Smooth The Path

JULY 9, 2019

By the time members join the association, or get to the conference, or attend their first chapter meeting, they might be all beaten up. This is the power of associations. Related: The real value of associations for members. Improve association value with soft skill training.

Conference 92

Conference Association Value Industry Member Experience 92

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 11, 2018

Members say things like, “a board member made a point of stopping and talking to me in the hall at the conference.” ” I feel valued. . The reason members continue to be members is not just for the conference, or the chapter events, or the research report.

Project 149

Project Conference Report Member Experience 149

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

The biggest problem with most annual conferences is that most members cannot go. The conference conflicts with other things on their schedule. What percent of your members make it to the conference each year? You might be hoping I give some tips on how to attract more members to your conference.

Innovation 92

Innovation Sample Conference Technology 92

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 14, 2017

This phenomenon happens easily with any significant refresh whether it is improving the website, a conference, or another service. By all means correct that thing that is detracting from member value or providing a poor member experience, just don’t overcorrect it. The list of must-haves grows.

Project 68

Project Member Experience Conference Association Value 68

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 2, 2017

For example, the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE) recruited me to speak at this year’s annual conference. Related: Associations can reduce the anxiety caused by networking. Improve the member experience with curated networking. Making conference networking more inclusive.

Florida 76

Florida Recruiting Recruitment Member Research 76

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 1, 2019

A coworker, a peer, a friend, a professor, a boss, or a vendor encouraged them to go to a chapter event or a conference, and then they were hooked. Most association awareness happens because enthusiastic current members are out there promoting the association (or their chapter, or the conference).

Recruiting 94

Recruiting Recruitment Conference Organization 94

Smooth The Path

JULY 14, 2020

Have you had to ditch most of the work you did on upcoming in-person events to turn on a virtual conference immediately? Work is increasing while deadlines are getting shorter. For some reason, vacation days have been scarce. How about you? Are you learning how to manage the sudden increase in traffic in your online community?

Innovation 136

Innovation Revenue Course Project 136

Smooth The Path

APRIL 23, 2017

If the answers to these questions highlight some gaps between where you are now and where you want to be, find more ideas in this new e-book just for associations: Fueling Exceptional New Member Experiences: Strategies for Onboarding, Engagement, and Retention. Related: Association trend watch: member experiences.

Member Experience 74

Member Experience Class Price Products 74

Smooth The Path

SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

The ones writing articles like ours, or putting on a conference like ours, or conducting research like ours. We are competing for our member’s money, attention, and time. So great, in fact, that members prioritize the association over the hundred other things they have pulling at them every day.

Project 68

Project Member Experience Member Engagement Industry 68

Smooth The Path

JANUARY 2, 2018

Attendees catch me at conferences and reference ideas they found helpful in research reports, or e-books, or posts. So in a very unscientific way, I tallied all of these discussions in my mind, and these are the most impactful articles of 2017: Is It Day 1 or Day 2 for Associations? The Problems Attendees Experience at Conferences.

Social Media 79

Social Media Report Conference Content 79

Smooth The Path

MAY 22, 2018

Or the association is moving too slowly or is filled with old-school thinking, while they want to explore new ideas. How do you know when your long-time members are becoming disenfranchised? Interestingly, long-time members are reluctant to leave. They stop renewing on time. Their usage of your website drops dramatically.

Committee 84

Committee Innovation Conference Industry 84

Smooth The Path

MAY 7, 2017

Have you ever noticed the Twitter flurry before the conference? ” “Can’t wait for today’s awesome keynote to kick off this conference.” A few attendees will start leaving tweets here and there. “I am packing for Orlando!” ” These attendees are excited!

Member Engagement 84

Member Engagement How To Case Study Conference 84

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 9, 2017

The new member engagement rule of three. Good moods are contagious at conferences. Who are the Stephanies in your association? The post The Formula for Member Engagement appeared first on Smooth The Path.

Member Engagement 60

Member Engagement Conference Member Experience Association Value 60

Smooth The Path

SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

Or anytime you are at an association event it feels happy and safe. Great associations have an extra something that makes them unique. Related: 10 Ways to increase the energy at your conference. The new member engagement rule of three. People like me join an association like this.

Cost 103

Cost Member Engagement Conference Industry 103

Smooth The Path

NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Your members may aspire to be like one of the well-known organizations but they learn best from the organizations like them who are just one or two more steps down the path. Related posts: The conference experience starts before the conference. A big opportunity: associations can help members with emotional support.

Conference 60

Conference Resources Industry Organization 60

Smooth The Path

APRIL 17, 2018

Focus only on messages that add value and solve a problem they are having. This may mean holding back any other emails from the association especially the ones that ask for more money (register for the conference, buy this book, purchase the research). Think 3-5 sentences and focus on having members take just one action.

Member Engagement 110

Member Engagement Communications Products Process 110

Smooth The Path

SEPTEMBER 5, 2019

We may see websites that deliver erroneous content because advertising is the priority, organizations that use low prices to attract customers but provide poorly crafted resources, and predatory conferences. Members don’t want to be scammed. They want to engage with organizations they can trust.

Price 68

Price Content Industry Resources 68

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Arlene is a very engaged association member. She attended the annual conference every year for the past seven years. She often buys the research reports and sometimes purchases a book or two from the association’s bookstore. She faithfully renews every year. She reads many of the publications and newsletters.

Member Engagement 68

Member Engagement Strategy Newsletter Leadership 68

Smooth The Path

JUNE 28, 2017

Every association has to jump the design barrier to convey to members that the brochure is something they want to read, the website is navigable, the guidebook is worth investing time in, the research report is worth scanning, or the conference app is worth using.

Class 89

Class Member Engagement Marketing Report 89

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 23, 2017

We need strategic thinkers, advocates, promoters, people at the conference to create energy, writers, speakers, and mentors. I do not know of one person, or organization, or firm, or consultancy out there solving the association engagement problem for our industry. So what do we as an industry do about this frightening trend?

Member Engagement 68

Member Engagement Recruiting Recruitment Revenue 68

Smooth The Path

MAY 3, 2018

It is called, “yes, and” Anytime someone says something to you, even something you disagree with, say aloud, or say in your mind “yes, and” “I did not get a lot of value out of this year’s speaker line up” [Yes, and] “was there a problem you came to the conference hoping to solve?”

Innovation 87

Innovation Recruiting Recruitment Leadership 87

Smooth The Path

MARCH 7, 2017

The moment new members understand the value of the association is the Association’s Value Trigger Point (AVTP). For some members, it was their first conference or chapter event. Not every association’s AVTP is the same. Does your association have an AVTP?

Member Experience 84

Member Experience Association Value Conference Products 84

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

Why do our members join? Myth #1: Members Join for Our Benefits. Members join to go to the annual conference. Sometimes members join to gain access to a benefit , but rarely. Much more often members do not know a thing about the association when they join. A director sent the team to the conference.

Recruiting 118

Recruiting Recruitment Conference Industry 118

Associations Now

MAY 4, 2016

Quantitative and qualitative methods for understanding members, then, are better viewed as complements, a yin and yang, each supporting the other. Ask engaged members when they realized the value of the association and many can tell you the exact moment.

Member Research 40

Member Research Sample Industry Report 40