Successful retention does not happen by chance. This report outlines 5 communication strategies that your association can adopt to become a retention powerhouse.
Membership is the lifeblood of any association. Chapter leaders are a key asset in the retention and engagement of members and this is very true with the BMW Car Club of America. This presentation includes a number of interactive activities as well as a case study on how one association changed their organization to better communicate with members on a consistent basis.
Sound the alarm! Now is the time to prepare members and activists for the next round of bargaining, don’t wait until the team is at the table. In this workshop participants learned tips and tools on how to effectively communicate internally to members and activist months in advance of bargaining. This ground work is key to sow strong roots in the workplace. Participants heard a first hand account of how a three-prong approach focusing on education, engagement and mobilization in one public sector union made the difference to fight back and plant the seeds for a different kind of union.
Trainer: Denise Hammond is with the Association of Management, Administrative & Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) to develop and oversee strategic communications during the union’s bargaining mobilization campaign as it attempts to push back against the Ontario government’s austerity strategy. Prior to this she was the Anti-Privatization Coordinator for CUPE Ontario, after leaving her position as the Executive Director of Communications and Outreach with Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) for nine years. With over twenty years experience in organizing, communications and campaigns in the student movement, trade unions and grassroots social justice coalitions, Denise has helped to develop several campaigns and anti-oppression initiatives. She lives her life as a dedicated feminist, activist and community builder.
How to Measure and Benchmark your Enterprise Social NetworkRachel Happe
How do you measure, benchmark and calculate the ROI of your enterprise social network or your community? This presentation will give you a framework for understanding how to define, baseline, compare and use data in a way that educates and sells stakeholders on the costs and benefits of building a community.
The New World of (Member) Engagement: Great Ideas that Work!eschonher
Member engagement is the foundation to the success of all associations and smart association executives know this. But how do you achieve it? This presentation contains tactical ideas, including effective new member onboarding campaign and the use of data modeling to create personas to better target at risk members, from four well known and respected membership authorities.
Leveraging the Web for More Effective Engagement: Alliance for Nonprofit Mana...ifPeople
As your network grows, it is more important to create appropriate, targeted communications to those in your community to enhance their engagement with your organization. This presentation introduces the Ladder of Engagement as a way to increase commitment and trust with your organization and also provides several demos that leverage Plone and salesforce.com to create targeted, appropriate communications.
Membership is the lifeblood of any association. Chapter leaders are a key asset in the retention and engagement of members and this is very true with the BMW Car Club of America. This presentation includes a number of interactive activities as well as a case study on how one association changed their organization to better communicate with members on a consistent basis.
Sound the alarm! Now is the time to prepare members and activists for the next round of bargaining, don’t wait until the team is at the table. In this workshop participants learned tips and tools on how to effectively communicate internally to members and activist months in advance of bargaining. This ground work is key to sow strong roots in the workplace. Participants heard a first hand account of how a three-prong approach focusing on education, engagement and mobilization in one public sector union made the difference to fight back and plant the seeds for a different kind of union.
Trainer: Denise Hammond is with the Association of Management, Administrative & Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) to develop and oversee strategic communications during the union’s bargaining mobilization campaign as it attempts to push back against the Ontario government’s austerity strategy. Prior to this she was the Anti-Privatization Coordinator for CUPE Ontario, after leaving her position as the Executive Director of Communications and Outreach with Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) for nine years. With over twenty years experience in organizing, communications and campaigns in the student movement, trade unions and grassroots social justice coalitions, Denise has helped to develop several campaigns and anti-oppression initiatives. She lives her life as a dedicated feminist, activist and community builder.
How to Measure and Benchmark your Enterprise Social NetworkRachel Happe
How do you measure, benchmark and calculate the ROI of your enterprise social network or your community? This presentation will give you a framework for understanding how to define, baseline, compare and use data in a way that educates and sells stakeholders on the costs and benefits of building a community.
The New World of (Member) Engagement: Great Ideas that Work!eschonher
Member engagement is the foundation to the success of all associations and smart association executives know this. But how do you achieve it? This presentation contains tactical ideas, including effective new member onboarding campaign and the use of data modeling to create personas to better target at risk members, from four well known and respected membership authorities.
Leveraging the Web for More Effective Engagement: Alliance for Nonprofit Mana...ifPeople
As your network grows, it is more important to create appropriate, targeted communications to those in your community to enhance their engagement with your organization. This presentation introduces the Ladder of Engagement as a way to increase commitment and trust with your organization and also provides several demos that leverage Plone and salesforce.com to create targeted, appropriate communications.
Guide to turbocharging your marketing agencies performance with online collab...Kahootz
This guide is essential reading if you’d like to:
• Improve your communications with clients
• Improve client retention
• Devote more time to creativity and less to admin
• Widen your pool of creative talent
• Increase productivity and margins
• Win new clients and service more accounts
• Deliver better campaigns
Share point governance - an inside out perspectiveHARMAN Services
In the last few years, the adoption of SharePoint has caught everybody (even Microsoft) by surprise. Everybody seems to be investing into SharePoint and SharePoint has become the platform for the collaboration in the industry especially in mid to large sized organizations. Enterprises are using SharePoint in some form or the other.
When we trace back the roots of the popularity of this platform, it takes me back to the basic need of a human being which is being able to communicate easily with the people we live or work with. In the enterprises today, the need for people to collaborate or communicate is reaching its pinnacle because of the current economic conditions around the world. Let’s think about it, people in the ancient era formed small societies or communities to live together so that they can safely utilize the skills that they possess as a group which is not possessed by any single individual. These needs become more and more important when you are surrounded by adverse conditions. Sounds familiar?
This white paper discusses governance in above context. This big community (which is made up of smaller communities) constitutes an organization.
One of the most common questions we’re asked is:
“What is the best way to resource social media how does that fit within our oganisation’s broader communications structure.”
While we’d love to say, we can do it all for you, we know that isn’t the right approach.
The optimal structure involves a mix of PR, marketing, digital, customer services, senior management and agency support.
The following presentation captures our thoughts on how to develop a framework for this process, no matter your position within the social media lifecycle.
Continuous improvement in a professional organizationDean Willson
This document chronicles the process and action steps taken to improve the management and quality of a professional association chapter. Professional Association for SQL Server - Fort Wayne chapter.
Les communications unifiées au cœur de votre stratégie d’entreprise – synthèseArkadin France
Découvrez comment les Communications Unifiées dynamisent la collaboration et la communication de vos équipes.
Aujourd’hui, les salariés s’attendent à pouvoir communiquer et collaborer en toute transparence. Mais une collaboration réellement performante passe par des communications flexibles à tous les niveaux.
Il revient donc aux DSI, DRH et Directeurs marketing de répondre à ces attentes pour soutenir la croissance de l’entreprise tout en stimulant l’engagement et l’épanouissement des salariés. Au cours des huit dernières semaines, les experts en communication d’Arkadin vous ont montré l’effet catalyseur des Communications Unifiées sur la collaboration et la communication de vos équipes.
Si vous avez manqué leurs articles, voici pour vous un rappel de tous les avantages des Communications Unifiées.
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CONCEVOIR ET DIFFUSER UNE CORRESPONDANCE ATTRAYANTE ET PERSONNALISÉE
- Introduction : vers plus de personnalisation
* Evolution des usages : un monde Digital
* L’expérience utilisateur : de la découverte à la fidélisation
- Adobe Digital Enterprise Plateform et la solution « Customer Communications »
* Présentation générale de la Plateforme
* Focus sur la solution « Customer Communications »
* Enjeux pour les Entreprises : Proximité, Personnalisation et Agilité
* Correspondance Management
* Interactive Statement
- Démonstrations et cas clients
Presenation given at the Customer Communications Management Congress in November 2014. It discusses the strategic approach companies should apply when thinking about implementing a customer communications management platform.
Guide to turbocharging your marketing agencies performance with online collab...Kahootz
This guide is essential reading if you’d like to:
• Improve your communications with clients
• Improve client retention
• Devote more time to creativity and less to admin
• Widen your pool of creative talent
• Increase productivity and margins
• Win new clients and service more accounts
• Deliver better campaigns
Share point governance - an inside out perspectiveHARMAN Services
In the last few years, the adoption of SharePoint has caught everybody (even Microsoft) by surprise. Everybody seems to be investing into SharePoint and SharePoint has become the platform for the collaboration in the industry especially in mid to large sized organizations. Enterprises are using SharePoint in some form or the other.
When we trace back the roots of the popularity of this platform, it takes me back to the basic need of a human being which is being able to communicate easily with the people we live or work with. In the enterprises today, the need for people to collaborate or communicate is reaching its pinnacle because of the current economic conditions around the world. Let’s think about it, people in the ancient era formed small societies or communities to live together so that they can safely utilize the skills that they possess as a group which is not possessed by any single individual. These needs become more and more important when you are surrounded by adverse conditions. Sounds familiar?
This white paper discusses governance in above context. This big community (which is made up of smaller communities) constitutes an organization.
One of the most common questions we’re asked is:
“What is the best way to resource social media how does that fit within our oganisation’s broader communications structure.”
While we’d love to say, we can do it all for you, we know that isn’t the right approach.
The optimal structure involves a mix of PR, marketing, digital, customer services, senior management and agency support.
The following presentation captures our thoughts on how to develop a framework for this process, no matter your position within the social media lifecycle.
Continuous improvement in a professional organizationDean Willson
This document chronicles the process and action steps taken to improve the management and quality of a professional association chapter. Professional Association for SQL Server - Fort Wayne chapter.
Les communications unifiées au cœur de votre stratégie d’entreprise – synthèseArkadin France
Découvrez comment les Communications Unifiées dynamisent la collaboration et la communication de vos équipes.
Aujourd’hui, les salariés s’attendent à pouvoir communiquer et collaborer en toute transparence. Mais une collaboration réellement performante passe par des communications flexibles à tous les niveaux.
Il revient donc aux DSI, DRH et Directeurs marketing de répondre à ces attentes pour soutenir la croissance de l’entreprise tout en stimulant l’engagement et l’épanouissement des salariés. Au cours des huit dernières semaines, les experts en communication d’Arkadin vous ont montré l’effet catalyseur des Communications Unifiées sur la collaboration et la communication de vos équipes.
Si vous avez manqué leurs articles, voici pour vous un rappel de tous les avantages des Communications Unifiées.
CONCEVOIR ET DIFFUSER UNE CORRESPONDANCE ATTRAYANTE ET PERSONNALISÉECyril Reinhard
CONCEVOIR ET DIFFUSER UNE CORRESPONDANCE ATTRAYANTE ET PERSONNALISÉE
- Introduction : vers plus de personnalisation
* Evolution des usages : un monde Digital
* L’expérience utilisateur : de la découverte à la fidélisation
- Adobe Digital Enterprise Plateform et la solution « Customer Communications »
* Présentation générale de la Plateforme
* Focus sur la solution « Customer Communications »
* Enjeux pour les Entreprises : Proximité, Personnalisation et Agilité
* Correspondance Management
* Interactive Statement
- Démonstrations et cas clients
Presenation given at the Customer Communications Management Congress in November 2014. It discusses the strategic approach companies should apply when thinking about implementing a customer communications management platform.
Customer Communications Management: Delivering a consistent customer experien...Canon for Business UK
Presentation summary from Canon for Business Information at Work 2014 event: Effective Customer Communications Management is increasingly being seen as the key to improving customer experience and, therefore, customer retention. See how sophisticated customer segmentation and workflow automation can help you gain control over your communications and optimise the life-time value of your customer.
Power BI - WHat It Is, How It Works, and Why It MattersJohn White
An overview of the Power BI offering from Microsoft as of the November 2013 Preview. Presentation covers the components that make it up, how they interact and function, and the role of the Power BI in the market.
InfoTrends' view on customer communications management trendsScriptura Engage
Customer Communications Management (CCM) is subject to changing market conditions driven by digitalization, the Internet, a rich choice of media types, and changing regulations. Under these market conditions, organizations are advised to take a closer look into their customer communications practices.
Nevertheless, in-depth research by InfoTrends revealed that most organizations struggle with getting CCM to work. This document discusses the challenges associated with this and presents a grow path for CCM to help organizations improve their customer communications, reduce the cost associated with these communications, and to deepen their customer relationships.
What does member engagement look like? Why are the programs used by associations beginning to fail? What are members REALLY LOOKING FOR? Answers to these questions and practical recommendations are presented in this presentation.
There are 5 common mistakes that association leaders make that cause major problems for their organizations. These mistakes lead to decreases in membership and revenues, and burden chapter leaders to the point of exhaustion.
When association leaders fix these 5 problems their chapters thrive. They see increased activity. Members are more positive and enthusiastic about association meetings. Membership grows. The chapter has more revenue. The chapter can recruit and retain talented leaders.
When association leaders fix these five problems their chapters thrive. They see increased activity. Members are more positive and enthusiastic about association meetings. Membership grows. The chapter has more revenue. The chapter can recruit and retain talented leaders.
Ann Michaels & Associates offers social media management services to companies across North America. Whether you need social media startup, planning a social media marketing strategy, or social media monitoring, we can help! Visit our website at www.socialmediamanagement.net to learn more about our social media management services.
Leverage Chapters to Engage & Grow MembershipBillhighway
Whether you believe it or not – chapters can play a key role in membership and revenue growth for your association. But how do you get there? How do you set your chapters up for success? How can you support them?
We cover how…
- You can leverage chapters as a channel to reach new audiences.
- You can tap into (and boost) chapters unique ability to provide community and optimize the member experience.
- You can leverage chapter experiences to drive community influencers.
We dive into how you can lead, support and measure these initiatives. The results will be a stronger channel and your chapter network will be aligned to association membership goals.
#LeverageChapters
#GotChapters
SASUG April - Building Social Networks and the Social JourneyDavid Broussard
A review of what an Enterprise Social Network is, why we needs them, and how to embark on a Social Journey that will actually get you to your desired destination.
Member engagement directly impacts an association’s ability
to survive and flourish. Associations that report higher rates of engaged members also report higher renewal rates. The industry lacks a standard definition or measurement method for member engagement, putting the burden on individual associations to develop their own internal definitions and scoring methods.
Thankfully, this can be easier than first thought might indicate and is a worthwhile undertaking.
Is it time to change your chapter structure? According to our Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report, 1/3 of associations have made substantial chapter structure changes, while 1/3 are considering implementing changes.
We understand that change can be daunting. That’s why we’ll share various approaches, from small incremental adjustments to bold, transformative measures. Join us for an insightful webinar as we explore ways to adapt your chapters to meet the evolving needs of your members!
This webinar is hosted by Billhighway & Mariner Management.
How can membership organisations be fit for purpose online - white paperDeeson Group
We ask membership organisations if they are fit for purpose online. Are they moving towards transactional websites which help members connect with the organisation and other members?
The Membership Lifecycle by Tony RossellTony Rossell
Three decades of partnering with associations and other membership organizations has given Marketing General Incorporated unique insights into the workings of successful membership growth management.
The people of MGI have drawn on their experience to develop a comprehensive membership marketing model we call the MGI Membership Lifecycle.
The Lifecycle helps organizations appreciate how an integrated membership marketing methodology can increase success in finding and keeping members.
The MGI Membership Lifecycle segments the membership experience into five consecutive steps:
Awareness … when prospects first discover you.
Awareness is developed through targeted messaging and multichannel brand recognition strategies. Go-to-market research and tactical analysis frame awareness campaigns that build recognition and generate new relationships through information exchange and lead generation.
Recruitment … when prospects choose to try you.
Recruitment utilizes many marketing disciplines that are consistently tested to discover the best performing strategies. This merges market segmentation, creative development, and value driven offers to maximize returns in the most cost-effective ways.
Engagement … when new members feel they belong with you.
Engagement is key to high retention rates and sustained membership growth. Successful engagement programs convert new members into active users of benefits and encourage involvement to build member loyalty. Engagement programs are a crucial lead-in to Renewal.
Renewal … when lapsing members decide whether to keep you.
Renewal is a confirmation of the value members feel they have received from their organization. It is a vote of confidence … or no confidence. Renewals are a critically necessary foundation for organizational growth that demand close attention to process and member communications.
Reinstatement … when former members agree to return to you.
Reinstatement programs offer opportunities for lapsed members to reconsider the decision to join when presented with fresh messaging and perhaps new offers. Reinstatements are a regular component of membership growth programs that every organization should have in place to bring the Membership Lifecycle full circle.
The MGI Membership Lifecycle is a framework to design and implement customized solutions that maximize recruitment, engagement, and retention to optimize membership growth.
Employee collaboration in a digital universe: The rise of the Enterprise Soci...Ralph J. Davila, APR
The rise of Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs), such as Yammer, Jive, Tibbr and others, have become the hot trend in mid- to large-size organizations seeking better ways to connect employees in real-time, particularly via mobile devices.
A major factor in the need and growth of ESNs at organizations spawns from vast shifts in the way employees now work. With increases in the remote workforce population, from flexible working environments to geographically disparate teams, ESNs help bridge those communications gaps.
This deck is a compilation of a five-part blog series on how to successfully deploy an ESN at your organization.
Version with Notes: Grow Your Member Base with a Compelling Content Marketing...Sarah M Worthy
This presentation is intended to provide a high level overview of content marketing for new comers or those trying to translate their content marketing over to the web.
As Presented at the Assistance League Texas Networking Conference 2013, hosted by the Montgomery County Chapter.
Every attempt was made to credit my sources, however if you believe I missed one - please let me know.
This presentation was made to the local AFP chapter in February 2009. The intent was to inform more than engage in conversation, particularly since very few people in the room participated in traditional or social media networking.
Launching Salesforce Communities: Flipping the Switch and Making them WorkSalesforce.org
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2. Small or large, an association’s aim is to serve its members,
as their engagement impacts on its ability to thrive. Successful
retention does not happen by chance. It is contingent on
understanding what members want, and then delivering it in
a format they prefer.
Small staff associations are defined as having a budget of less
than 2 million dollars, with a staff of less than 10 people. Due
to its size, and access to resources, the small staff association
needs to ensure that day-to-day tasks do not overwhelm, and
drown out the more crucial goals of engagement and
retention. To reach that balance, your small staff association
needs to be strategic about how and when to use its resources.
To that end, this report outlines 5 communication strategies
that your association can adopt to become a retention
powerhouse in your sector.
Smart Communications Strategy — — Increased Retention 1
3. Smart Communications Strategy — — Increased Retention 2
Strategy #1
Respect your communications department!
One of the small staff association’s greatest problems is how and
when to communicate with its members. The challenge is how to
create messages that make an impact, and how to deliver those
messages in such a way that inspires action from prospects,
members and the community at large.
In most small staff associations, not enough priority is placed on
maintaining an effective communications department. Too often, the
role is either managed by just one person, ignored, or even, part of
the Executive Director’s role!
A well-run communications department can help your association
retain members by identifying:
• Who your members are, their needs and interests
• What messages to deliver and when
• How to raise your association’s profile with content designed
to promote and establish its reputation
None of these tasks can be managed by a communications depart-
ment that is uncommitted or out of focus. Associations need to
ensure that their communications departments are given the
resources to achieve these goals.
Strategy #2
Know who your
members are
and why they
joined your
association
Sheri Jacobs points out that often associations fret
when members don’t register for courses, go to
events, or even, sign up for the newsletter. In her book,
The Art of Membership, she points out that members
join for different reasons. Some might be content with
just receiving the newsletter, while others want the
entire membership package, and even volunteer.
The point is: associations cannot pigeonhole members,
or make assumptions. Constant research forms the
basis of an effective communications strategy, and is
necessary to ensure that you are in tune with
members’ needs. Start by asking new members why
they joined your association, and continue interacting
with them as they go through various membership
stages. Knowing what they want is crucial to keeping
them as members.
4. Smart Communications Strategy — — Increased Retention 3
Strategy #3: Be smart about technology
For a small staff association, choosing the right tools is essential to great communication.
The right tool saves time, helps with creative planning, and with smart usage, can put the
small association on the same level as larger associations.
Here’s how to get the most out of your technology:
Integrate
Ensure your technology can talk to each
other. Starting with a membership data-
base, data you collect must be usable
throughout your association.
Automate
Use technology to set up your
processes once and then check
occasionally. This removes human
error and saves time on repetitive
tasks.
Communications and operating
plans become strategic instead of hit
and miss. Automation requires plan-
ning ahead, which ensures that your
association has to have all its pieces
in place for the year to come.
In addition, automation allows you to
be more relevant by communicating
just at the point of your members’
needs.
Segment
Your members are not all at the same
stage in their careers, nor do they think
alike. But there are segments which
share similar characteristics. Targeting
your communications to members who
share such characteristics, leads to
more relevant information, and higher
levels of engagement.
Personalize
Use technology to humanize your association. Most members
will never visit your office or see your staff. This disconnect
can often lead to frustration and a perception that their needs
are not being met.
Technology allows you to be more personal when you send out
messages, or even when you address a brochure. The more
personal you get in your communications, the more your
association becomes attuned to the specific needs of your
members. You are then, aligning your member’s interests with
the information they require.
5. Smart Communications Strategy — — Increased Retention 4
Use email marketing software to:
• Send welcome emails to members who
just join. Automated welcome emails
receive higher clicks because they are
sent when members are most interested
in hearing from you.
• Set up event campaigns to encourage
members to attend your events.
• Send emails to members during dues
renewals time.
• Post updates directly on social media
the same time an email is sent out.
• Include personal details within email
messages such as name, title, and when
the member joined your association.
• Distribute personalized electronic
newsletters.
• Create specific campaigns based on
member profiles and behaviors.
• Track responses to specific campaigns.
Use membership software to:
• Record member profiles – age,
education, career level, and relevant
demographics.
• Record what sessions a member
attended at a past conference, and then
suggest similar sessions for the future.
• Manage members’ activities within your
association, whether by pages visited on
your website, or emails they prefer to
receive.
Website
• Think Amazon.com. Personalization
allows you to select and display only
resources geared to the member’s
individual needs, based on their
activities within your association.
• Choose which parts of your website your
member can access and deny them
access to irrelevant sections.
Print
• Use variable printing to create distinct
pieces for each segment of your
membership.
Smart examples
6. Smart Communications Strategy — — Increased Retention 5
Strategy #4
Use the right tools
Strategy #5
Pay attention to
demographicsFor a small staff association, the following
technology is critical:
Membership database
More powerful than Excel – collecting data on
your members provides insight into who your
members are.
Email marketing software
It’s quick, efficient and even trackable. Email
connected with a database enables your asso-
ciation to send out communications easily, at
a lower cost than print, and even track what
members are paying attention to or not.
Free software/in the cloud software
If cost and training is a consideration for your
association, consider using web based/in the
cloud software. These software are often
scaled-down versions of bigger brands, and
provide basic features which are what most
consumers often use.
For instance, if you only use Photoshop to crop
or brighten photos, you don’t need a full scale
program. In the cloud software provides you
with the features you need, without the
commitment of buying the more expensive full
scale versions.
Examples
Canva for Quark or InDesign
JoinMe for GoTo Meeting
Pixlr for Photoshop
Wordpress for any content
management system
The way people access communica-
tions varies depending on their age.
Age determines comfort level,
convenience and the sense of value
an association provides.
No longer can an association provide
just one or two forms of communica-
tion – you have to think further to
accommodate the needs of several
segments.
In addition, this includes the method
in which content is written, how you
provide access to said content, and
even, how the pieces are designed.
To serve all members, an average
association holding a conference
now needs to provide the following
communications:
• Conference program in online,
app and print formats
• Registration online, paper and
onsite registration
• Updates on social media
• Livestreamed sessions via
website
• Maps and schedules, both
in print and via app or online
Associations that choose to ignore
one demographics’ needs in favour
of another’s run the risk of com-
plaints, and then, lack of renewals.
The key is to cover the needs of all
members.
7. Smart Communications Strategy — — Increased Retention 6
What’s the next step?
These strategies are a good starting point, but implementing them requires time
and commitment from all parties – Board, Executive, volunteers and staff.
That’s where your communications professional comes in. You need an expert
in building consensus, negotiation, research, and managing the expectations
of different stakeholders.
Due to its essential role, sometimes your communications department needs
help. And that’s where GoodBooks Communications comes in. We provide
interim communications support for associations with a staff of 10 or less by
providing services such as website maintenance, email marketing, publications
management, content marketing, and social media outreach.
Our aim is to reduce your workload, clear your backload and allow your
association to focus on its goals of retention, non-dues revenue and increased
attendance at its conferences, seminars and meetings.
Visit GoodBooks.ca for more information.
P.S. Please feel free to pass this report on to colleagues. Better yet, please direct them to
www.goodbooks.ca to download their own copy.