Thankfully, we’re here to help! This series of posts produced in collaboration between Vocalmeet and Lexum will cover our top tips and tools to help your bar association make the most of what the internet has to offer:

Tool: Your Website

It may feel like a cop-out to start with what’s arguably the most obvious tool in your association’s belt–its website–but it’s a crucial factor that can be easily overlooked.

Build a Solid Base

Regardless of what you’re making, it needs to have a solid base. The same is true for your association’s website: if your site isn’t visually attractive and user-friendly, you’re already losing out on potential members.

First, make sure your website is modern: if it looks like it was built before Y2K, you’re not going to find much success. It’s hard not to judge a book by its cover when you’re browsing the net, so if you want to keep your audience on your page, make sure your site’s design is snappy, clear, and interesting.

Pay attention to both the user interface (how your website is laid out) and the user experience (how it feels to use your website); if either of these is lacking, you’re going to frustrate your members. Frustrated members are more likely to wander, so be sure to make the process of using your site painless for everyone involved.

A good way to achieve this is through integration. If all of your website’s sections–whether that means your store, forums, continuing legal education, blog, or more–are properly integrated, your users will be able to navigate your site with ease. Additionally, integration means a more seamless experience with more consistent branding. If all your pages match, members are less likely to get confused. In this line of thought, make sure to pick white-label solutions (in this case, software that can be purchased and rebranded to match your association) when relying on third-party vendors to power some of these sections.

You’ll also want to beef up your site’s search functionality. This is especially important when it comes to your continuing legal education courses or publications, of course (members can’t purchase material they can’t find!) but it also applies to your site as a whole. Allow for an array of filtering options; you could include sections for keywords, categories, fields of law, popular posts/courses/books, speaker/poster, profiles, pages, and more! (Look out for part 2 in this series, where we’ll go into more detail on this topic.)

If your bar association is partnered with other quality organizations, consider adding a section presenting them and their logo. For instance, if you run a county bar association that belongs to a larger collective (for instance, a state bar association), you can indicate this with their brand image. This will show your members you belong to a larger network of credible organizations–promoting your peers and proving your reliability in a single step! (Just make sure you get permission first.)

Captivate Members

Catching the attention of members may sound difficult, but there are a number of ways you can accomplish it.

First, you’ll want to put context-specific member testimonials at the front and center of your page (or somewhere else easily accessible!). For instance, on a page dedicated to a practice guide, try to include some feedback from practitioners heavily relying on it. After all, who better to promote your products and services than the members who use them? If you don’t have a stock of reviews available, don’t worry; you can offer CE program discounts or vouchers to those who submit them! Soon, you’ll have plenty of quality member quotes to use.

Your association should also establish a knowledge hub section on its site. This can encompass a variety of formats–videos, blog articles, Ask Me Anything sessions (whether they take the form of livestreams, recorded live sessions, or forum threads), news updates, anything! If you find it useful or interesting, your members likely will, too. By establishing a broad, frequently updated body of resources, your members will be more inclined to keep coming back for more.

Finally, you can appeal to the kid in all of us: achievement badges! By offering digital badges (also known as eBadges) for accomplishments like completing programs or course tracks, you get to reward loyal members with a virtual sticker. Members can then display their badges on their profiles or on social media–showing off their accolades and promoting your association at the same time! Everyone likes to be validated for their hard work, and you’ll be scratching that “collector’s itch” for some of your audience.

You may also like: Let’s Get Digital: 3 Strategies to Boost Member Engagement Online

Conclusion

When you’re looking to boost engagement, you can’t go wrong with a sleek, appealing website. Make it intuitive, make it fun, and make it smart–your members will appreciate it!

Looking for more tips and tools? Have no fear, this article is just the start! Check in next week for our tips to enhance your research ability.

The post Technology Tips and Tools to Help Bar Associations Build Trust and Support Members – Part 1 appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Most states require a certain number of CLE hours each year to maintain a law license, but it can be hard to find quality courses that fit members’ busy schedules. And–let’s be honest–most CLE courses aren’t exactly the most exciting things around!

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way! By following a few simple steps, bar associations can start building better CLE courses with ease.

1. Harnessing the Power of Niche Content

When it comes to CLE courses, one size does not fit all. Attorneys will often look for courses specific to their particular area of practice, so the more specialized the content you provide, the better!

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples. An attorney who works in criminal law will not be interested in a course on tax law; likewise, a corporate lawyer will not want to sit through a course on family law.

This much may seem obvious, but it can go a step further. Your association should search for interesting, relevant, and unique topics for its courses. Yes, you should have more general courses–these are perfect for introductory programs!–but if you want to really bring value to your membership, try thinking outside the box.

Try to make your content timely. Is there a precedent-setting case in the news? Perhaps you’ll want to do a deep-dive webinar on the details. Are there laws being reexamined or updated? You could cover these, as well!

Additionally, by partnering with experts in various niche areas, bar associations can offer courses that are tailored to specific practices. This will ensure that attendees get the most relevant and useful information possible.

Not only will this make your CLE courses more interesting for attendees, but it will also make your audience more likely to return in the future. You want to capture their intention with insightful, valuable content. After all, why would an attorney take an irrelevant, useless course from their bar association? It’s all about quality!

Once you’ve made your content, make sure to categorize it thoroughly. You want your members to be able to actually find your courses! Keep everything as organized and accessible as possible.

If your bar association is looking to build better CLE courses, consider harnessing the power of tailored content. It’s one surefire way to interest and engage new members! Now, let’s look at a few more:

2. CLE for the Next Generation: Attracting New Members

As the legal profession evolves, so must the way bar associations provide Continuing Legal Education. The needs of lawyers are changing, and bar associations must adapt to continue to meet those needs. In particular, there is a need to engage new lawyers in CLE programs.

First, you have to let your audience know what’s available. Make sure to promote your programs across your association’s social media channels. To spice things up, try offering seasonal packages, keeping things timely and relevant. Remember to be consistent; if you only post rarely and sporadically, you won’t stay in the minds of your members for long!

Next, you want to make things interesting. You can try incorporating gamification into your programs; by making them interactive and offering digital badges as achievement-style rewards, you’ll be upping the excitement factor of your courses. You could even incorporate–selectively!–a few choice memes to amuse your audience.

Third, it’s important to make sure the programs you offer are affordable. New lawyers often have large student loan debts and may be working in jobs that do not pay high salaries. Discounts on CLE programs for new members can make them more accessible to new lawyers.

By offering relevant, convenient, and affordable CLE programs, bar associations can better engage new lawyers with their educational offerings. This, in turn, will help to ensure that your members’ careers–and your association’s membership base–continue to thrive!

3. Two Birds, One Stone: the Value of the Hybrid Events 

As the world becomes increasingly mobile and virtual, it can be difficult to know how to best engage your members; is it better to do in-person or online sessions?

The answer is simple: host a hybrid event!

Hybrid events are a combination of in-person and virtual courses, and they offer several benefits to both bar associations and their members. There are a number of ways to make your event hybrid, like livestreaming the session on your association’s website, or else recording and posting it online after the event–or, even better, both!

Hybrid CLE courses allow members who cannot attend in-person to still participate and receive credit. This is especially beneficial for members who have busy schedules. Livestreamed courses take care of geographical limitations, and on-demand recorded courses open the field up to everyone.

Hybrid CLE courses allow bar associations to further their reach and increase their earning potential at the same time. You’re making your session accessible to an entire second audience–without losing the first–and bypassing the most common barriers to entry for in-person events. This means you can earn more revenue than from an in-person event alone!

The use of hybrid CLE courses is a win-win for both bar associations and their members. By offering these courses, bar associations can ensure that their members are able to receive the education they need–while simultaneously expanding their reach and non-dues revenue!

You may also like: The Top 5 Strategies for Bar Associations to Increase CLE Revenue in 2021 and Beyond

When it comes to building better CLE for your bar association, it’s best to pay attention to the basics: focus on tailoring your content, attracting new members, and increasing accessibility. You want solid, quality courses that no one else offers; you want to attract new members with your value and ease of use; and you want to reach as wide an audience as possible. Follow ACLEA’s footsteps and “Adjust, Collaborate, and Elevate”!

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To help with this, Vocalmeet and the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) teamed up to host a webinar to discuss strategic planning in 2021 and beyond; this webinar occurred in May 2021 but can now be accessed here.

In This Webinar, You Will Learn:

• How to Leverage Transformational Changes for Success
• Cost-Saving Technology Approaches
• The Importance of Strategic Planning
• Increasing Member Engagement & Growing Non-dues Revenue

For a quick recap of the webinar, you can download the webinar recap pdf here.

During the webinar, we were joined by the following panelists:

Theresa Kane, President of Piper and Company
Margaret Carter, Executive Director of the Ontario Dental Hygienists Association (ODHA)
Edward Byers, Director of Membership & Business Development at the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE)
Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste, Vice President of Professional Services at Vocalmeet

As you can see, we were joined by quite the panel of esteemed association leaders and experts! Read on to find out more about them:

Meet Our Esteemed Panel of Association Leaders and Experts

• LinkedIn
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• E-mail

Theresa Kane

Piper and Company, President

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Theresa Kane brings a business background and a thorough understanding of not-for-profit structures and processes to Piper and Company’s consulting work.

Theresa Kane conducts organizational reviews, creates and evaluates strategic plans, facilitates workshops, carries out qualitative research and incorporates the results of that research in new organizational goals.

Theresa is a graduate of the University of Guelph in Consumer Behaviour and the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, where she earned her MBA. Both York University and Ryerson University have invited her to join their faculties to teach undergraduate courses. Her teaching specialities include marketing and strategic planning.

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• E-mail

Margaret Carter

Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association (ODHA), Executive Director

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As Executive Director, Margaret Carter has led the Ontario Dental Hygienists’ Association for more than 18 years. She has overseen transformational changes that have positioned the Association to meet members’ needs.

As a part of ODHA’s mandate, Margaret leads the Association’s advocacy for legislative changes to the dental hygiene profession. Under her leadership, ODHA’s work has led to new regulations that advance dental hygienists’ interests and needs in Ontario.

Margaret has also accelerated the digital transformation of the ODHA. As Executive Director, she has championed numerous digital initiatives that have streamlined ODHA’s member experience and significantly reduced administrative work for her staff.

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• E-mail

Edward Byers

The Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE), Director of Membership & Business Development

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A strategic thinker, motivator, and change agent, Ed has 15 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector. Ed has worked for organizations such as Vancouver 2010, London 2012, Special Olympics, The Real Property Association of Canada (REALPAC) and CSAE.

He has delivered over 5M of new non-dues revenue to associations through items like corporate partnership, affinity programs, and the creation of new education and events. Ed has volunteered with organizations like MPI and PCMA, and he currently sits on the board of Wheelchair Basketball Canada.

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• Facebook
• Google+
• E-mail

Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste

Vocalmeet,Vice President of Professional Services

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Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste is the Vice President of Professional Services at Vocalmeet. She has over 12 years of senior leadership experience helping organizations implement e-learning courses and technology platforms.

Dr. Jno Baptiste has spearheaded the development of hundreds of technology platforms and continues to guide organizations as they navigate the digital age. She has vast knowledge of the Continuing Education sector coupled with extensive experience working with associations to build and launch online Continuing Education (CE) platforms.

In addition, she is a leading consultant on Agile project management and uses Agile practices to successfully deliver technology projects on time and on budget. She is a university lecturer, sought-after speaker, accomplished writer, and a skilled consultant on digital technologies and Agile practices.

Dr. Jno Baptiste has won awards for innovation and technology and serves as an advisor to various post-secondary programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, an MA, and a Doctorate in Education.

Click here to visit the recap document–you’ll be glad you did!

The post The 4 Strategic Plans Your Association Needs to Survive and Thrive in 2021 and Beyond – Webinar appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

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