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Oct
21

How to measure the impact of content

Every organization has a unique set of goals — some humble and commonplace, others wildly ambitious. Your team works hard each day to make these goals a reality, pouring their time and talents into the multiple tasks that will get your organization there.  But without clear metrics, some organizations will never have a clear sense […]

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Oct
21

The 1 thing you need to know about GenZ

“By 2030, just 10 years from now, Generation Z will start to occupy senior leadership roles,”  reported Elisa Pratt, association authority and expert in strategic nonprofit solutions in our new member-exclusive course, “Who is your member of 2030?” With a new generation of leaders comes new work styles and leadership mindsets. Keeping up with and […]

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Oct
20

3 basic metrics all organizations should prioritize

When I first started paying attention to analytics, it all seemed so overwhelming. With a never-ending stream of data, it was hard to recognize and interpret the truly important metrics from those that were just nice to have. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re an industrial, commercial, or consumer vendor—you’re likely inundated with more data than […]

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Oct
20

How redundant communication can combat miscommunication

At countless associations around the world, one persistent issue is a silent killer: Miscommunication.  Miscommunication thrives when organizations lack clarity, honesty and vulnerability.  It can create needless tension between managers and employees. At its worst, miscommunication can alienate an association’s members and the public.  Left unchecked, it can poison employees’ morale and cause associations to […]

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Oct
19

How a middle school lesson can increase member engagement

Members come to your organization with three distinct needs: for community, self-esteem, and opportunities to reach their full potential. Throughout the course of their membership, members will cycle through these needs, and search for any solutions your organization can offer. How do you keep them around? An old middle school lesson actually offers some tips. […]

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Oct
19

How to get new members just by answering questions

Did you know Reddit and Quora are some of the most influential sites in the world?  Quora and Reddit have over 300 and 400 million monthly active users, respectively, and for Quora, adult users with a household income greater than $100,000 spend two times more time on Quora than LinkedIn. And Reddit loves sharing links. […]

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Oct
16

5 steps to increase engagement and embrace change

Starting with eight ways to increase engagement, and wrapping up with embracing change and failures, this week’s Friday Five shows association professionals are looking into changing their cultures for the better.  Every week, we pull five articles our audience liked most from our newsletters to keep up with what’s trending. How do we come up […]

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Oct
15

3 ways to generate non-dues revenue

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Foundation regularly reports on association sources and ratios. According to a November 2016 report, revenues from membership dues were down to 45% of total revenue for trade associations and a meager 30% for professional associations. Advances in technology have opened new doors of opportunity to drive non-dues revenue. Let’s […]

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Oct
15

Why your membership organization needs super users

Every membership organization has members who go above and beyond.  They’re the people who show up early to every panel, share every social media post and bring something extra to the table. They’re your biggest fans, advocates, and ambassadors.  But as much as you might appreciate your organization’s super users, it’s not always clear how […]

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Oct
14

Struggling to manage change? These 4 strategies can help your association adapt and evolve

Change is an unavoidable part of life.  Some changes are positive, like a brilliant executive taking the helm or a sudden flood of funding transforming your association’s capabilities. Others can be difficult, like an economic downturn that prompts layoffs. And other changes are more mundane but no less monumental, such as the emergence of technology […]

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