finally, never forget that a warm ‘Thank you’ email can go a long way!

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Discount Survey Social Media Price 100

Optimist Consulting

JANUARY 28, 2015

Engaging potential members so they can find out about your organisation’s benefits is often a challenge. Once these potential members are engaged and know about the benefits many will go on to join, but how can you engage them initially? Overall I thought it was a good approach to engaging with potential members.

Recruiting 100

Recruiting Recruitment Communications Industry 100

Optimist Consulting

SEPTEMBER 29, 2014

‘Emotionally unsubscribed’ is a term for email recipients that stay on your mailing list but don’t engage with your organisation, and by ‘don’t engage’ I mean don’t even click on or open your emails, let alone react! Are there ways to bring that engagement forward? We miss you’ email tips.

Communications 100

Communications Tips Marketing Examples 100

Optimist Consulting

AUGUST 12, 2013

If the Conservatives (or indeed any political party, Labour are suffering similar loses in membership) to attract younger generations (X and Y) then they’ll also need to; consider what they are offering members, how they communicate to their audiences and what engagement opportunities they offer members and stakeholders.

Social Media 100

Social Media Recruiting Recruitment Examples 100

Optimist Consulting

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

They offer a range of ways for members to engage/support their work. Membership Engagement Membership Recruitment' They outline their impact by listing their successes. They use “you” a lot – the message being 38 Degrees is about its members not the organisation. The finish the email with their social media links.

Recruiting 100

Recruiting Recruitment Social Media Course 100

Optimist Consulting

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

You have a pool of engaged members ready to be surveyed on any topical issues as they arise – allowing you to put out a response quickly and strengthen your organisation’s reputation as a respected thought leader. The policy panel is made up entirely of its members, who the IoD approach periodically for their feedback on policy issues.

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Optimist Consulting

DECEMBER 11, 2013

Your members can help your organisation by producing content like articles, case studies and using them to engage with other members via your social media platforms. 4) 74% use content marketing for engagement. Membership bodies do have a resource that other types of organisations do not have – members. What do you think?

Content 100

Content Report Marketing Social Media 100

Optimist Consulting

OCTOBER 30, 2014

What this depressingly-low figure highlights is the importance of putting effort into encouraging engagement in an election process. In light of PARN’s findings I was interested to see the approach of the Association for Project Management (APM) ahead of their upcoming board elections.

Communications 100

Communications Process Video Course 100

Optimist Consulting

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Membership Benefits Membership Engagement Membership retention' I think it is a nice piece of membership material which helps me feel warm towards my membership body. What do you think? Do you like it? Have you done something similar? Leave a comment below or do get in touch with me directly.

Maine 100

Maine Communications Industry Marketing 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 31, 2016

Remember: The first year of membership is the ‘danger year’ and drop-off rates are the highest at the end of year 1 – if members aren’t sufficiently engaged by ‘the member experience’ during year 1, they might consider not renewing. -“What’s in it for me?”. Use content marketing/member storytelling.

Marketing 100

Marketing Newsletter Social Media Recruiting 100

Optimist Consulting

DECEMBER 18, 2014

91% of respondents use content marketing for engagement. With engagement a high priority for membership bodies, this highlights how important content marketing is for membership organisations. Only 36% have a written-down strategy , and the report confirms that those who do have more effective content marketing.

Content 100

Content Marketing Social Media Survey 100

Optimist Consulting

SEPTEMBER 29, 2014

Engagement. I was delighted to be asked to write a White Paper for Sterling, one of the leading membership and communication consultancies. It looks very nice thanks to Sterling’s designers. I talk about the six essential elements of retention including: Understanding what members want. Innovation.

Case Study 100

Case Study Innovation Communications 100

Optimist Consulting

APRIL 29, 2014

I was delighted to be asked to talk about sports membership bodies and using social media to engage members at MemCom. MemCom combines a conference with the only UK membership awards ceremony. You can download my slides here. If you would like to know more about my services or if you would like me to speak at your event please contact me.

Social Media 100

Social Media Conference 100

Optimist Consulting

JUNE 29, 2016

This is a good way to engage readers from the start. You can see an online version here. Here is what I like about the e-newsletter: Clean header area: It is clean and simple which helps the messages underneath to cut through with ease.

Newsletter 178

Newsletter Recruiting Recruitment Tools 178

Optimist Consulting

MARCH 30, 2015

I feel this is a missed opportunity to engage those at the top of the organisation about the importance of digital communications.I You need to ensure you present the context of any statistics and also focus on engagement and not just numbers. Only 45% regularly report analytics to senior management/the board.

Survey 100

Survey Social Media Report Recruiting 100

Optimist Consulting

MARCH 30, 2015

I feel this is a missed opportunity to engage those at the top of the organisation about the importance of digital communications.I You need to ensure you present the context of any statistics and also focus on engagement and not just numbers. Only 45% regularly report analytics to senior management/the board.

Survey 100

Survey Social Media Report Recruiting 100

Optimist Consulting

MARCH 30, 2015

I feel this is a missed opportunity to engage those at the top of the organisation about the importance of digital communications.I You need to ensure you present the context of any statistics and also focus on engagement and not just numbers. Only 45% regularly report analytics to senior management/the board.

Survey 100

Survey Social Media Report Recruiting 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 18, 2014

It can help drive social media engagement – by bringing all your platforms together you can expose your different audiences to the different channels. You can use their statistics function to measure social media activity and engagement in one place – you don’t need to look at social stats in each package as you can compare them in one place.

Social Media 100

Social Media Maine Content Examples 100

Optimist Consulting

MARCH 4, 2013

However, you do need to encourage members to read the information and a plain black and white document is not the best way to engage readers. As an organisation you do not want to appear to be “wasting money” on documents about price rises. This is not just about the staff or board at Head Office, they have listened to members.

Price 100

Price Communications Marketing 100

Optimist Consulting

MARCH 26, 2014

Mobile web will deliver member engagement – last year’s report stated that 75% of respondents didn’t have a mobile-friendly website, but this figure has reduced in this year’s report to 48%. In addition, 73% believe that the mobile web will play a role in increasing member engagement.

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Report Social Media Email Marketing Maine 100

Optimist Consulting

JULY 9, 2014

It can be a good exercise to clarify your organisation’s policy objectives, engage your members and raise your organisation’s profile. 5) Engage all the parties. The next General Election is under a year away, taking place on 7 May 2015. Are you planning to produce your own manifesto on behalf of members?

Case Study 100

Case Study Maine Team Examples 100

Optimist Consulting

JULY 9, 2014

I feel that membership bodies are in a lucky position in that they already have an engaged audience that can be ‘used’ to create content. Here are nine suggested ways to use your members to produce content about membership: 1) Videos – short videos of members can provide an engaging watch.

Content 100

Content Marketing Case Study Video 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 10, 2017

Be clear about the roles – don’t assume that members outside your engaged core of members know what it means to be a board member. Use plain English! I’d suggest being clear about where board meetings take place, for how long and where.

Communications 113

Communications Tips Project Content 113

Optimist Consulting

JANUARY 31, 2013

When members/potential members visit your site do they engage and purchase additional services from you? Pinterest was reported as driving more traffic than Facebook for some demographics, despite having a much smaller membership, It is clear that images are a great way of engaging with your audience. Visual will become vital.

Social Media 100

Social Media Content Marketing Communications 100

Optimist Consulting

JANUARY 29, 2014

Membership Membership Engagement awards' It has been a great activity for our organisation, I would encourage other members organisations to think about offering an award. To find out more about the ERA’s Researcher Of The Year Award please see here.

Committee 100

Committee Social Media Recruiting Recruitment 100

Optimist Consulting

JULY 20, 2016

52% are confident/very confident in their digital strategy: It’s great to see high levels of confidence in membership organisations’ digital strategies, and I see many of my clients adopting good strategies; however the fact that 48% aren’t confident is a concern but this provides an opportunity for positive change, as well as a challenge.

Survey 100

Survey Communications Strategy Report 100

Optimist Consulting

JANUARY 28, 2015

It can revitalise the organisation and engage members and potential members. A rebrand for a membership organisation can be an important part of a new strategic direction. However, it can also raise questions in members’ minds – ‘What did that cost?’ and ‘Why do we need that?’,

Communications 100

Communications Cost Marketing Process 100

Optimist Consulting

DECEMBER 18, 2014

They have greatly refined their approach over time, including shutting down inactive channels to concentrate on a few key accounts and moving their metrics on from measuring volume of audience to engagement tracking. As a global organisation they have also started using local channels and local languages.

Social Media 100

Social Media Guidelines Review Tips 100

Optimist Consulting

MARCH 27, 2016

Consider your organisation’s tone of voice and be consistent; plan content and post regularly to engage members and encourage followers; and consider your approach to negative comments – you may want to offer to take the conversation offline. Members of Scouting in 2018 will feel empowered, valued and proud. Our Mission. Our Values.

Strategy 100

Strategy Marketing Analysis Social Media 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 13, 2015

Just to recap, crowdsourcing is defined by crowdsourcingweek.com as: “the practice of engaging a ‘crowd’ or group for a common goal – often innovation, problem solving, or efficiency.”. Engage with contributors. It’s all too easy to ask for input and then just sit back and wait for the responses to come in.

How To 100

How To Maine Communications Social Media 100

Optimist Consulting

MAY 13, 2015

Just to recap, crowdsourcing is defined by crowdsourcingweek.com as: “the practice of engaging a ‘crowd’ or group for a common goal – often innovation, problem solving, or efficiency.”. Engage with contributors. It’s all too easy to ask for input and then just sit back and wait for the responses to come in.

How To 100

How To Maine Communications Social Media 100