The weekly list of free webinars and events for the association community…
This week’s photo is a preview of my weekend, but without the chair—can’t fit a chair like that in my backpack. We’re heading out on Sunday for our first backpack camping trip, the first of many, if all goes well. So, what did I enjoy reading this week…
What happens when a membership prospect calls your association? Do you really know? You may want to find out after reading this interesting report from Billhighway about hundreds of calls they made to associations for a market research project.
And now for a more complicated subject but one I felt like I needed to learn more about—blockchain. This Fortune article describes how businesses are trying to harness blockchain and why they (and you) can’t afford to ignore it.
Don’t buy bitcoin because all the cool kids are buying bitcoin, that’s not a good reason, although it does demonstrate the power of social proof. WBT Systems explains how your association can use the power of social proof to market your online learning programs.
I know we’re all sick of the word “silos,” but they’re still an issue so we’re still talking about them. Silos are especially frustrating when you think about all the content produced across a typical association—conference sessions, website, emails, publications, reports, and so on—but they don’t have a coordinated approach to using it. Learn how to tear down silos and create a culture of content from the Content Marketing Institute.
If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Tue 9/5 at 2 p.m. – TV Producer’s Association Story on Change Management (Association Chat)
Learn how an association executive leveraged her background as an actor and TV producer to bring a mentality of nimbleness and culture of change management to her association. Watch/participate live or view the recording.
Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury
Guest: Sharon Newport, a TV producer turned association executive
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Wed 9/6 at 1 p.m. – What’s Driving Member Loyalty?
Member retention is key to association survival, but why do your members keep coming back? Community Brands asked more than 1,000 association members in the U.S. just that and their answers could make all the difference in understanding how to retain them and better nurture them up the loyalty spectrum. Learn what motivates your most loyal members and the most effective ways to communicate your value to them. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: NimbleUser AMS and Community Brands
Presenters: Amanda Myers and Peggy Smith, Community Brands
Wed 9/6 at 2 p.m. – Webinar Benchmarks Report 2017
You want your webinars to be the best, but what really goes into the best webinars? ON24 looked at over 12,000 webinars to find out, and the results were surprising. Hear about best practices and key industry benchmarks. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenter: Mark Bornstein, VP Content Marketing, ON24, Inc.
Thu 9/7 at 9 a.m. – Medical Education in China: Practical Steps to Build Impact
Hear insights from the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) five year effort to improve SCCM engagement and partner strategy for the distribution of its training courses and publications in China. Learn how to navigate the complicated stakeholder landscape, build recognition and buy-in, understand the government’s objectives for the healthcare industry, and get an update on the NGO law with practical examples. More info/register.
Host: MCI
Presenters:
- David J. Martin, CEO & Executive Vice President, Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)
- Maria Tong, Director MCI China, team leader for SCCM in China
Thu 9/7 at 11 a.m. – How to Plan for Content during Website Redesigns
Learn the four types of digital change, and how a website redesign fits within the broader lifecycle, the basics of creating a dynamic content inventory, the six steps of handling content during a migration, and techniques of sequencing multiple sites in a global redesign. More info/register.
Host: Gather Content
Presenter: David Hobbs, David Hobbs Consulting
Thu 9/7 at 12 p.m. – Freedom in the Cloud: A Modern and Flexible Approach to Technology for your Association
Find out what it means to embrace the cloud, what “the cloud” actually is, how it’s used by Fortune 500 companies and associations, and why you should do the same. Learn the pitfalls of monolithic software applications such as Association Management Software (AMS), why you should get out of the closet and into the cloud for data storage, and the freedom and flexibility you can achieve by embracing what modern technology has to offer. More info/register.
Host: Greenfield Services
Presenter: Jeff Horne, Founder & CEO, Industrial
Thu 9/7 at 3 p.m. – A Podcaster’s Guide to Podcasting (Loudoun County Idea Swap in Sterling VA)
Podcasting is the perfect communication tool for association professionals with a shoestring budget and lots of content ideas. Craig Sorrell of Results Direct will share his experience and lessons learned in podcasting. Hear what worked and what didn’t work, including format and structure tips, advanced voice and technical techniques, set up, podcast feeds, and ideas to monetize your podcast. There will be time for questions and the opportunity to see a hands-on podcasting demonstration. 1 CAE credit. Location: Sterling VA. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community
Presenter: Craig Sorrell, Marketing Manager, Results Direct
Fri 9/8 at 12 p.m. – Your Member Experience: Have You Called Your Association Lately?
Has your association ever hired a ‘secret shopper’ to evaluate your customer service? Do you know what membership prospects experience when looking for information on your website or calling your association? During a market research project, we learned much more than we anticipated about the membership prospect experience. The results were often so surprising (and disappointing) that we wanted to share them with the association community. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Presenter: Kyle Bazzy, director of growth, Billhighway
That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.
Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.
Creative Commons licensed photo on Pexels.
Association Brain Food 