Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Beth Brodovsky, who hosts the Driving Participation podcast (and if you haven’t checked it out yet, what are you waiting for?) recently asked a bunch of her former guests this insightful question for a year-end episode. Here’s my answer: One thing that really worked for my clients was talking to their members. I know that sounds obvious, but associations tend to – in my opinion – over-focus on surveying people to the detriment of other methods of learning about our audiences.

Survey 203

Survey System Innovation Industry 203

Wild Apricot

APRIL 4, 2016

expert-webinars free-webinars 2016 april webinars expert freeApril means spring, and what better way to celebrate spring than with free education? There is no better way! So, it's a good thing I've put together this super list of free educational webinars for nonprofits and associations.

Education 231

Education 231

Wild Apricot

OCTOBER 1, 2016

Lots of learning on volunteering this month, so if you’re looking for volunteer strategies, you’ve hit the jackpot of webinars! nonprofit webinar webinars

Strategy 313

Strategy 313

Wild Apricot

OCTOBER 31, 2016

If your organization is struggling to fill events, looking for #givingtuesday tips, or building a corporate sponsorship strategy, this month’s free nonprofit webinars can give you a hand. november webinars nonprofit free

Tips 308

Tips Strategy Organization 308

Wild Apricot

JUNE 3, 2016

Choose from among these 24 free webinars for June 2016. Looking to continue your non-profit education? We've got you covered. june free webinar

Education 232

Education 232

Spark Consulting

JULY 22, 2016

I’ve been blogging about association management since 2008 – and I was far from the first one into the pool. I remember participating in my first bloggercon at ASAE in a sunny plaza in San Diego in 2008, shortly after I’d launched Thanks For Playing, the precursor to the Spark blog, with about 30 other association professionals, sharing our thoughts about how to use this new platform to strengthen our industry and our community.

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San Diego Content Social Media Video 190

Wild Apricot

JULY 1, 2016

If your organization is struggling to engage millennials, one of the things you’ll learn from this month’s webinars is the best times of day to post your event social media messages and send emails

millennials 220

millennials Social Media Organization 220

Wild Apricot

AUGUST 5, 2016

If you're organization is struggling to recruit volunteers, have you considered using social media to do the work for you? In one of this month's free nonprofit webinars, you'll learn how to recruit volunteers right from Facebook, Twitter, and even YouTube. august free webinar

Recruiting 215

Recruiting Recruitment Social Media How To 215

Wild Apricot

AUGUST 31, 2016

If your organization is struggling to engage millennials, one of the things you’ll learn from this month’s webinars are 3 rules that will turn a new millennial member into a raving fan. webinars free september

millennials 210

millennials Organization 210

Socious

DECEMBER 28, 2016

Remember Cliffs Notes, the popular synopses of required reading and classic literature? For some of us, they were a go-to back in high school. They condense a tome like War and Peace into 25-30 pages, giving you the highlights along with a few symbolic references that high school English teachers eat up. Association Member Engagement Conference Management Social Media Tips

Social Media 129

Social Media Tips Member Engagement Conference 129

Higher Logic

NOVEMBER 28, 2016

We were honored to host four renowned community thought leaders at this year’s Super Forum. It was a vibrant discussion that included data versus passion in community, engagement as it relates to retention, the state of community management, and influencing community behavior. Here are some conversation highlights and insightful soundbites from the panelists: Vanessa DiMauro , CEO of Leader Networks. Rachel Happe , Co-Founder and Principal of The Community Roundtable.

Social Media 161

Social Media Class Analysis Products 161

Wild Apricot

JULY 1, 2016

If your organization is struggling to engage millennials, one of the things you’ll learn from this month’s webinars is the best times of day to post your event social media messages and send emails

millennials 196

millennials Social Media Organization 196

Association Management

JANUARY 12, 2016

After a few days of walking the floor at CES , many things start to look alike. That’s because they are. There were dozens of quadcopter drones from different manufacturers. A sea of 4k televisions all with great pictures. And enough virtual reality glasses to make them stop being a novelty. In fact, at a conference known for introducting “wow” products, what seemed to be missing was true innovation. But Eureka Park—the startup area of CES —told a different story.

Discount 100

Discount Innovation Survey Products 100

Association Management

JANUARY 7, 2016

Yesterday I spent my day at the events that are held in advance of the floor opening for the Consumer Electronics Show—some research sessions and a keynote by the CEO of Intel. Some interesting things afoot for the world of technology: 1. Farewell to the upgrade cycle. I used to get a new PC every three years or so. Not because I wanted to spend the money, but because the feature set and need for more power warranted it.

Report 100

Report Examples Technology 100

Higher Logic

MARCH 18, 2016

Social media continues to evolve, and if you want to leverage social media for your organization, you need to be aware of the current trends for 2016. Here’s a closer look at some of the top 2016 social media trends to watch throughout the year. However, 2016 is the year it will begin gaining some traction. According to The Motley Fool, live streaming is another big social media trend to watch in 2016.

Social Media 124

Social Media Video United States Price 124

Wild Apricot

MAY 3, 2016

May means nicer weather and I know you want to go outside, but here are 18 great reasons to stay glued to your computer screen! nonprofit webinar free may

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235

Wild Apricot

JANUARY 29, 2016

Can you believe that January is already over? January was a big month for us. We’ve confirmed a lot of our strategies to improve our software experience and already started acting on them. update january

Software 184

Software Strategy 184

Aaron Wolowiec

JANUARY 12, 2016

From memberships to learning to partnerships, software and services provider Abila just released its predictions for associations in 2016. In fact, Abila predicts certification revenue will surpass membership revenue in 2016. As 2016 progresses, associations will increasingly use AMS for strategy – not just tactics. It’s a new year. New predictions. New trends. New goals. New successes.

Revenue 101

Revenue millennials Certificate Software 101

Reid All About it

JANUARY 29, 2016

The strong will survive, the smart will thrive. Even busy professionals must set time aside for reading, listening, and learning. Schedule it. Maybe 20 minutes a day, maybe an hour or two a week. You won’t evolve, and your organization won’t evolve, unless you’re regularly feeding your brain with new knowledge and ideas.

North Carolina 150

North Carolina Newsletter Education Committee 150

Higher Logic

DECEMBER 20, 2016

I recently previewed our 2016 Community Benchmarking Study, and the overarching theme is clear: effective community management can positively influence member behavior. The average EBS for the 2016 study is 79, up 19 points from 2015. Stay tuned for an interactive section and KPI worksheet in the 2016 Study – this will include a comprehensive list of our top KPIs with corresponding tasks and examples.

Survey 120

Survey Report Strategy Member Experience 120

Socious

DECEMBER 28, 2016

So here goes – your summary of the best association articles on the web for 2016. The Association Industry’s Best Articles for 2016 Takeaway. Remember Cliffs Notes, the popular synopses of required reading and classic literature? For some of us, they were a go-to back in high school. They condense a tome like War and Peace into 25-30 pages, giving you the highlights along with a few symbolic references that high school English teachers eat up.

Innovation 100

Innovation millennials Industry Education 100

Robert M Barnes

JANUARY 1, 2016

2016 will be all about FOCUS. Doing less and doing it more deeply and meaningfully than ever before in an attempt to make an impact on things that matter. An impact that helps others make significant progress in their personal … Continue reading → A Dangerous Mind

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70

Wild Apricot

APRIL 25, 2016

This year's Benchmarks report is the most comprehensive yet and lets you know how nonprofits are stacking up on everything from email marketing to social media to donation campaigns. nten report mrx benchmar

Email Marketing 196

Email Marketing Social Media Marketing Report 196

Mariner

AUGUST 13, 2016

According the 2016 Chapter Benchmarking report , associations lean on chapters for member engagement, leadership development, membership. recruitment, marketing/communications and local resources – rating these elements as 'absolutely essential' to 'essential' roles. The rub comes in their ratings on effectiveness in those areas - all of which generated a gap between importance and effectiveness

Report 109

Report Recruiting Recruitment Member Engagement 109

Higher Logic

AUGUST 9, 2016

What You Can't Miss for ASAE Annual 2016. ASAE Annual is one of the biggest events we participate in every year, and we wouldn’t dream of missing it. It’s a great opportunity to join thousands of attendees to learn and collaborate on how to improve the association landscape. Check out the schedule of events – it’s chock-full of great sessions, guest speakers, vendors, parties and more. This year’s event is August 13-16 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

DC 121

DC Project Products How To 121

Higher Logic

JANUARY 25, 2016

The community management industry is making great strides and growing rapidly into 2016, thanks to innovative content and collaboration amongst community managers. We’ve been sharing our favorite resources and topics all month long, but here’s a quick wrap-up of our top CMAD posts: Our Top Four 2016 CMAD Themes. We'd also like to send a big (virtual) round of applause and congratulations to the CMAD 2016 Community Manager award winners.

Arlington 120

Arlington Industry Tips Innovation 120

Socious

MARCH 4, 2016

The Socious Top Ten for the Week of February 28, 2016. Every week we aim to make your life easier by compiling the best customer community articles of last week right here on our blog. This week, our favorite articles focus on providing our readers with tips to increasing their customer engagement. Nominate an article, video, or blog post for next week’s Socious Top Ten by tweeting us at @SociousSoftware. Association Management Social Business Customer Engagement

Video 137

Video Tips Association Management 137

Higher Logic

AUGUST 29, 2016

Have you finally caught up on email, sleep and the deluge of new networking opportunities from this year’s ASAE Annual Meeting and Expo? It’s one of the biggest association events we participate in every year - we wouldn’t dream of missing it. First - a few thank you's. We had a great time interacting with our customers, partners, and potential clients. Thank you for stopping by our booth to say hello (and play a little golf!).

Products 120

Products How To 120

Optimist Consulting

AUGUST 21, 2016

I am a supporter of Harnessing the web 2016 conference in October, the premier digital conference for the membership sector. About Harnessing the web 2016. Harnessing the web 2016 is the membership sector’s leading annual conference focused entirely on the web. The post Harnessing the web 2016 conference – early bird offer appeared first on Optimist Consulting.

Discount 100

Discount Price Newsletter Conference 100

Association Adviser

OCTOBER 13, 2016

While the 2016 study uncovered promising new trends, data revealed that associations face the same primary challenges that they faced in 2011, and the approach to tackling those challenges has not necessarily improved. Online career centers and Twitter jumped from ranking 13 and 14 in 2015 to tie for the seventh-most-valuable communication channel in 2016. The 2016 survey provided many more interesting points of interest to association executives.

Communications 108

Communications Survey Content Social Media 108

MembersClicks

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Check out our 2016 holiday gift guide below! It seems like December just started, and yet Christmas is only two weeks away! Where did the month (and year) go?! Now we hate to bring it up, but…how’s your holiday shopping coming? If you still have a few (or more) gifts to grab, let us help! association management association leadership membership management Small Staff Chatter

Membership Management 79

Membership Management Association Management Leadership 79

Higher Logic

MARCH 16, 2016

Writing. We all need to do it -- in community postings, in email, and in the documents we create. Writing is like walking -- it’s so automatic that you don’t think about it. But you ought to. Because if you’re like most writers, you’re using extra words that make your documents and posts far less effective. In 30 years of business writing, I’ve identified four pernicious habits that are common to most writers -- and annoying to most readers.

Press Release 121

Press Release Video New York Examples 121

Socious

JANUARY 5, 2016

Your customers are logging into websites more frequently, signing up for new online services, and trying new apps every day. The well-documented consumerization of business product users is putting increasing pressure on companies. In many cases, companies can’t keep up with the evolving expectations of their customer base. Association Management Social Business Customer Engagement Customer Experience

Products 147

Products Association Management 147

Socious

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

The Socious Top Ten for the Week of February 21, 2016. Socious has some great news! Call it a late new year’s resolution if you will, but we have decided to bring back the “Socious Top Ten”. We know that you’re busy and that the internet is a big place, so we have done all of the heavy lifting (or should I say reading) for you and have collected some of the best advice from around the web and put it all in one spot! Do you know of a great article that should be featured?

Tips 125

Tips Video Association Management 125

MembersClicks

DECEMBER 29, 2016

Is it just us or did 2016 FLY by? In fact, here are some of our favorite moments and memories from 2016: association management small staff association membership management Small Staff ChatterWe can’t believe another year is almost gone. Either way, it was a remarkable year, and one we’d like to reflect on.

Review 65

Review Membership Management Association Management 65

Socious

NOVEMBER 16, 2016

“This is going to be very unusual advice from a guy who runs a sales and marketing software company, but take dollars from sales and marketing. Put it in products and services and customer delight.” – Brian Halligan, CEO and Founder of HubSpot. When Brian Halligan, one of the men widely credited with coining the term “inbound marketing” tells you to take resources away from marketing, you know there’s a major shift happening. Brian did just that last week at HubSpot’s INBOUND Conference.

Sample 100

Sample Tools Price Revenue 100

Higher Logic

JULY 14, 2016

Shared value is the name of the game in The Community Roundtable’s State of Community Management Report 2016 (SOCM 2016). Even though defining that shared value is so important for the community’s success, the SOCM 2016 found that only 40% of respondents said they actually did have a defined shared value for the organization and members. Here are three big takeaways from the SOCM 2016 for minding the gap and bringing everyone together: 1.

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Report Class eBook Survey 120

MembersClicks

DECEMBER 20, 2016

We were curious, so we checked our vault, and found the top downloaded content of 2016. If you follow our blog regularly, you probably know that we touch on a variety of topics - everything from remembering names at networking events to shopping for association management software. But do you ever wonder which topics resonate the most with people? Did you miss any of these?! association management membership management Small Staff Chatter

Membership Management 65

Membership Management Content Software Association Management 65

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 26, 2016

As we end another year, here's a look back at the five posts on this blog that received the most page views in 2016. Stop Calling It Strategic Planning This has been on every year-end list since it was originally posted in January 2012, and keeps getting a ton of traffic, including as the page through which the highest number of people enter my site.

Guidelines 100

Guidelines Team Video Course 100

Spark Consulting

DECEMBER 16, 2015

We know it’s important, but we’re full of excuses for why we don’t do it (and no, by personalization, I don’t mean sending an email to “Dear Elizabeth” as opposed to “Dear Colleague”): we don’t have the data, our systems won’t support it, it takes too much time, our members respond to our “spray & pray” tactics so we don’t need to worry about it, we don’t know how… It’s 2016!

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Marketing System How To 183