HOW CAN CHAPTERS GET THEIR MEMBERS INVOLVED Creating an exceptional member experience Peggy Hoffman, CAE SMACNA Chapter Executives Session October 12, 2009

Our Discussion… Data you can use Three steps to involvement How to engage People Tools Strategies

Data you can use

Three steps to involvement

How to engage

People

Tools

Strategies

Decision To Join… It’s all about WOM (Word Of Mouth) – your secret weapons: colleagues, friends, connections What’s cool: inexpensive, viral, credible It’s all about the Good of the Order – Being part of something larger was consistently chosen over personal benefit What’s cool: it really is about community Engagement increases retention What’s cool: engaging members pays off in two big ways – more volunteers, higher retention It’s Not a Generation Thing – one caveat: younger professionals more dissatisfied with how associations are meeting their needs at the beginning of their careers & leadership opportunities provided What’s cool: we can engage GenX and GenY by opening our doors and minds

It’s all about WOM (Word Of Mouth) – your secret weapons: colleagues, friends, connections

What’s cool: inexpensive, viral, credible

It’s all about the Good of the Order – Being part of something larger was consistently chosen over personal benefit

What’s cool: it really is about community

Engagement increases retention

What’s cool: engaging members pays off in two big ways – more volunteers, higher retention

It’s Not a Generation Thing – one caveat: younger professionals more dissatisfied with how associations are meeting their needs at the beginning of their careers & leadership opportunities provided

What’s cool: we can engage GenX and GenY by opening our doors and minds

Decision To Volunteer… It’s all about WOM (Again!) What’s cool: inexpensive, viral, credible One Size Does NOT Fit What’s cool: ad hoc roles draw people in and get them connected Members see professional benefits of volunteerism – many said volunteering is a benefit of membership. What’s cool: here’s a benefit that meets a need and because it’s a form of engagement, drives retention It’s all about the Good of the Order (Again!) – Values drive volunteering What’s cool: it really is about community

It’s all about WOM (Again!)

What’s cool: inexpensive, viral, credible

One Size Does NOT Fit

What’s cool: ad hoc roles draw people in and get them connected

Members see professional benefits of volunteerism – many said volunteering is a benefit of membership.

What’s cool: here’s a benefit that meets a need and because it’s a form of engagement, drives retention

It’s all about the Good of the Order (Again!) – Values drive volunteering

What’s cool: it really is about community

Social Media & the Web … Millions are already there 55.6 million use social media networking sites 40.6 million use personal portals/content sites 165 million use email 58.8 million watch streaming video on line 37.1 million read blogs

Millions are already there

55.6 million use social media networking sites

40.6 million use personal portals/content sites

165 million use email

58.8 million watch streaming video on line

37.1 million read blogs

Social Media & the Web … It’s doubled since 2007 … by 2010 GenY will outnumber Boomers -- and 96% of them have Facebook! This is the biggest shift since industrial revolution It’s a people-driven economy

It’s doubled since 2007 …

by 2010 GenY will outnumber Boomers -- and 96% of them have Facebook!

This is the biggest shift since industrial revolution

It’s a people-driven economy

Social Media & the Web … It creates connections What’s cool: accelerates sharing, facilitates communication, drives face-to-face interaction It’s accessible What’s cool: absolutely user-friendly

It creates connections

What’s cool: accelerates sharing, facilitates communication, drives face-to-face interaction

It’s accessible

What’s cool: absolutely user-friendly

Your Members …

How do we get members involved?

Welcome … Confirmation letter & welcome kit Personal phone calls from association leadership & staff Personal messages from other members Personal invite to attend a program

Confirmation letter & welcome kit

Personal phone calls from association leadership & staff

Personal messages from other members

Personal invite to attend a program

Connect … Pair a current member with a new member … 1:1 orientation Guide member on how to connect Post “meet our new member” profile

Pair a current member with a new member … 1:1 orientation

Guide member on how to connect

Post “meet our new member” profile

Engage … Explore & connect member’s interests/needs with specific programs, committees, projects Personally invite member to help out

Explore & connect member’s interests/needs with specific programs, committees, projects

Personally invite member to help out

How do we get members involved?

PEOPLE … Replace membership committee with Welcoming Committee Create ad hoc roles Add leadership positions: Talent Pool Coordinator Volunteer Chair Community Strategist

Replace membership committee with Welcoming Committee

Create ad hoc roles

Add leadership positions:

Talent Pool Coordinator

Volunteer Chair

Community Strategist

Tools … Create a member connection map. Start with a Hub (your website) add Traditional Channels (phone, email, mail, listserv) and New Channels (Online member community, social media) Listen (Google Alerts, Twitter search …) Communicate (RSS, feed aggregator, bookmarking …) Engage (Discussions, sharing, contributing…)

Create a member connection map. Start with a Hub (your website) add Traditional Channels (phone, email, mail, listserv) and New Channels (Online member community, social media)

Listen (Google Alerts, Twitter search …)

Communicate (RSS, feed aggregator, bookmarking …)

Engage (Discussions, sharing, contributing…)

STRATEGIES …

5 Tools to Explore LinkedIn – Professional Profile Twitter – Microblogging delicious – File Cabinet that shares Google Reader – RSS Aggregator SlideShare – Capturing & Sharing PS … these are worth a look 

LinkedIn – Professional Profile

Twitter – Microblogging

delicious – File Cabinet that shares

Google Reader – RSS Aggregator

SlideShare – Capturing & Sharing

5 Actions to Take Learn to listen: Google’s Blog Search http://blogsearch.google.com/ Google Alerts http://www.google.com/alerts Social Mention http://www.socialmention.com/ Technorati http://www.technorati.com/ Twitter http://search.twitter.com/ Find your members: Quick poll –what tools are they using Search on LinkedIn Import emails to “check” who’s there Test one outpost at a time Break your volunteer jobs into small ad hoc positions

Learn to listen:

Google’s Blog Search http://blogsearch.google.com/

Google Alerts http://www.google.com/alerts

Social Mention http://www.socialmention.com/

Technorati http://www.technorati.com/

Twitter http://search.twitter.com/

Find your members:

Quick poll –what tools are they using

Search on LinkedIn

Import emails to “check” who’s there

Test one outpost at a time

Break your volunteer jobs into small ad hoc positions

Resources to check Commoncraft.com Search their Videos on technology for social media, RSS & others SocialFish.org Search their site for great info on developing social media tools for your chapter and creating a vibrant community online & face2face Check out their 4-part series on social media policies and their posts on risk: http://associationmarketing.blogspot.com/search/label/social%20media%20policies Beth Kanter’s Blog http://beth.typepad.com Be sure to check out her post on Facebook Fan pages DiosaCommunications Be sure to visit their page on Facebook Best practices http://www.diosacommunications.com/facebookbestpractices.htm

Commoncraft.com

Search their Videos on technology for social media, RSS & others

SocialFish.org

Search their site for great info on developing social media tools for your chapter and creating a vibrant community online & face2face

Check out their 4-part series on social media policies and their posts on risk: http://associationmarketing.blogspot.com/search/label/social%20media%20policies

Beth Kanter’s Blog http://beth.typepad.com

Be sure to check out her post on Facebook Fan pages

DiosaCommunications

Be sure to visit their page on Facebook Best practices http://www.diosacommunications.com/facebookbestpractices.htm

CONTACT ME Email: [email_address] Phone: 301-725-2508 Website: www.marinermanagement.com Twitter: @peggyhoffman LinkedIn: Peggy Hoffman

Email: [email_address]

Phone: 301-725-2508

Website: www.marinermanagement.com

Twitter: @peggyhoffman

LinkedIn: Peggy Hoffman