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.

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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.

Webinars have become an important way for associations to reach new and existing members. In terms of marketing, they’re a cost-effective tool to draw a crowd and brand yourself as an authority. Webinars are also convenient to run, leverageable for re-marketing purposes and, if done right, are an engaging experience for your members who have grown tired of written content.

After hosting a webinar, you want viewers to sign off feeling not only smarter but also inspired. You might be asking yourself, “But how?” Here are some tips to create an amazing webinar.

1. Webinars need to be specific

You want your webinar to be a can’t miss experience. You can do this by zeroing in on a topic that will teach your audience distinct lessons, opinions and approaches that they wouldn’t get anywhere else. Think of your webinar as an opportunity to provide the answers to a specific question they’ve all been asking. For example, if you’re thinking about running a webinar on project management and agile, you’re better off getting into the details rather than answering “what’s agile?” It’s too broad. Try focusing your entire webinar on how and why scrum methodology and sprints — an element of agile — can be the right approach for your audience by detailing roles and responsibilities associated with it. Still not sure what to focus on? Consider asking your product managers and customer support staff for the most popular (and specific) questions they receive from customers.

2. Promote the event (and yourself)

Once you’ve picked your topic and scheduled a date for your webinar, it’s time to get the word out. Using branded graphics, speaker bios (and photos), and key messages (including teasers) highlighting the topic and relevance of your webinar topic, you should start to share your event at least two weeks before the event date. Promote it on social media channels, on your website, and by e-mail with your members, partners and individuals who attended any past events you’ve hosted. This multi-channel approach will broaden your reach. Importantly, by using a registration page, you can keep track of how many people (and who) have signed up for your webinar. This list of attendees will come in handy once your event has wrapped up.

When promoting the event, you can also suggest non-members to join your association or explore other parts of your website, such as your blog and online store, and offer a promotional discount to those who register for the webinar.

3. Webinars need to be engaging

To keep viewers tuned in, your webinar needs to inspire. It’s easier said than done. But don’t worry. These tips will ensure a smooth, captivating experience that helps you and your organization forge a unique bond with your audience.

Decide on your talent and format

These are two of the most important elements to creating an engaging webinar. Picking the right speaker — whether it be a member of your team or an expert in the field — is an important way to ensure viewers are captivated with what and how you’re communicating with them. Audiences are drawn in by presenters who are positive, passionate, and motivational.

Your format will also help shape the type of discussion and dynamic in your webinar. Will you be running a lecture with graphics — or a Q&A and fireside chat between an expert and a moderator?

Prepare a storyboard — and script

Remember: it’s normal for webinar presenters to be nervous. Preparation is key to calming your talent — and knowing where you want to go and how you want to get there is a key way to do this. A storyboard with a strong script — that outlines the flow of your webinar and expectations of your talent — is essential to creating a coherent experience, especially when webinars can be up to an hour in length. Will there be 5 minutes for an introduction, 25 minutes for a presentation/discussion, and 10 minutes for online audience questions? Taking the time to consider both a storyboard and script will help your webinar stay on message and keep your talent calm, cool, and collected. Remember — always end your webinar with a call to action: suggest how your audience can learn more or implement one of your lessons in their own life.

4. Testing, testing 1, 2, 3

Yes, things can go wrong with a live broadcast and when presenting a webinar. But why not mitigate problems before they even have a chance to go sideways?

Conducting a dry-run — checking microphones, preparing studio space (including lighting), testing connections — and hiring a technical assistant who has camera experience and is on hand with background microphones, cables etc. can be an invaluable way to ensure webinar success.

Depending on your outlook, preparing for the worst — and expecting things to go wrong — might sound pessimistic or it might sound like prudent planning. Either way, you should be prepared early. You’ll appreciate the piece of mind.

5. Make hay while the sun shines

The fun isn’t over once your wrapped up the webinar. Now it’s your chance to follow up with attendees to ask what they liked or didn’t like, what they want more of or what they would like addressed next time. You can keep them engaged with your organization by asking them to offer feedback on an online forum (on your website or on social media), asking them to visit your blog and other resources, and by inviting them to share the webinar they just watch (or future planned webinars) with their colleagues.

The post How To Create An Amazing Webinar appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Digital technology has changed virtually every aspect of our lives, including the way we learn. By implementing an online education platform — and embracing the power of live video streaming, just-in-time videos, e-commerce and digital marketing — associations can generate new forms of revenue and increase their influence.

1. Virtualize your events

People join associations for a variety of reasons, but chief among those are ongoing training and networking opportunities made possible through a well-scheduled calendar of events.

Conferences and meetings are most often an association’s pièce de résistance; they offer informative plenary sessions, feature important keynote speakers and demonstrate the convening power of a membership-based organization. Indeed, over 12,000 international association meetings took place in 2017, which highlights their popularity.

Yes, attending an association event is an exciting opportunity. But a variety of reasons can keep your members from being present. Associations should make it a priority to virtualize their events — panel sessions, lectures and keynotes, and seminars — by streaming live audio and video to members. Doing so, and charging a nominal fee to tune in, will allow your quality content to reach members who cannot attend your events but want to experience the benefit of being an association member.

Importantly, the process to live-stream has become much more affordable through advancements in technology, including improvements to modern smartphones — high powered cameras and editing software — and access to third-party software like Livestream, Facebook or YouTube.

While live-streaming, associations can simultaneously record rich event content and make it available for viewing once meetings are concluded. This audio and video can be easily incorporated into association’s online educational courses, which provides additional incentive for individuals to become members.

2. Create just-in-time learning videos

The use of educational video has been transformative in how individuals learn. Engaging visual cues help facilitate thinking and problem-solving. Moreover, learning videos have shown to be useful tools for communicating complex facts and processes.

In addition to teaching efficiency, the beauty of videos is that they can be produced at a low-cost and in a short amount of time. This should incentivize associations to adopt the just-in-time philosophy when it comes to communicating important lessons, principles and rules to their members. Lawyers, engineers, doctors and other professionals often require critical knowledge at their fingertips; your association’s just-in-time educational videos will help facilitate on the job learning, increase productivity and improve expertise by offering time-sensitive information in an engaging way.

3. Simplify life for members by offering e-commerce

It’s likely that association content you’ve published and promoted, or watched, read and listened to has mentioned new educational resources or upcoming events requiring registration. Websites should make it easy to access this content — and to see whether or not it’s being consumed.

Effectively incorporating e-commerce into your association’s website gives members access to a clean and categorized catalogue of exclusive material that best suits their development and the growth of your own association by providing you with data on the popularity of your content.

4. Centralize learning opportunities by using an online platform

A Learning Management System (LMS) lets associations deliver and track a customized catalogue of online learning material — especially when it’s delivered in conjunction with e-commerce.

From a user’s perspective, an LMS should provide a simple and aesthetically pleasing visualization of content available for consumption — including aforementioned online videos as well as resources like e-books and online lessons — that is outlined and categorized by topic or some logical learning progression. As well as being mobile friendly, which is critical to the user-experience, the LMS should offer a learning interface and a reporting feature that allows associations to keep track of how frequently content is being watched or read. Data of the latter will allow associations to optimize LMS e-commerce functionality by adjusting hierarchies in catalogues and the price of access to each piece of content.

5. Utilizing digital marketing for new revenue and new members

Once associations have an LMS with catalogued content and a reporting feature, they should utilize digital marketing to generate new members and new revenue.

Digital marketing channels, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google, will offer your association not only a wide reach to new audiences but also the ability to target ads to very specific audiences based on key factors such as age, geography, interests, industry and job function.

Another key component of your association’s digital marketing strategy should be a targeted e-mail campaign that offers direct contact with individuals who are likely to be interested in your content. Importantly, associations have to ensure they’re conducting business within the parameters of anti-spam legislation.

Through a carefully considered and consistent e-mailing effort, which helps avoid being labelled as “annoying,” and by creating a campaign of targeted digital ads based on defined budget, your digital marketing efforts will offer access to your content with minimal barriers — a potential member is only ever one to three clicks away from joining your association, registering for an event or joining an online class.

Digital marketing also offers easy-to-use analytics tools that help associations understand what and why marketing efforts are not working. By investigating what is or isn’t being clicked or purchased, you’re able to adjust and refine your efforts to develop an effective marketing campaign.

The post New Ways Associations Can Generate Revenue From Online Education appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

New graduates are one of the most important groups for any association. They are well-trained, ambitious, and most importantly, primed and ready to grow within a new industry. Making this group even more alluring for associations, nearly two-thirds of all association members joined their association within five years of graduation. New graduates are incredibly important to the success of most organizations. However, since the majority of new graduates today are “Millennials” (born between 1980 and 2000), this comes with new challenges.

According to the Naylor’s Association Communications Benchmarking Survey, more than half of all associations find Millennials difficult to recruit. The reason for this is primarily because most associations fail to account for age or career stage when setting up their recruiting strategy. This usually includes a lack of personalization that is specifically for Millennials — a major misstep. These new graduates are looking for very specific things from their future associations: job opportunities, networking, and professional development. While many associations offer these benefits, some slight graduate-specific alterations can go a long way in increasing their effectiveness.

1. Allow For Customized Memberships

New graduates are looking for an association that is designed specifically for them. The most successful online companies allow users to completely control their experience. Since many new graduates grew up in this online world, they expect it from all companies nowadays. For associations, a similar experience can be offered simply by allowing new members to tailor a membership to their needs. Whether this means members hand-selecting the membership benefits they wish to receive and pay for or simply picking between one of several membership packages and payment options, choice and customization are essential and effective.

2. Personalize Your Communication

Another effective strategy that organizations use to attract to both new graduates and Millennials is personalization. Personalization is important in every aspect of an association’s outreach, from communications to membership offerings. To reach new graduates, communications should be addressed specifically that group and certain membership features should be created for them. One powerful tool is to host job listings specifically for new professionals or hosting networking events for students and new graduates to meet with experienced professionals and mentors.

3. Demonstrate Membership Value Clearly

New graduates look for clearly defined associational values when selecting an organization to align themselves with. Transparency and clarity are essential throughout all communications and marketing efforts. Rather than posting a laundry list of membership benefits, new graduates need to see how a membership translates into personal value for them. When it comes to professional development, for example, clarify what career paths and/or positions might result from each professional development course/credential. By laying out a career roadmap, new graduates are able to see both the long- and short-term value in joining.

4. Focus Advertising on New Graduates

Digital advertising on social media, such as Facebook or Instagram, allows for effective targeted marketing, campaigns that can reach specific groups with specific messages. This is incredibly important when trying to address new graduates personally. The one-size-fits-all model of advertising will not prove as effective for new graduates as it is for other groups, so associations should separate this group from the rest.

One effective strategy for attracting new graduates is to reach them before they even finish schooling or shortly afterwards. This can be accomplished by offering a free or discounted annual membership for students and/or new graduates. Or consider offering a free course to new graduates. With education and professional growth high on their list of must-haves, new graduates seek associations that place emphasis on professional development, and education embedded into marketing is sure to capture interest.

5. Utilize Online Technologies

While this is a broad category, it’s important, especially for new graduates. When marketing to this group, associations must demonstrate that they are on top of emerging trends. While social media is not new, how associations use it is always changing. Simply being present on social media is not enough. Directly engaging in issues that new graduates are interested in is a must and the most effective marketing strategy for today’s associations.

According to the Elite Daily Millennial Consumer Study 2015, more than 60% of Millennials are more willing to work with a brand that directly connected with them online. Many new technologies are designed for younger and technologically savvier users by improving intuitiveness, convenience, and accessibility. Hosting virtual conferences and/or providing interactive online learning, for example, not only demonstrates that an association is progressing with the times, but it also shows new graduates that the association is looking toward the future just like them.

The post Turning New Graduates Into Your Association’s Newest Members appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

From new legislation and amended statutes to precedent-setting cases and revised codes of conduct, the legal profession is in constant motion.

For tomorrow’s lawyers, technological innovation has the greatest consequence. The digital and mobile revolution, ushering in an internet of things, is making it more critical than ever for these professionals to understand why and how innovation is changing their work. Lawyers must keep up with technology in order to thrive.

Technology is creating new legal challenges

Experts in data, privacy and the law have all been discussing how technological innovation is changing legal rules and their enforcement. For example, the internet can offer an anonymous environment for criminals to conduct online crime, such as identity theft, as well as new ways for law enforcement to conduct surveillance. While trials have struggled with the use of technology in jury deliberation, as heard in the Georgia Court of Appeal, some experts warn that wearable technology is raising legal questions on the admissibility of evidence and note that hackers could manipulate digital evidence to alter the outcome of cases.

Innovation in the legal process

Technological innovation has started (and will continue) to change the business of law. In some areas, legal representation might no longer be necessary. The development of apps like JustFix, which helps New York City residents resolve housing issues, is just one example of how technology is increasing access to justice for people who might consider traditional legal counsel out of reach. Nevertheless, as discussed at a recent conference attended by international legal and innovation experts, “technology does not make lawyers obsolete. It just changes the role of the lawyer.”

Technological innovations like machine learning and artificial intelligence have the potential to improve litigation decisions and research, and will change how lawyers bill as well as give value to their clients. This is increasingly important given concerns over the high cost of legal representation.

More obviously, cloud computing has altered how law firms ensure the secure filing of confidential information, while mobile technology has changed the dynamic of client-lawyer communication and digital media raises issues of advertising and the fiduciary relationship.

Embrace tech to learn

Lawyers are being asked to find new ways to be efficient. In 2012, the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct were updated to reflect the need for lawyers to maintain competence, through continuing legal education (CLE), in technological advancements, risks and uses. Close to 30 jurisdictions have adopted the revised standard, but as former American Bar Association (ABA) President William Hubbard explained, there are still lawyers who consider technology as “a backdoor of disrupting a system they’re very comfortable with.”

To overcome this education challenge, the American Bar Association, in addition to the work of its Standing Committee on Technology and Information Systems, has put forward several resources, such as technology webinars, buying and user guides, and commentaries that address key security issues involved in implementing cost-efficient technology for client services.

The competent use of technology has and will continue to improve productivity in online research and issues analysis, document and database management, communication and accounting. Though there are several benefits to running a paperless law office, lawyers and firms need to make informed decisions on how to be not only efficient, but also ethical and secure. The North Carolina State Bar is the latest among an increasing number of bar associations that are requiring members’ CLE to include technology training.

Indeed, bar associations can use CLE, including mobile-friendly interactive lessons to communicate best practices and important new ethical and security guidelines to their members. For example, learning modules can be gamified with reward and competitive elements to motivate and encourage better learning. Scenario-based CLE puts learners into real-world situations, which makes lessons feel more authentic and enriching. And story-based learning embeds lessons into a narrative that increases retention by connecting important concepts to characters and their challenges.

We can’t assume that recent graduates or current law school students (digital natives) are any more savvy in using law-focused technology than lawyers approaching retirement. All individuals in the legal profession should have the technical skills and inventiveness to adopt new tools that can help them and their clients. Law associations and societies should support technology adoption along the way. Promisingly, current ABA President Hilarie Bass spoke at Stanford Law School on how new technology should be adopted into the legal profession in a “bold, adventurous and creative” way.

Lawyers and their staff understand that professional ethics, integrity and sound judgement are of the utmost importance when representing the interests of a client — the fiduciary responsibility is supreme. But the world is a changing place, and major advancements in technology — from automation to social media — are creating new challenges and opportunities.

It’s not enough to give lawyers, firms and their staff guidelines and codes of conduct on the intersection of technology, ethics and law. Technology, such as online learning platforms and resources, should be fully embraced as a vehicle to keep new, forthcoming and existing lawyers up-to-date on how to best thrive in an innovative world.

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