Portage Group

AUGUST 8, 2012

It never ceases to amaze me how easily association executives and boards dismiss the need for conducting member research, confident that they have an accurate finger on the pulse of their key stakeholders. Perhaps you make it a habit to pick up the phone or drop in on members periodically to talk to them one-on-one.

Survey 100

Survey Member Research Committee Process 100

Reid All About it

MAY 3, 2019

It’s frustrating to have member and event attendee data spread out across the organization in different databases. Amanda Kaiser dispels three myths on why people join associations and reveals the real reason—based on her member research. Mapping the Journey to Long-Term Member Engagement. Wed 5/8 at 12 p.m.

Tucson 262

Tucson Phoenix Products Tools 262

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 30, 2016

This is great advice but it is awfully hard to do when we don’t know our members’ why. For every action (or inaction) members (and non-members) take there is a why. As established organizations, knowing our member’s why helps us develop and communicate our why.

Las Vegas 79

Las Vegas Member Insights Member Research Newsletter 79

Smooth The Path

APRIL 7, 2016

They believe the mission or the promise of the organization is critically important and they know the association needs to improve. They are going through some massive cultural shifts as they reorient the decades old organization toward the future with a new focus on rapid innovation. Related posts: The members we should focus on.

Member Insights 60

Member Insights Member Research Survey Report 60

Smooth The Path

JULY 31, 2017

While conducting member research new members and long-time members share why they engage with their association (and why they don’t). Because they are ready to switch organizations and they know networking can help them secure a better job faster.

Member Engagement 68

Member Engagement Member Research Project Organization 68

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 6, 2018

The results of years of member research show that high-performing professionals tend to move through three stages during their career. They may be new to the workforce, or new to their organization, or new to the profession, or new to an industry. They mentor others in their organization or within their profession or industry.

Association Value 84

Association Value Team Industry Member Research 84

Association Success

MAY 28, 2019

In the association space, we often think that advocacy means fundraising for the organization and lobbying to members of Congress on behalf of the organization’s and members’ mission. In 2016, SMPS engaged a research firm to identify perspectives, opinions, needs, and desires of our members.

Survey 113

Survey Social Media Marketing Member Research 113

Associations Now

MAY 3, 2019

Your member database is a portal to a lot of information—like, a lot. Which is why, if it’s not organized well, it can be hard to find what you’re looking for or determine what data is even valuable. Audra Hopkins from the Web Scribble blog says to think of your member database like a room full of documents. “If We can’t.

Process 81

Process Certificate System Tips 81

Associations Now

AUGUST 9, 2019

If you’re launching a new website, take a hint from the Healthcare Financial Management Association , says member researcher Amanda Kaiser on Smooth the Path. For one, the group includes solution-based messaging throughout the site, which prompts visitors to engage with their content and get involved in the organization.

New York 88

New York Social Media Price Content 88

Associations Now

MARCH 19, 2019

Also: Finding a learning management system fit for your organization. A learning management system, or LMS, can be fundamental to members’ professional development—but finding the software that fits within your organization can be challenging. It doesn’t come without risks , says member researcher Amanda Kaiser.

LMS 69

LMS Learning Management System Software System 69

Reid All About it

JULY 9, 2021

Charlene Li believes you need order to create change —not what you picture when thinking about innovative organizations. She says, “Disruptive organizations create just enough order to allow change to happen smoothly. This series of 15- to 20-minute videos cover hot topics and issues related to 501c organization management.

Rhode Island 195

Rhode Island Technology Strategy Member Engagement 195

Associations Now

AUGUST 27, 2018

Previously, all Google Image search results were grouped together under “google/organic” in Google Analytics Acquisition reports. It will display as “google images” in the Source report and “google images/organic” in the Source/Medium report, says Seiden. These insights will be available within regular analytics.

Social Media 58

Social Media Recruiting Recruitment Report 58

Smooth The Path

MAY 21, 2017

These six insights were straight from member research, and I have three more for you. How do I start planning now to help my organization thrive ten years from now? Receptions are awkward for most attendees except for a few long-timers. I’m a first-time attendee, and I don’t know how to navigate your conference.

Conference 104

Conference Social Media Leadership Member Research 104

Fonteva

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

Every piece of data and information you have on your members should live in your member database, also known as a constituent relationship management (CRM) system. Not only does this help keep your association organized, but you can use these data points to personalize member communication and build more meaningful relationships.

Member Engagement 98

Member Engagement Tips Recruiting Recruitment 98

Socious

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Completed by member research and association expert Amanda Kaiser, the study also delves into how and why those associations are innovating, as well as why other associations may be struggling. Even the organizations that aren’t consistently innovating seem to recognize its value. Defining Innovation. That really got us going.”.

Innovation 100

Innovation Membership Management Process Products 100

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

Often from the board, sometimes from members, periodically from volunteers, and maybe from staff. Most of the time, the feedback is directed at the organization. We want to be responsive to our members, but wouldn’t it be great if we knew if the feedback was correct or not? Sometimes the feedback is personal.

System 103

System Process Project Member Insights 103

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

The value members perceive they get from the association or their satisfaction in the association? This question was posed by an association executive during a webinar on member research that I recently gave to 140 attendees. At the time I really felt like I muffed the answer.

Member Research 60

Member Research Survey Course Organization 60

SCD Group

MAY 6, 2014

The other day, an association executive called me about coordinating member research needed after a “failed” strategic planning session. He shared the association’s major issue: a board that doesn’t understand the organization and doesn’t seem to be able to look toward the future. “It They don’t know what all we do.

Case Study 40

Case Study Newsletter Member Research Leadership 40

GrowthZone

JUNE 28, 2017

If you’ve invested in discovering your association’s VP (value proposition), and it’s been around for two or more years, you may feel like it’s time to put new life into it – to verify that your message is still relevant and that your organization delivers on the value you promote. Have your member’s biggest worries or needs changed?

Survey 60

Survey Tools Examples Maine 60

Smooth The Path

JANUARY 24, 2016

Coming out of my own member research, the challenge that comes up nearly universally among members of all associations is the need to influence. Our members are solving tough business problems and need to practice their creative skills AND they need to learn how to help others in their organization be creative as well.

Social Media 60

Social Media Member Research Tips Education 60

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 23, 2017

Whenever I started a new job, I would schedule one-hour meetings with my colleagues to learn about the organization, their job, their goals, and how I could help them. Rather than feeling like I was wasting time in meetings, I felt like this productively launched my time at the organization.

Review 76

Review Products Member Research Member Insights 76

Associations Now

JUNE 3, 2016

With money from traditional funding sources harder to come by, the American Association for Anatomists is stepping in with a new program to fund research by members in areas as diverse as neuroscience, cell biology, and anthropology.

Proposal 40

Proposal Member Research Review Education 40

Smooth The Path

APRIL 24, 2018

Our members are self-centered. Our members have… no time. Only organizations that solve our member’s problems, speak their language, and understand them will get their time and attention. Not in a bad way, we are all self-centered. and their attention is scattered.

Member Engagement 95

Member Engagement Marketing Member Insights Member Research 95

Associations Now

MAY 4, 2016

Mike Verbanic, director of member experience at the Construction Financial Management Association, has learned this balance first hand. When he took on that job about four years ago, most of what the organization thought it knew about members were “gut hunches,” he says. Please share your experience in the comments.

Member Research 40

Member Research Sample Industry Report 40

Smooth The Path

MAY 23, 2017

Day 1 is the term that Jeff Bezos uses for an organization’s startup and growth phases. He talks about “Day 1 vitality” which I assume he means when organizations are delivering to their customers’ much needed great value. We can change the organization’s strategy. Day 2 is the spiral of decline.

Project 89

Project Conference Strategy Member Engagement 89

Smooth The Path

MAY 7, 2017

The only thing preventing our association from becoming the top of mind resource, the organization members are trying to figure out how to become more engaged with, and the one members rave to their colleagues about is… Simply, our understanding of members. Deeply understanding members is at the root of it all.

Member Engagement 84

Member Engagement How To Case Study Conference 84

Mizz Information

NOVEMBER 18, 2018

This recent update summarizes what the project team learned from their latest member research; this post goes into why they did it and this helpful guide details how they did it. Help our correspondents to enrich their reporting with the knowledge and experience of our members. Organize dissent?

Leadership 63

Leadership Project Survey Resources 63

Smooth The Path

NOVEMBER 29, 2016

What is particularly interesting about this year’s conference is the team methodically set about meeting some of members’ biggest challenges. Here are the top challenges we all have and here is what we did about them: New Members Feel Like Outsiders. They don’t know anyone but, it seems like everyone else does.

Innovation 60

Innovation Conference Committee Team 60

SCD Group

AUGUST 16, 2015

Strive 4 Five = Bogus Customer (member) research Are your members or donors in the “survey fatigue” category? The other day, USA Today ran a big “research” story about CEO Compensation with a screaming headline that 9 CEOs paid 800 times more than their workers.

California 40

California Survey Analysis Member Research 40

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 28, 2016

With exit surveys we are asking, how do we stop members from leaving the organization? A better far better question to ask is: what more can we do to help members renew? Related: Why no member surveys may be better than one survey. All associations have room to provide more value.

Survey 68

Survey Price Industry Member Research 68

Associations Now

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Your intrepid membership blogger returns from two conferences at regional societies of association executives with a roundup of tips and ideas, including great questions for member research and the power of delegating metric measurement to staff. Here’s a new membership metric for your association to track: retention rates.

Connecticut 40

Connecticut New Jersey New York Member Research 40

Smooth The Path

NOVEMBER 6, 2016

In preparation for other strategic planning processes the association conducted quantitative member surveys but found the results were not all that actionable because there continued to be so many unanswered questions. With this in mind they decided to test out a qualitative research methodology as input to this strategic planning process.

Case Study 104

Case Study Project Member Insights Association Value 104

CSAE

JUNE 27, 2023

Key highlights from the Town Hall are below: Members were reminded of CSAE’s strategic priorities: to be the champion for associations, to be the centre of excellence for the association sector and to be a model for continuous improvement in association management. Virtual While in-person events are important, so are virtual ones.

Team 40

Team Committee Library Review 40

Associations Now

JUNE 11, 2013

Many associations are reevaluating programs and services to determine the most efficient ways to run their organizations and how to best serve their members, Schonher added.

Report 40

Report Survey Member Engagement Member Research 40

Mizz Information

NOVEMBER 18, 2018

This recent update summarizes what the project team learned from their latest member research; this post goes into why they did it and this helpful guide details how they did it. Help our correspondents to enrich their reporting with the knowledge and experience of our members. Organize dissent?

Leadership 40

Leadership Survey Project Examples 40

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

The data showed that the organization had a 96% satisfaction rating and that thrilled one professional. Two people were talking about the same data represented in a chart, but you wouldn’t know it. The other professional focused on how dissatisfied the remaining 4% were.

Survey 60

Survey Analysis Content Member Research 60

Associations Now

JANUARY 22, 2016

So, you and your team put a lot of time and effort into creating a meeting that you were sure would drive high attendance numbers given past experiences or even member research. “Attendance isn’t as projected.” Even worse: You’ve been called to your CEO’s office to update her on how things are going. What’s the worst-case scenario?

Boston 40

Boston Project Social Media Communications 40