In a recent post, we dove into four high-level considerations that associations should make when looking to increase membership engagement — what we consider to be the lifeblood of all successful and flourishing associations. You’ll recall from the previous post that we defined membership engagement as the level of interaction and involvement an individual has with an organization, which is often the result of strategy-driven initiatives that build relationships with members to create a collaborative and positive culture and, in turn, attracts new and retains old members.

In this article, we discuss how associations can increase membership engagement by embracing technology.

Fresh Website Design and Rich Content

It’s absolutely essential that every association’s website is professionally designed to be responsive (where pages render correctly on all types of devices and screen sizes), easy to navigate, and aesthetically pleasing. First impressions mean everything.

Apart from offering essential information, such as important dates and official policies or standards, association websites should have members visiting weekly for information and updates including, for example, news on advocacy efforts, industry developments, and upcoming events. While website content, such as blogs and informational pages, should be optimized for search engines, the content should also be on topics that are truly meaningful to members and will generate discussion among them.

For this to be the case, a website’s backend should be straightforward to use so that trained staff members can easily upload new content on a regular basis. Associations should establish a process and editorial team responsible for developing and delivering content — stories, interviews, and videos. They should have an idea of what topics they want to be addressed on their website, how their own programming such as events will be promoted online (through registration pages and live streams), and who will be accountable for ensuring this content is created and published online.

As the main vehicle for connecting with the public, including potential and current members, a website’s design, usability, and the quality of its content can’t be stressed enough.

Online Video

To elaborate on content, the presence of rich multimedia makes websites an engaging place to visit for users. It’s simple: we like videos — and we love videos that trigger emotion, humor, and memories while teaching new knowledge. Unlike written content, publishing unique online videos that communicate your message is a key way to ensure your content is consumed and retained. Videos are concise and they’re excellent at building brand awareness much more than written content. Associations should harness the power of our visual senses by producing a variety of videos such as interviews with experts, how-to-explanatory lessons, industry news and association updates, messages regarding advocacy and causes, recorded events and webinars, and spotlights on association staff and members.

E-learning

Videos on association websites, as described above, can be much more than content marketing pieces. E-learning (online education) is an incredible resource that associations should offer to their members. Whether courses and modules are solely video lessons or a mix of video and written content, e-learning on a variety of topics — from ethics and professional responsibility standards to product demos — can be a major avenue to recruit new members, especially if it’s made exclusive to registered members.

Social Media

Most associations send out electronic newsletters to their members. Without a doubt, they’re one of the most effective ways to provide updates and news, especially given a sender’s ability to track open and click-rates through software like MailChimp.

The problem with e-newsletters? They don’t allow for two-way communication — and for strong membership engagement, associations need to have a dialogue with their audience.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other digital platforms allow for conversations to occur in real-time. If members are curious about an association event or staff appointment, or if an association is seeking input for website content, social media is a no-brainer. Questions and conversations can occur immediately.

Moreover, social media allows association members to find their tribe. Members can network, find new opportunities, and engage with others in the community to share ideas and collaborate.

Associations should not be afraid to experiment with their use of social media. Many associations, like the American Headache Society for example, have embraced Twitter to encourage interaction between its followers — and it’s coordinated online chats with its partners to provide expert advice in response to questions from the public. The association has found that collaborating on social media with other organizations has helped widen its audience and provide value to its members.

LinkedIn can be used to create a company page, publish testimonials from staff and association members, and start discussions by sharing research and news. On Facebook, associations can experiment with sharing compelling photos regarding their work, along with captivating captions as well as a call to action — such as a link to read more information on their website. Associations can experiment on all platforms with tagging partners or speakers — thanking them for their support or encouraging them to participate in advocacy efforts — to establish new and strengthen existing relationships.

It’s no secret why nearly all associations that are serious about engagement have embraced social media and integrated it into their daily communications efforts. Having healthy and engaging public discussions on social media will show potential members that your association is spearheading an online community that is dynamic and committed to the work you’re promoting.

In addition to all of the engagement benefits that come from having a social media presence, these accounts are nearly as important as an association’s website when it comes to brand awareness. They provide a chance to highlight an association’s mission and mandate, location and hours, and contact information while reinforcing a visual identity.

Having a robust social media presence and a professional website, with consistent and high-quality content, will put associations on their way toward building stronger membership engagement.

The post How Associations Can Use Technology To Increase Member Engagement appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Without members, associations can’t exist. Without engaged members, associations can’t flourish.

Unfortunately, belonging to an association might not be a priority for some professionals. They might ask themselves “why should I care about belonging to an association?” The simple answer is opportunities — like networking events, continuing education and other intangible member benefits— that might help individuals succeed in their profession. At the core of answering this complex question, associations should have one key idea in mind: membership engagement. Specifically, how to engage professionals so that they see value and understand the benefits of joining your associations and maintaining a membership for years to come.

By membership engagement, we mean the level of interaction and involvement an individual has with an association — often the result of strategy-driven initiatives that build relationships with members to create a collaborative and positive culture, which in turn attracts new and retains old members. Done successfully, membership engagement helps associations build value and loyalty. Here are four tips on how associations can increase their own member engagement.

1. What is your value proposition?

What’s in it for me? Before engaging with current or future members, associations should think carefully about why individuals should be excited to be a member of their association. Many associations are value-based and issue-focused. Their function includes promoting and advocating for a specific industry or segment of society on behalf of members. Associations have to identify their cause, objectives, and how their efforts distinguish them from other associations — this is key to moving forward with an engaged membership. And, associations must be able to clearly and succinctly articulate their messaging through multiple communication mediums.  Don’t be afraid to change, refine or update the cause, objectives, goals etc as the messaging must be in line with the needs of the sector and with the professionals who make up the sector.

2. What journey are your members on and how can you help?

Understanding who potential and current members are — what they hope to achieve in their careers, what their priorities are, and what hurdles they’re facing — will almost certainly help improve the way in which associations engage with their members.

Mapping a member’s journey — from their graduation to the retirement, for example — will help an association segment its audience and identify each group’s needs. An engaged member’s journey, which starts at awareness and progresses to membership and involvement with an association’s community, can be better understood by soliciting feedback on priorities and interests through online surveys.

With this membership intelligence in hand, an association can create tailored engagement strategies — events, networking opportunities, legislative advocacy, publicity and online education — that aims to satisfy the particular needs of each segment or channel.

Remember: new members should feel welcomed and existing members should feel like they belong to a community of like-minded and passionate individuals who are being served by their association. Associations will be able to accomplish both once they know who they’re working for.

3. Take stock of what members use and don’t use

Many associations distribute newsletters full of interesting and relevant content; but what if no one’s reading? Many associations host networking and educational events; but what if no one’s attending?

It’s critical that associations understand how their existing engagement strategies are working with members. Are members participating in your LinkedIn community more than Facebook? At what point do your videos start to lose their audience? Taking stock of what is and isn’t working, in combination with member intelligence, will give associations a sense of where they might experiment and re-prioritize their membership engagement efforts.

4. How do you encourage membership engagement?

A membership engagement target audience — in this case, channels of members segmented by length of membership or professional stature, for example — need to be made aware of how it can become engaged in an association’s community.

Prompting participation is an essential way to build engagement and will help create an active community of loyal members who feel a personal connection to the work, progress and success of the association. Having staff who specialize in online community management, for example, can help facilitate success in this realm.  Associations can also encourage participation through different types of online content and calls to action — such as monthly member challenges that encourage them to share their own success and learning on social media, live Q&A’s with experts, and weekly updates on industry news.

Associations can’t underestimate the effort and resources required to successfully implement engagement strategies. They require dedicated resources — staff, time, analytical and online communications tools — to ensure membership engagement is ongoing. From creating an onboarding process for new members — with personalized welcome messages — to moderated social media discussions on member-driven topics, membership engagement is an ongoing effort that is based on consistency, refinement, and measurement of membership growth and satisfaction.

Thanks for reading! Our next post will discuss how associations can specifically use technology to increase membership engagement.

The post 4 Best Practices To Increase Member Engagement appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

If you or someone you know has recently completed an online course, chances are you’ve directly experienced or heard about the power of a Learning Management System (LMS).

An LMS helps big and small organizations, like professional associations, distribution companies or universities deliver education online. This includes lessons, messages, quizzes, readings, videos and more. But to be effective, enhance performance among learners, and build a culture of learning, an LMS must be properly organized and used to its full potential. Here are a few tips on how associations can get the most out of their own LMS.

Know your objective

Associations that adopt and use an LMS do so with the aim of delivering online education. But apart from building a culture of learning, associations should have a good sense of what they hope to achieve through their e-learning efforts. Is it increasing non-dues revenue? Sharing subject matter expertise? Adding membership value? Providing professional development opportunities for members?

Identifying clear objectives and making sure your staff, board, and members are aware of them will allow your association develop a learning journey with goals that can be implemented and tracked.

Training administrators and educators

For associations to succeed in their use of an LMS, it’s imperative that their system administrators and educators know what features are offered and how to use them.

An LMS vendor, in addition to understanding what an organization aims to accomplish with their e-learning, ought to offer their customers significant training and resources in how to setup and use the features offered by their LMS. For example, administrators should have an understanding of how to generate reports that give insight into the effectiveness of their e-learning content and approach. They should be able to easily gather information about whether or not learners are completing courses that they have signed up for, and in general, how their learners are progressing through courses. Remember that a good online experience for your members is the best marketing for your courses.

Comprehensive training with ongoing support and resources will help administrators and educators deliver their educational programming in a seamless way, and will help them understand whether or not their efforts are working.

Differentiate and track progress

Associations can experiment with how to best meet their members’ learning objectives by differentiating content. For example, focus on offering hot topics and topics that are relevant now.

Develop new content regularly and experiment with various course delivery formats. Specifically, experiment with short video segments of specific topics, blended learning approaches, videos, course interactions, and more.

An individualized learning experience through the LMS

A highly functional LMS also allows organizations to individualize the learning experience, which helps students feel more empowered and committed to their learning experience. Personalization through an LMS can be done for example by having students take part in a pre-assessment survey or test prior to beginning a course so that their learning journey is relative to their baseline competency. An individualized learning experience means students will be able to learn at their own pace and receive personalized feedback in a way and on subjects that are relevant to their needs.

Save time when communicating with learners

Among the most valuable resource to subject matter experts is time. They are busy professionals. However, for online learners, their commitment and success will be influenced by the quality of e-learning content. Therefore, if you are working with subject matter experts to develop content or if the courses are developed by your internal staff, make quality a must.

Because time is at a premium, communicate with your members regularly to draw attention to additional resources and to provide help for individuals struggling with a particular module or topic.Using the full engagement potential of an LMS will let your members know that their instructors care about their success.

Take stock of user feedback and commit to improving

It takes time to perfect an LMS experience for users — both educators and students. But perfection won’t occur without careful consideration of their feedback. At some point in the process, LMS administrators will receive enough feedback that it becomes time to revamp and reoptimize their system’s functionality. Is there low uptake on courses? Do students complain about how content is organized or searchable? Associations should make it a priority to continuously improve and fine-tune how their LMS is working. To do so, it’s critical to keep track of what is and isn’t working.

For more information on how to optimize your LMS and e-learning experience, contact us at Vocalmeet.

The post Getting The Most Out Of Your LMS appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

There is an ongoing trend in immersive and meaningful continuing education: it’s being offered online. The approach is becoming ever more popular as a way to prevent and reduce unethical behavior in a variety of industries.

From the American Psychological Association and National Association of Professional Engineers to the American Bar Association and American Medical Association, associations and industry sectors have adopted codes of ethics. In order to be effective, these commitments require ethics programs centered around providing core knowledge and guidance on how to make the right decisions in difficult situations. For associations, online education is one of the key ways to ensure ethics training reaches all members and that members have access to information when they need it.

But why care about ethics?

Organizations around the world are becoming more concerned with ensuring ethical behavior in the workplace. They’re creating and implementing behavior standards — and prioritizing staff’s ability to distinguish and understand the seriousness of right and wrong conduct.

There are several reasons why organizations implement an ethics program, which typically consist of reporting mechanisms, codes of conduct and training. Sometimes these programs are mandated by government regulators; other times they’re voluntary initiatives.

Nevertheless, by aiming to create an integrity-based culture that promotes ethical behavior — by providing resources and clarity on what is meant by “being ethical”, creating transparency and openness in conversations around ethical behavior, and demonstrating and reinforcing ethical behavior —  organizations are helping create a healthy culture and environment, as well as a better overall organization given the “strong link between ethical performance and financial performance.”

It’s reported that organizations with an ethics program see less unethical behavior, but unethical behavior continues to be pervasive throughout organizations and industries. For example, in its 2017 survey of 5,101 people, the Ethics & Compliance Initiative reported that 47 per cent of respondents observed misconduct in their workplace. Just this past year we saw price collusion in pharmaceuticals; bribery in electronics; data and privacy breaches in tech; the mistreatment of customers in airline travel; and sexual assault and harassment allegations throughout media/entertainment and several other industries.

In addition to unethical behavior that captured headlines, ethical challenges arise in a variety of professions: medical professionals often confront legal and ethical challenges when asked to respect the wishes of patients, and lawyers have to respect the confidentiality and fiduciary responsibilities that come with the sanctity of client-privilege.

Ethical challenges are pervasive in the workplace. It’s critical that your members understand how to identify and respond to these situations.

How can continuing online education help?

Continuing education is most often aimed at adult learners who, according to expert Malcolm Knowles, share five traits. Adults learners are independent and self-directing; have a wealth of experience that can be recalled and applied when they’re asked to absorb lessons; are ready to learn when it will impact their immediate reality; are more interested in problem-based learning; and are motivated to learn based on internal factors like self-esteem and quality of life. Essentially, adults learn best through active approaches that emphasize problem-based learning and peer-to-peer interaction.

Online education often involves assigned readings and videos where learners are hearing from experts in the field. This often means that your association’s members for example do not have to retain all information at once and can replay areas that may be challenging to understand. Ethics training, in particular, requires intensive discussion that requires learners to analyse complex case studies and scenario-based problems. Learners are also often required to put forward, as well as defend, their ideas and solutions to ethical dilemmas. In the face of being a remote experience, the learning is immersive and engaging. In fact, several organizations have implemented online ethics training that considers and incorporates the aforementioned elements. For example, the Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center in Kansas City, Missouri, delivered a program for its Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics that afforded busy adults the opportunity to have self-direction and learn around their own daily obligations. The result was thoughtful and reflective online discussions, that were documented and open to moderation from a teacher, among students who might have refrained from participating in face-to-face class environments due to shyness.

The greatest benefit of continuing online education is its ability to provide just-in-time education. For example, in light of the #MeToo campaign as well as recent data scandals involving Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, continuing online education could be used to provide immediate and relevant company-wide training on sexual harassment and professional conduct, as well as training to chief data officers and data scientists on the ethical and legal responsibilities that come with harvesting personal data.

There are ethical tinderboxes just waiting to ignite. And while building an ethical culture at an organization and within a profession requires intensive and effective resources, time becomes critical when responding to ethical crises. Associations can step in and become even more relevant to their members by providing access to ethics training.

The post Why Associations Should Offer Ethics Courses Online appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.