When it comes to member-based organizations, a strong onboarding process sets the foundation for long-term engagement and retention. However, many organizations face challenges in their orientation processes, including suboptimal structures, inconsistent communication, and impersonal procedures.

Thankfully, there’s an easy (and effective!) way to provide engaging introductory journeys for new members: the creation of your own onboarding plan. Without further ado, let’s explore the five simple steps to designing an orientation experience that’s right for your organization!

Step 1: Outline a 30-60-90-Day Onboarding Plan

A 30-60-90-day plan offers a phased approach that helps pique members’ interest and keep them coming back for more. This sets proper expectations for new members and consistently provides them with something to look forward to. By gradually introducing your organization’s benefits and opportunities over time, you create a natural progression that builds excitement and commitment.

Here’s how best to structure your organization’s onboarding process:

Day 1-30: Welcome and Orientation

• Send a personalized welcome email that includes a message from leadership and a clear roadmap of the onboarding process.
• Provide a welcome packet that includes essential resources (including helpful items like benefit overviews, event calendars, and contact information).
• Invite new members to an orientation webinar where they can learn about your association and ask questions.
  • To avoid continuously running orientation webinars, schedule them at set times throughout the year (e.g. every three months); make sure to include these dates in your welcome package!

Days 31-60: Promoting Participation

• Send out invitations to join special interest groups, committees, or mentorship programs. This advertises additional benefits (like networking!) and offers value.
• Provide educational resources (such as exclusive articles, case studies, or videos) to deepen engagement; remember, content creation doesn’t have to be difficult!
• Host opportunities for collaboration through discussion forums or social media groups.

Days 61-90: Fostering Long-Term Commitment

• Highlight member success stories to build inspiration–and showcase industry role models!
• Send out surveys to evaluate the onboarding experience and gather insights for future improvements.
• Provide periodic updates to mark a clear path for further involvement–leadership opportunities, volunteering roles, and advanced learning programs are all great ways to keep members interested in what you offer.

Step 2: Leverage Multiple Communication Channels

Different members connect in different ways, so meeting them where they’re most comfortable makes all the difference! A multi-channel approach ensures no one falls through the cracks while also creating multiple touchpoints, reinforcing your organization’s continued (and future) success.

Social Media & Community Groups

• Create exclusive LinkedIn or Facebook groups for new members to foster connections; be sure to post regularly to keep up the engagement!
• Assign community ambassadors or veteran members to engage with newcomers and answer questions–sometimes it’s easier to ask a fellow peer than it is to approach the organization itself.
• Encourage members to introduce themselves and share their goals within the group. The more members can network amongst themselves, the more bonds are formed, the more value your organization offers.

Webinars & Live Sessions

• Host live Q&A sessions to address common concerns and provide real-time support. Be sure to schedule these regularly and in advance so that they can be included in your event calendar. The purpose is to have members attend, after all, so you want to ensure everyone is well aware before the registration cutoff!
• Feature guest speakers or senior members to discuss the value of active participation. These talks can be combined with “Speaker of the Month” or industry veteran “Ask Me Anything” sessions–which can then be repurposed into future educational content.
• Record sessions and provide on-demand access for those who are unable to attend the original live session; these on-demand offerings could be included as a member benefit or used to generate non-dues revenue through sales. You could even combine these options–allow anyone to buy access to your recordings, but provide members a hefty discount. Everybody wins!

Step 3: Foster a Sense of Belonging

True engagement happens when members feel that they’ve found a place within your community. Creating meaningful connections from day one transforms newcomers from passive observers to active participants who genuinely want to contribute!

Interactive Welcome Events

• Organize virtual meet-and-greet sessions where new members can introduce themselves and connect with one another. Keep things light and welcoming–think of it as a “coffee chat” rather than a formal meeting.
• Conduct speed networking activities to facilitate quick connections. Even just 5 minutes can spark lasting conversations!
• Use icebreaker activities that align with your organization’s mission and values; this helps your members feel connected to each other and to the community.

Create a Check-In Strategy

• Send periodic emails to members with information on upcoming programs and explain how to register. Be sure to add friendly tips (like “Don’t miss our quarterly get-togethers–they’re great for making new connections!”) to make it feel more personal.
• Review new member activity (such as engagement scores) within your organization every couple of months to identify re-engagement opportunities. If someone hasn’t joined any events yet, reach out with a tailored invitation: this shows you’re paying attention–and, more importantly, that you care.

Add a Personal Touch

• Send handwritten or digital welcome notes from organization leaders. Individualized interactions go a long way in making people feel valued from the very beginning.
• Feature new members in newsletters or social media shoutouts to help them feel recognized in the community while also celebrating their arrival.

Step 4: Encourage Two-Way Engagement

The most successful onboarding experiences recognize that new members bring valuable perspectives alongside their fresh enthusiasm. Rather than simply delivering information, create opportunities that benefit both sides.

Gathering Early Feedback

• Use quick surveys or polls to assess member expectations and preferences. Keep them short and engaging, as members are more likely to respond when it takes less than a minute to do so.
• Ask open-ended questions in welcome emails to encourage direct responses.
  • For example, you could ask questions like, “What are you most excited to explore?” to push for a more genuine conversation.
    • Be sure to offer them an outlet to share their answers, too; a designated staff email or social media account can provide just the solution.
• Monitor engagement levels through analytics like email open rates, event attendance, and engagement scores. Data is the most accurate fortune-teller of all!

Make it Interactive

• Encourage new members to participate in forum and social media discussions by posing questions or sharing their experiences. For instance, you could ask, “What’s the best career tip you’ve received so far?”
• Offer incentives for engagement, such as small prizes (like coupon codes, raffle entries, or even physical merchandise) for completing onboarding milestones. Gamifying the process keeps things fun and motivating!
• Implement a buddy system where existing members are paired with newcomers. Designated peer-to-peer connections can help your members feel more at ease.

Step 5: Monitor & Adapt the Process

Even the best-designed processes need regular fine-tuning to remain effective; what works for one generation of members may require adjustments for the next. Thankfully, being responsive to change can ensure that your onboarding process continues to deliver results, regardless of how your audience evolves.

Track Key Metrics

• Engagement rates: Pay attention to the number of members attending events, opening/clicking emails, and participating in discussions; this will show you how popular your offerings are over time.
  • Robust Association Management Systems can also provide you with engagement scores–actual point values assigned to members based on their engagement with your platform.
• Retention rates: One of the easiest ways to judge the efficacy of your onboarding process is by tracking the percentage of members who renew their membership after the first year. The higher the retention, the better your organization is at catching the attention of new members.
• Survey feedback: Surveys, polls, and other direct forms of feedback collection will provide clear insight into what worked well and what needs improvement. You’ll be hearing it straight from the source!
• Drop-off points: On the other side of the retention coin, it’s crucial to identify when members have disengaged so that you can swiftly address any potential pain points.

Iterate, Iterate, Iterate!

Improvement is a constant state, and even a small step forward is still a step.

• Regularly review onboarding reports to identify trends and areas for further improvement. Make this part of your quarterly routine to stay ahead of the curve!
• Experiment with different approaches by promoting more interaction through gamification tools. Try points, badges, or challenges that reward progress.
• Keep onboarding content fresh through a steady stream of member success stories and other resources. This demonstrates that your community is continually evolving and offering new, exciting things.

Conclusion

Creating an exceptional onboarding experience isn’t just about checking boxes–it’s about transforming how new members connect with your organization from the very first interaction. When newcomers feel welcomed and supported right away, they’re more likely to become active participants instead of passive observers.

While tailoring messages to individual member activity may require more effort (though less than you would think if your organization takes advantage of automation!), it demonstrates that you value them, while also making your services feel directly relevant. You’re building a personalized roadmap: the more you guide them toward opportunities that match their interests, the more they’ll invest in your community.

Take a moment to evaluate your current onboarding strategy and ask yourself: What steps can your organization take today to enhance the experience for new members? 

Start small, gather feedback, and refine your approach for lasting success!

References

Fischer, K. (2025). Tetherform. Tetherform. https://tetherform.com/blog/designing-an-effective-new-member-onboarding-process-90-day-guide?

Julianne Fitzpatrick. (2024). Top 10 Tips for Effective Member Onboarding from Association Experts. ASAE. https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2024/02-february/top-10-tips-for-effective-member-onboarding-from-association-experts

Kerri L. McGovern, MPP, CAE and Meagan Roloff, CAE. (2025). Start Strong: Five Onboarding Strategies to Set Your New Members Up for Success. ASAE. https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2025/06-june/start-strong-five-onboarding-strategies-to-set-your-new-members-up-for-success?

The post Onboarding New Members in 5 Simple Steps appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Then comes the tricky point–the challenge faced by many associations:  limited time and resources. What is an organization to do?

That’s where today’s article comes in! You see, producing quality content doesn’t have to be time-consuming and cost-prohibitive. With a few well-placed strategies, your association can create valuable content efficiently on a budget. Let’s look at how!

1. Leverage Member-Generated Content

Your members are a goldmine of insights and expertise. Instead of creating your content straight from scratch, tap into their knowledge and experiences. Here’s how:

• Encourage members to share case studies, success stories, and testimonials.
• Collect content through member forums, surveys, or brief interviews.
• Feature member contributions in newsletters, blogs, or social media posts.
• Establish a structured process where members can submit articles or ideas easily.
• Create a “Member Spotlight” series, showcasing members’ professional journeys and achievements.

By showcasing member voices, you not only generate content quickly and easily, but you also boost your association’s engagement and community involvement–creating a sense of belonging and loyalty within the association and leading to better retention rates and word-of-mouth recommendations overall!

2. Repurpose and Refresh Existing Content

Great content doesn’t always have to be new content. Repurposing existing materials can save time while keeping your current content fresh and relevant:

• Transform past blog articles into infographics, short videos, or social media snippets.
• Update your “evergreen” content with new data, trends, and examples.
• Create summary posts or highlights from previous webinars and events.
• Convert whitepapers and reports into engaging, easy-to-digest listicles or explainer videos.
• Bundle several related blog posts into a downloadable eBook or guide.

Repackaging content in different formats ensures maximum reach and impact with minimal effort. Furthermore, it allows associations to reach different audience preferences—some members may prefer reading in-depth reports, while others may engage more with bite-sized social media posts or visual content.

3. Use AI and Automation Tools

Technology can significantly speed up content creation. Consider the following:

• AI-powered writing assistants (like ChatGPT) can help you generate drafts and refine ideas.
• Automated scheduling tools can help you plan out (like Hootsuite) and distribute content efficiently.
• Graphic design and video editing platforms (such as Canva) can help you develop quick, professional visuals.
• AI transcription tools (such as Trint, Otter.ai, or Fireflies.ai) can quickly turn recorded meetings and interviews into text-based content.
• Chatbots and AI-driven customer support (like SAAS 1st) can provide content recommendations to members.

With the right tools, your team can streamline its workflows and place its focus on strategic content planning!

4. Implement a Content Calendar and Develop a Workflow

A structured content plan ensures consistency and prevents last-minute scrambles. Here’s how to set up an efficient workflow:

• Plan content around key association events, milestones, and initiatives.
• Assign content tasks to staff, volunteers, and/or committees.
• Use content templates for articles, newsletters, and social media posts to speed up production.
• Schedule periodic brainstorming sessions to generate fresh content ideas.
• Create a repository of approved topics and drafts that can be easily accessed by content creators.
• Set up an editorial review process to ensure content maintains quality and consistency.

Having a clear content calendar keeps your team organized and aligned with your association’s goals. Consistency in content production builds trust with your audience and ensures that your members receive regular updates and valuable information.

5. Optimize Content for Maximum Reach

Creating content is just the first step—getting it seen is equally important. Optimize your content with these strategies:

• Use SEO best practices to improve discoverability online.
• Share short-form content for quick engagement, such as LinkedIn posts or email snippets.
• Cross-post content across different platforms to maximize reach without the extra effort.
• Create engaging calls to action (CTAs) to encourage interaction and sharing.
• Optimize your email marketing to deliver personalized content directly to members.
• Analyze content performance using analytics tools (such as Hubspot or Google Analytics) and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Strategic distribution ensures that your content makes an impact without requiring additional work. By understanding where your members spend their time online, you can tailor content distribution for higher engagement and better results.

6. Engage Members with Interactive Content

Interactive content can significantly increase member engagement while also being relatively easy to create. Consider these options:

• Polls and quizzes related to industry trends
• Live Q&A sessions with industry experts
• User-generated content challenges with incentives for participation
• Webinars and online workshops with interactive elements like breakout rooms
• Gamified learning experiences that provide certificates or badges for completion

Interactive content not only captures attention but also fosters a sense of community by encouraging members to actively participate rather than passively consume information.

7. Develop Partnerships for Content Collaboration

Collaborating with other organizations, industry influencers, or even sponsors can help produce high-quality content faster. Here’s how:

• Invite guest bloggers or speakers from the industry to share insights on your platform.
• Co-host webinars or podcasts with industry leaders.
• Partner with educational institutions to offer exclusive research or studies.
• Work with sponsors to create valuable, non-promotional content that benefits members.

Content collaborations allow associations to expand their reach, enhance credibility, and provide fresh perspectives—all while reducing the burden of content creation on internal teams!

8. Track Performance and Adjust Strategies

Producing content efficiently is only half the battle; measuring its impact is equally crucial. Track your content’s performance by…

• Monitoring website traffic, engagement metrics, and conversion rates.
• Analyzing which content formats perform best and replicate their success.
• Collecting member feedback through surveys or direct interactions.
• Employing A/B testing for different headlines, email subjects, or social media captions.

By consistently evaluating content performance, your association can fine-tune its approach to ensure that your efforts lead to tangible outcomes–like increased member retention and engagement!

Conclusion

Producing high-quality content doesn’t have to be overwhelming for associations; by  repurposing content, leveraging member contributions, implementing automation tools, and optimizing your distribution, valuable content becomes fast and easy to create.

Take action today: Start with small steps—refresh an old blog, ask a member for their story, or schedule social media posts in advance. You’ll be happy you did!

References:

10 Steps for Creating an Effective Content Strategy. (2018). ASAE. https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2018/april/10-steps-for-creating-an-effective-content-strategy

avae@ewald.com. (2019, July 6). 5 Must-Do Content Marketing Strategies for Associations Creating Awareness, Driving Value Proposition. Ewald Consulting. https://www.ewald.com/2019/07/06/5-must-do-content-marketing-strategies-for-associations-creating-awareness-driving-value-proposition/

The post Create Quality Content Quickly: a Guide for Busy Associations appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Whether you’re managing a union, an association, or another member-based organization, memberships are the backbone of your success. An engaged community doesn’t just make your organization stronger—it keeps the cash flowing and sets you up for long-term wins.

Let’s be honest—people are constantly swamped with content. So, how can you stand out, grab the attention of potential members, and convince them to sign up? The secret to success is creating a strong value proposition, streamlining the sign-up process, and continuously offering experiences that truly resonate with potential members.

When your audience sees the real advantages of joining—whether that means access to exclusive content, valuable networking opportunities, or special member perks—they’ll be far more inclined to take that next step and get involved.

It’s not just about getting people to sign up, though; it’s about creating an experience they want to stay for. So, without further ado, let’s look at some techniques to boost your membership and take your sales to the next level!

Developing a Marketing Plan

Before diving in and testing different approaches, it’s important to have a clear strategy. Here’s how to set yourself up for success:

• Set clear objectives: What’s the goal? More sign-ups? Higher engagement? A better retention rate? Get specific so you can measure your success.
• Identify your target audience: Who are your ideal members? Are they professionals looking for networking opportunities, newbies passionate about advancing in their field, or industry practitioners looking for accreditation? Know your crowd.
• Select the right marketing channels: Facebook, LinkedIn, email newsletters—each of these has its own “vibe”, so make sure to use the tools that your audience will actually engage with.

Strategies to Boost Membership Sales

Now for the fun part: making your membership sales soar!

1. Simplify the Enrollment Process

If your sign-up process is too complicated, potential members may give up before they even complete it. Instead, make it as easy as putting together a sandwich—simple, fast, and intuitive. A streamlined, user-friendly process reduces friction and increases conversions. Consider:

• One-click sign-ups
• Clear pricing (no hidden fees)
• Mobile responsivity (because nobody wants to struggle with a tiny screen!)

2. Offer Incentives and Limited-Time Deals

People are always drawn to a great deal. Build anticipation and drive action by creating a sense of urgency and excitement with:

• Early-bird discounts
• BOGO (Buy One, Get One) memberships for referrals
• Exclusive launch offers for first-time members (such as discounted/free courses)

3. Utilize Social Media & Online Platforms

If you’re not using social media to promote your memberships (and all they offer!), you’re leaving money on the table. Social media is a powerful tool for reaching potential members, engaging your current audience, and showcasing the value of your organization. Use platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to:

• Post engaging content (such as behind-the-scenes videos, testimonials, and sneak peeks of new courses).
• Go live! Q&A sessions and virtual events can build hype. Run paid ads targeting your ideal members–after all, members can only join your association if they know you’re out there!

4. Offer Valuable & Exclusive Content

People don’t just want to join a group; they want to feel like they’re in a community of their peers. Building a strong sense of belonging is key to attracting and retaining members. Make them feel like VIPs by offering:

• Members-only webinars, courses, and/or networking events
• Special discounts, freebies, and/or priority access to new features
• Industry insider information they can’t get anywhere else

5. Partner with Complementary Organizations

Teamwork makes the dream work! Collaborate with businesses or groups that share your audience but aren’t direct competitors. Strategic partnerships can enhance your offerings, attract new members, and strengthen your association’s credibility. For example:

• A professional association could collaborate with soft skills career coaches.
• A teachers’ association could work with educational publishers.
• A medical association could partner with healthcare product providers.

6. Host Conferences and Exhibits

Sometimes, nothing beats face-to-face interaction when it comes to building relationships and growing your membership. Hosting industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events gives you direct access to potential members who are already engaged in your field. You can:

• Set up an eye-catching welcome booth with engaging visuals, informative materials, and interactive elements to draw attendees in.
• Offer live sessions, exclusive giveaways, or limited-time membership discounts to encourage sign-ups on the spot.

7. Leverage Social Proof & Testimonials

People trust real experiences more than advertisements. Highlight your satisfied members and let their stories showcase the value of your association:

• Share video testimonials
• Post screenshots of positive feedback
• Display success stories and case studies on your website

You may also like: Expanding Your Reach: How to Market Your Association’s Continuing Education

Monitor & Evaluate Strategies

What’s working? What’s not? Here’s how to ensure your strategy is helping (not hurting):

• Track KPIs: Monitor conversion rates, engagement levels, and retention rates.
• Gather feedback: Ask new members what convinced them to join (and what could be better).
• Refine based on data: If a strategy isn’t delivering, tweak it until it does!

Conclusion

Selling memberships doesn’t have to be a struggle. With the right mix of strategic marketing, compelling incentives, and meaningful engagement, you can turn potential members into enthusiastic advocates. The key is to make the process simple, exciting, and packed with value—because when people clearly see the benefits, they’ll be eager to join.

Now, go out there with confidence and boost your association’s membership!

References

Content Marketing Institute. (2023). CMI: Content Marketing Strategy, Research, “How-To” Advice. Content Marketing Institute. https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/

Marketing General Incorporated. (2025). The Membership Lifecycle. Marketinggeneral.com; Marketing General Incorporated. https://www.marketinggeneral.com/solutions/the-membership-lifecycle

MCIM, H. M. (2023, June 13). Elevating Club Membership Sales with Demand Generation Strategies. Linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/elevating-club-membership-sales-demand-generation-mcguckin-mcim/

The post Selling Memberships Like a Pro: Fun & Effective Strategies to Boost Your Numbers appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Now, you may have tried different methods of collection already—conducting numerous surveys, sending out emails requesting input, and sitting in on countless member interviews… If this sounds familiar, you might be feeling the need to level up your feedback-collection game– and that means you’re in the right place!

In this guide, we’ll explore practical strategies and give you helpful tips for refining your feedback collection process. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

1. Target and Tailor

Generic feedback forms do not encourage insights that are specific and actionable. To gather more meaningful insights, try implementing the following:

i. Segment Your Members

A good tip for creating targeted feedback campaigns is to start by grouping your members by category.

These groups could be based on various demographics like:

• Behavior on the platform (what pages they visit most, what courses they’re most interested in)
• Membership tenure (new, regular, veteran)
• Membership type (student, regular, retired, non-member)

By segmenting members, you can craft questions that align with their unique experiences and needs.

• For example, for a group of new members, you could ask, “What have you found challenging so far?”
• For more tenured members, the question could be, “What has been the most valuable benefit of your membership?”

Questions like these are relatable and, therefore, can lead to more personal and valuable information that you can use to improve relevant aspects of your association.

ii. Target Specifics

Long surveys can be overwhelming–not just for your members, but for most people! Have you ever had to answer a customer survey that just kept going on and on and on? You lose motivation pretty quickly, right?

Lost motivation can leave you with feedback that is vague and limited. So, rather than lengthy questionnaires that cover everything, concentrate your questions on specific aspects of your organization, such as member benefits, professional development, or event participation.

Focusing on a specific area will also let you cover topics in greater detail. You can match your surveys to ongoing initiatives at your organization–after all, what better time to ask about event preferences than when you’re planning an event?

Remember: you don’t have to fit everything into a single survey. It’s easier to complete multiple short, simple surveys than one long behemoth of a questionnaire!

2. It’s All About Technology

Technology nowadays has become so advanced that there are tools and apps for streamlining just about every process. Feedback collection is no outlier, so let’s look at a few ways to make the most of today’s tech:

i. Use Survey Platforms

SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms are just a few examples of the platforms you can use to design professional surveys.

Don’t forget to explore your chosen platform’s capabilities so you can use them to their fullest potential; some allow you to automate distribution by sending your surveys directly to member emails or to collate and organize feedback into a spreadsheet with one click of a button–a game changer in survey analytics!

ii. Take Advantage of Your LMS

If your association uses a learning management system (LMS), make sure to leverage its built-in feedback collection tools. Detailed analytics and reports are vital for providing member insights: by examining your existing library of continuing education and events hosted on the platform and how your members interact with it, an LMS can track their behavior and patterns.

How does this work? Well, if you see that the majority of members who take Course X stop taking the course halfway through, it means there’s a problem somewhere in the course. You can then investigate further to pinpoint and rectify the issue. (Targeted surveys, perhaps?)

iii. Harness Data Analytics

Now that you have the data, it’s time to analyze! You can investigate the data you have collected for patterns, trends, and areas of improvement.

Advanced analytics tools are also available to help you do this more efficiently. Microsoft Power BI, Google Analytics, and Looker Studio are just a few of the options you can explore. They even allow you to create graphs to display your data in an easily understandable format–perfect for presenting in meetings and for updates!

3. Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize!

After you’ve gathered and analyzed all of your feedback, you’ll probably realize that not everything you’ve discovered requires immediate action. You want to give solid solutions to important issues in a timely manner, and that means knowing how to prioritize. So, when thinking about the priority of an item, make sure you look at…

i. The Severity

Identify critical issues and focus on them first. Critical issues often impact member satisfaction and/or retention.

For example, when it comes to membership fees, you may get feedback like, “We don’t get enough benefits to justify the cost”, “I want flexible payment options”, or “You should give discounts for long-term members.” 

You’ll want to put this feedback at the top of your list of action items because these factors may directly affect whether members choose to stay or leave. If you address these issues immediately, it can help improve your retention rates (and member satisfaction!).

ii. The Frequency

You can tell that an issue requires immediate attention when multiple members mention the same thing. Look out for these recurring concerns, because they’re clear indicators of significant pain points for your members–and that means they must be addressed!

iii. The Feasibility

Analyze and weigh the resources required to address each issue. Ask yourself, “Is it practical to do this?” 

When investigating feasibility, you can also identify “quick win” concerns, which require few resources and little effort to resolve–the types of things you can almost immediately check off the list!

Next, distinguish concerns that involve more long-term improvement projects and more extensive planning. These will take more resources and effort, so you want to put thought into them. The better you prioritize and plan, the better your return on investment will be!

4. Turn Feedback Into Actionable Insights

Gathering feedback is just the first step; the true value of feedback is realized when it is acted upon, resulting in effective solutions. Here’s how to make that happen:

i. Create an Action Plan

Start by breaking down your solution into specific and manageable steps. For example, if the issue is “high membership fees”, actionable steps might include:

• Analyzing competitors’ pricing
• Studying accepted rates for members
• Identifying cost-effective benefits to offer

Be sure to set reasonable timelines to ensure timely progress. Then, as you move ahead with your plan, periodically review it to identify new or upcoming roadblocks so that you can change strategies as needed.

ii. Engage Key Stakeholders

Implementing solutions doesn’t have to be handled by a single person (or even a single team!). Ultimately, you will likely require assistance from peers who are better suited to the task–usually experts in the field.

Because of this, when implementing feedback, be sure to identify the right team members to help you; then, you can assign them responsibilities to aid you in achieving your goals.

Project management tools like Clickup, Hubspot, and Monday.com are available to explore so that you can keep everyone aligned with your progress!

5. Show Members That You Value Their Assistance

Don’t forget to express your appreciation towards members who gave input; after all, they spent valuable time helping you out! Recognizing member contributions shows that you value their aid–and their opinions. Here’s how you can show your appreciation:

i. Keep Them Updated

Communicate progress to your members. Be transparent about what actions have been taken to achieve which goals, and make them aware of any limitations that have prevented progress. This will help members understand when little or no progress is made on specific goals, while still assuring them that the challenges are being dealt with. By continuing to make members “part of” improvement projects, you prove to them that you’re continuing to take their concerns seriously.

To keep members up to date with your efforts, you can make use of things like newsletters, social media, or community forums. You want to especially highlight improvements and celebrate successes–they’re the cumulation of your work together!

ii. Express Gratitude

Ensure that you take the time to make your members feel valued and appreciated. Let them know that their feedback is important for your association’s growth and development. In some cases, you may want to offer a little something extra, like entry into a draw to win a prize or coupon codes for events or courses!

You may also like: How to Win Members and Influence Renewals

Conclusion

Gathering feedback goes beyond simply asking questions; it involves actively listening, understanding what they tell you, and taking the appropriate actions to address their concerns. By asking the right questions, putting your technology to work, focusing on meaningful improvements, and showing that you value their feedback, you can build a stronger and more engaged community.

Start implementing these strategies today to help boost your association’s member satisfaction and loyalty!

References

Collecting Customer Feedback: Methods and Best Practices | Miro. (n.d.). Https://Miro.com/. https://miro.com/research-and-design/collecting-customer-feedback-methods/

get_ready_bell:client_pulse – Success Story Magazine. (2024, May 31). Success Story Magazine. https://ssmags.com/2024/05/31/get_ready_bellclient_pulse/

Naser, M. (2024, July 29). The Importance of Customer FeedbackTurn Survey Data into Actionable Insights with Dashboards and Sentiment Analysis. SmartSurvey. https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/blog/importance-of-customer-feedback

Sehwail, M. (2023, September 5). How Customer Feedback Loops Drive Your Website Success. FullSession. https://www.fullsession.io/blog/customer-feedback-loops/

The post Level Up Your Member Feedback Collection and Implementation Strategy appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

So today, in order to help you improve your member feedback collection, we’ll be covering why member feedback is important, the types of feedback, and methods for gathering it. If you’re looking to improve retention, increase membership, or enhance your strategy for gathering insight, understanding and acting on feedback is the key to your association’s long-term growth!

Why is Member Feedback Important?

Before we get into the how of collecting feedback, let’s go through the why: why do you want to ensure you have a good system for eliciting feedback? Well…

Retention

For one, collecting member feedback gives members the impression that you strive for continuous improvement. It gives them confidence that there are solutions to their challenges, which can increase member satisfaction and boost their trust in your association. Moreover, when your association uses member feedback to prioritize delivering quality service and direct improvement strategies, it can help strengthen member commitment and loyalty.

Growth

Recommendations and referrals from colleagues and professional networks play a significant role in attracting new members; after all, these endorsements are influential because they come from personal experience and trust!

When your association collects feedback and addresses concerns effectively, you open the door for satisfied members to share their experiences and attract new members by word of mouth. This means that by maintaining open lines of communication and keeping a good reputation, you can turn existing members into vocal advocates of your association. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of marketing, after all!

Validation

When members feel that their opinions not only matter, but also directly influence their association’s direction, they feel a stronger attachment to their organization. Seeing an association make an effort to deliver better experiences and resolve issues quickly sends a strong message: that members are important and that they are heard!

Types of Feedback

Direct Feedback

Direct feedback is when members contact you directly to share their experiences or concerns. This is a particularly valuable form of feedback because it will contain specific details about their personal experience. Direct feedback can be made through emails, phone calls, or even face-to-face interactions.

Indirect Feedback

Indirect feedback is when members share their thoughts through platforms or channels that are not communicated directly to you. For example, social media (not including posts that tag your association or direct messages to your association’s account!), online forums, or word-of-mouth conversations can all be considered forms of indirect feedback.

Inferred Feedback

Inferred feedback is an implied form of feedback. It involves analyzing member behaviours, patterns, and trends to make data-driven decisions. Some examples of areas that can provide valuable information for inferred feedback include tracking your organization’s most-used features, your membership retention rates, and your usage statistics.

Methods for Collecting Member Feedback

1.  Feedback Surveys

A survey is an organized approach to collecting feedback. A survey typically consists of several questions with either multiple choice or write-in answers. If you’re looking for opinions on a recent event or offering, you may also consider using the Likert Scale.

Surveys can be emailed, integrated into a website, or distributed through social media or post-membership follow-ups. For example, many social media channels have a “poll” option; this can be used to gather member thoughts on certain decisions your organization may be considering (e.g. “Should our next event be in-person, virtual, or hybrid?”).

2. Feedback Boxes

Feedback boxes are typically placed on a website, often as a popup or a question with a box to fill in quickly.

These boxes may ask general comments or suggestions, or else ask questions that align with a member’s recent experience, such as “How can we improve this page?” or “Was this information helpful?”

3. Interviews

Interviews involve one-on-one conversations between your association and its members. You can ask members about their experiences in detail, including their thoughts, feelings, and motivations. You can use interviews to explore member insights and clarify their opinions by asking them open-ended questions.

Focus groups are a lot like a group interviews, as the opinions of many members can be gathered simultaneously in a collaborative setting. Focus groups should contain a spread of all member types, which can include factors like “new to your organization”, “veteran member”, “student member”, and more. Make sure to adjust your focus group members based on what you’re looking to gather data on. For instance, if you’re looking into collecting thoughts on a future mentorship program, ensure you invite both potential mentors and mentees to share.

When interviewing or conducting focus groups, you want to tailor your questions to gather as much (and as relevant!) data as possible. Then, when you’re finished, you may consider offering participants a thank you gift in the form of a discount.

4. Suggestion Boards

Suggestion boards (sometimes called idea boards or forums) allow members to propose ideas, share suggestions, or vote on the ideas of others. These boards are typically digital (such as a section on your website) and provide members with a platform to suggest new events, benefits, or improvements. Members can also see which suggestions are most popular currently and provide additional input.

5. Transactional Emails

Transactional emails are automated emails that are sent to members as a form of confirmation after a specific transaction, such as course purchases, event registration, or help ticket submissions. You can include a request for feedback at the end of these emails, such as a survey link or a prompt asking how the experience went.

Have you ever gotten a receipt from a store directing you to fill out a questionnaire at the link provided? This is just the email equivalent of that! And, similar to many stores, you can even offer discount codes to those who complete your form.

6. Social Media Listening

Social media listening involves monitoring and analyzing public conversations about your association on social media platforms like X (formerly called Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Using social media monitoring tools (for instance, Hootsuite), you can track mentions, hashtags, and general sentiments around your association. This will uncover honest, genuine member insights and let you understand how they truly feel!

7. Live Chat

Live chats allow members to interact with an association representative in real time. This representative may be an association staff member or even a chatbot–the main thing is that this feature offers immediate support to those who seek it. Not only that–it’s an excellent way to collect live feedback on a member’s needs and satisfaction during and/or after an interaction!

Conclusion

For associations, member feedback should be considered a treasure. Not only can it be wielded to retain (and attract!) members–it also functions as an important ingredient in the continuous improvement of your association.

By leveraging different methods like surveys, live chat, social media listening, and suggestion boards, you can better understand your members’ needs and then offer tailored solutions to meet them.

Build a bond of loyalty between you and the members by continuously improving their experience. Make feedback collection an essential part of your process: create stronger connections with your members and ensure steady growth for the future!

References

9 Best Practices for Collecting Customer Feedback | Descartes. (2024). Descartes.com. https://www.descartes.com/resources/knowledge-center/9-best-practices-collecting-customer-feedback

Collecting Customer Feedback: Methods and Best Practices | Miro. (n.d.). Https://Miro.com/. https://miro.com/research-and-design/collecting-customer-feedback-methods/

How To Gather Customer Feedback (And Tips To Improve It). (2024). Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/customer-feedback

Tousley, S. (2019). Customer Feedback Strategy: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need. Hubspot.com. https://www.hubspot.com/customer-feedback

The post 7 Feedback Collection Strategies to Drive Association Success appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Unfortunately, not all mentorships are the same; while their success often depends on the mentors and the mentees involved, associations can greatly improve the chances of things going well by laying the proper groundwork.

By taking the time to properly plan and dedicate the appropriate resources to build a mentorship program, associations can make a substantial addition to the value of their memberships, thereby allowing members to reap the benefits.

Read on to find out how a solid mentorship program can help make the difference between a good year and a great year for your association–and your members!

1. Start Members Off Right

Much like a solid onboarding process, a strong mentorship can be incredibly useful for members at the start of their membership.

A mentorship is helpful for new members looking to get their feet wet in an association, easing them in while also giving them the confidence to participate. Mentors can encourage their mentees, cheering their efforts on and providing them with moral support. This type of program also demonstrates an association’s commitment to bettering and investing in its members.

As with every relationship, associations get only one chance to make a first impression. When a mentorship is used during this integral early period, it can pave the way for a successful, lasting, and loyal connection.

When building these programs, consider what other components new members might benefit from, and work to turn the mentorship into a complete association introduction. While early mentorships often prove to be the most effective, associations should vary the program in order to offer moderately and semi-experienced professionals something as well. There should be a little something for everyone!

2. Think Purpose and Promotion

Purpose and promotion are both important considerations when designing a mentorship program and its benefits. In the design process, associations need to think about how the program aligns with their overall mission, goals, and strategy. When made in conjunction with these, the mentorship will not only help the association accomplish its targets, but it will also enlist new mentors and mentees in the pursuit of them.

In regards to promotion, during the program design process, associations should highlight the areas that mean the most for new members, such as connecting with association ambassadors, highlighting past program successes, and helping professionals progress throughout their careers.

Ensure that prospective members are aware of your mentorship programs, as well as of the type of industry mentors they might engage with.

Overall, mentorships add to membership value and should be promoted accordingly.

3. Build Confidence and Drive Engagement

Mentorships can encourage members to engage in their association in different ways.

For new members–as mentioned above–a strong membership can act as a pleasant introductory process. They can learn the ropes while also becoming comfortable with participating in different events as their guide supports them.

But, did you know? A mentorship can have this same effect even on more experienced members, especially for those who typically have low engagement levels!

To make the mentorship as effective as possible, associations should consider integrating the program with other events and workshops. Attending one of these events with a buddy can help break people out of their shells. With any luck, this can have a ripple effect that leaves members with the engagement bug for future events.

It’s not just mentees who benefit from mentorships either, as mentors are provided with a platform to give back and share their experience. Mentors can gain renewed confidence and drive after experiencing an increased level of authority and esteem–they’re the experts here, after all!

4. Diversify Your Benefits

For associations, providing members with a mentorship program can really expand the value of the membership in different ways.

While the program can add an entirely new component to the membership for both new and experienced members, it may also provide unexpected bonuses. Associations can develop events specifically for mentorship participants, such as events that are run directly by mentors.

Additionally, mentorships offer mentors the chance to practice leadership, management, and training skills–powerful tools for members looking to take the next big step in their career development!

5. Promote Career Development

One of the main reasons that people join associations is for career development assistance.

Aside from the obvious sharing of knowledge and experience, mentorships can really help members advance in their industry and navigate the waters of business. For example, associations can have mentors and mentees take courses and industry certifications together, which can increase engagement and improve results.

Outside of courses, mentors can motivate mentees to persevere through career challenges by sharing their stories of successes and failures, demonstrating that drive and commitment can lead to positive career outcomes.

By encouraging mentees, mentors can also help their charges overcome self-doubt and other workplace challenges. With experience comes know-how–and your mentors will be fonts of professional knowledge!

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

Conclusion

If you want a solid, engaging program like no other, look to starting some good old-fashioned mentorship programs for your association. Members of all levels of experience will be able to bond and connect, benefiting each other and increasing the value of your membership in tandem.

Everybody wins!

Sources

The post Extending a Hand: Hosting a Solid Mentorship Program appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

So, how should associations go about retaining members? 

Well, there are a variety of effective methods, but today we’re going to look at how proper engagement has become one of the more important of these.

Engagement itself means different things to different people. In general, however, it means that members are purchasing more, participating more, and attending more. In almost all cases, engaged members are more loyal and committed to their association. 

Getting members engaged and keeping them that way requires careful planning and consideration; after all, each member is a unique person, and associations must keep their differences (and similarities) to one another in mind. 

In this article, we’ll be exploring some of the ways to engage members more and retain them longer. Let’s get started!

1. Personalized Communication and Feedback

Your communications are incredibly important for engagement. 

In an ideal world, associations would personalize all of their communications for each individual member. Accomplishing this, however, is extremely challenging for most associations–especially the large ones. 

Instead, organizations can break their membership base into subsets to make things easier. Different generations, experience levels, and personalities require different approaches, so dividing members by age, location, and career type allows for more tailored communication and better response rates.

For more specific retention and engagement recognition strategies, associations can group members by their engagement levels. Track how often members open emails or click through on association posts. Consider reaching out to unengaged members and sending offers designed to boost their interest and stimulate participation. Associations can also ask for feedback from members and reach out directly to those who delivered negative or less-than-positive responses.

Cater your communications to members’ individuality, and you’ll likely see a rise in engagement in no time!

2. Unique and Interesting Events

It should go without saying, but modern members require interesting events and offer to stay truly engaged and enthusiastic about their memberships. 

While many are quick to dump the blame for this at the feet of the so-called “unengaged” younger generations, associations should be changing with the times. In order to stay competitive, it’s necessary to bring something new and exciting to the table. 

Try new things with your events. Integrate technology in creative ways, live stream your workshops, and include presentations and presenters who deal with cutting-edge topics. Consider incorporating modern causes and themes (such as environmental friendliness and inclusionary practices) into your sessions. Look around at what your competition is doing–or not doing!–and try to meet some missed or underfed needs. 

3. Quality Continuing Education

Continuing education represents one of the best ways for members to engage with their association. To encourage this further, however, associations can develop a number of engagement-specific strategies. 

One effective addition may be to develop an educational path or series of courses for learners to follow. This can encourage members to continue their educational pursuits while recommending relevant, industry-specific information. This can also help members track and document their successes, further highlighting the value they’ve received from their membership.

Associations can also implement an online forum for members. Learners can use this to discuss class materials, industry news, and other association-related topics. Forums can be a great space for social learning, too, as members can learn from each other and stimulate each other’s interests. 

Over time, an online forum can become a landing page for members, increasing the number of touch points they have with the association and increasing overall engagement.

4. Expanded Networking Opportunities

Giving your members the chance to network with other professionals is an excellent way to break them out of their shells. 

Networking is typically one of the more attractive components of association events for members. By providing a variety of outlets for members to meet and talk with other professionals, engagement levels should increase considerably.

Associations can also experiment with other unique ways of connecting members. For example, by implementing technology (such as the use of live streaming and a “live chat” function on an event app), associations can add to the networking experience. In this case, the benefit would be the ability to network with other members from all over, as the internet doesn’t suffer the same geographical restrictions as in-person-only events. Some apps even allow for games–a perfect draw for member participation!

5. Nurturing New Members

Almost all members are engaged at the very beginning of their membership. They join because they’re interested and looking for something. It’s usually only over time that engagement levels drop. 

If members are not continually involved with their association, they may gradually lose touch. Eventually, this disconnect can lead to leaving the association entirely. For this reason, it’s important to coddle new members without overwhelming them. 

Ensure that members are comfortable and understand what they have available to them. Keep in touch with them on a regular basis, and be sure to field any and all questions and feedback. Know their goals and wishes for their membership and help keep them on course throughout. You can map their journey and follow up with them as they complete things on their list. 

Remember: members who are integrated and involved in the association early on tend to stay engaged throughout their membership!

6. Preemptive Initiatives

No matter what an association does to keep members engaged and active, some members will lose interest and others will disappear entirely. It’s unfortunate but inevitable. 

That being said, this occurrence is sometimes preventable. 

It’s important for associations to identify and catch members who are reaching this point before they actually get there. For the most accurate information, track member responses and engagement levels. If you notice these metrics dipping or declining steadily, it’s time to implement different strategies to recapture their instance. For instance, you can change your communications or offer them specially tailored deals.

A happy member is a retained member!

You may also like: Helpful Tips for an Association Membership Manager

Conclusion

When it comes to your return on investment, retaining members is just as important as acquiring new ones, and proper engagement plays a significant role. Engaged members are more loyal and committed, and it takes careful consideration to keep them that way. 

Keep the six steps above in mind, and you’ll have your members coming back for years to come!

Sources

Jay, Mary Lou. “AWI Improves Its Industry through Member Engagement.” Georgia Society of Association Executives, 2016, www.gsae.org/assets/docs/GSAQ_GSAQ0416.pdf#page=13&zoom=auto,-174,3.

Levin, Mark. Georgia Society of Association Executives. 2016, www.gsae.org/assets/docs/GSAQ_GSAQ0416.pdf#page=19&zoom=auto,-174,763.

The post Boredom is the Enemy: How Proper Engagement Retains Members appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Engagement leads to greater member participation, involvement, loyalty–it can even have a considerable impact on revenue. After all, engaged members convert more easily and renew their memberships more readily.

Getting members to such a high level of engagement, however, takes effort. 

The truth is, there really is no silver bullet solution here. 

For the best results, associations need to use all of the tools at their disposal and provide members with an unmatched experience. You need a solid plan and even better execution. Thankfully, today’s article should help get you and your association started on your way!

1. Take Advantage of Social Media 

For most associations, social media is essential for driving engagement with current and future members. The medium is, after all, a powerful resource for extending an association’s reach, expanding its marketing, and connecting with its audience.

To use social media to its fullest potential, you need to employ the proper strategy and effort. Associations should dedicate time to making meaningful connections with people on social media; try inspiring (and joining!) discussions with your members. Then, you can use what you learn to improve your association’s direction.

You’ll also want to mix up the type of content you post. Posting only self-serving content and advertisements generates negativity, both in terms of reception and ranking on social media feeds. You want to be a source of information for your members, not an ad bot!

You can also post in different formats–like video, which typically receives more than two times the comments that other posts receive! You may also want to try carousel posts and infographics. Experiment, experiment, experiment! 

2. Make Continuing Education a Strength

More members join associations for continuing education than for any other reason. 

Members can upgrade their skills, acquire certifications, and stay industry-compliant thanks to their association’s resources, making memberships very worthwhile investments. To enhance these benefits even further, consider taking your continuing education to the next level!

First, try building career development roadmaps for your members. You can leverage the power of a quality LMS to learn about your users and guide them to their desired outcomes by recommending relevant or requisite training. Additionally, you can identify areas of weakness and offer support. 

To keep on top of your competition, be sure to maintain updated content and be aware of any and all industry trends and changes. With an effective CE system in place, associations can vastly boost their membership value and member loyalty.

3. Interact with Your Members

It may seem obvious, but interaction is a major key for member engagement. 

Interaction needs to come from many different angles if you want to reach all of your members. 

On social media, your association needs to drum up meaningful interactions with members and followers. Start conversations on your pages and join other conversations relevant to your industry. 

Make sure to ask members for feedback; you can use polls and email campaigns to drum up responses. After that? Make sure to use the information you gain to improve your services. This type of response proves to members that their voices are heard and considered–meaning they’ll be more likely to engage in events and operations in the future. 

Commit to providing quality customer service, and your member engagement will soon be on the rise!

4. Personalize Your Communications 

Developing a sense of personalization for members can help an association build better relationships with them, leading to a boost in engagement. 

For smaller associations, the opportunities for personalization are many–it’s one of the advantages of running a smaller organization–but larger associations aren’t without options! 

First, group your members into different segments. These can include factors like:

• Age
• Demographic
• Location
• Career

From here, you can send targeted ads and personalized messages to each group.

You can take this further by building member profiles, using members’ activities and histories to flesh them out. You can then use this information to offer useful and relevant services or products. 

Use the analytics resources your LMS and other technology offer to identify if member activity dwindles or if they stop engaging with emails and promotions in the same manner they once did. If you discover these issues early enough (as well as their underlying reasons), you can head the problem off before it grows unmanageable–or worse, unfixable!

5. Build a Community

While associations can create community through their events and on social media, building an online community on your association’s own platform should be explored. 

A healthy online community will position your association as a hotspot for members. 

You can start by creating an online forum–try hosting one on your LMS! Not only can this serve as a landing spot for members, but it can help transform your system into a social learning platform as well!

Your association can help stimulate discussion by showcasing industry news or starting conversation threads on its forum. You can also create a digital badging system to let members show off their achievements–while advertising your training at the same time!

Over time, these social platforms will grow to be as meaningful and important to member growth and engagement as every other communication outlet your association employs.

6. Incorporate Technology

By itself, more or better technology doesn’t guarantee engagement, but it can bring fresh benefits to your members and offer them features they would otherwise lose out on. 

Take events, for example: your association can livestream these and host them online. 

This not only accommodates members who would otherwise miss your event because of travel, time, or money restrictions, but it also adds additional opportunities for members to engage with other members. 

Conference apps and live streams often also allow online event attendees to chat with in-person participants (and sometimes even the speakers and hosts!) in real-time.

Explore your options and soon, you’ll be engaging your members more than ever before!

Conclusion

Bringing your association closer to your members and growing your revenue should be a top priority. And, while this can be a daunting task, there are many ways to make it easier. 

To keep your members engaged, take advantage of social media, make continuing education a strength, interact with your members, personalize your communications, build a community, and incorporate technology. 

Ensure your association remains connected and growing–start boosting your engagement today!

References

The post How to Bring Your Association Closer to Your Members (and Your Revenue Goals!) appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

When implemented right, mentoring programs can lead to more engaged, loyal, and productive members. 

To give you an idea of what’s possible, we’ve highlighted some suggestions for running a successful mentor program–and what you stand to gain!

1. Attract Young Members

Attracting young members is a major concern for associations. Rather than leaning on associations to network and get ahead in their careers as they used to, young professionals are now more likely to use social media and their own means to accomplish this. 

On the other hand, with a mentorship program, associations can leverage the experience of their older members to offer more thorough, quality support to young members, boosting membership value and making it more enticing to join. 

The results are hard to ignore. 

According to a Sun Microsystems survey, professionals with a mentor earned promotions five times more than those without!

Try matching new members with mentors in a similar profession to maximize professional enrichment. Mentors can provide help and offer advice for specific career benchmarks to make the program even more effective for new participants.

2. Empower and Engage

Though both the mentor and mentee benefit professionally from these types of programs, there’s also an especially empowering quality to mentorships. These relationships foster a sense of support and security that can pay major dividends down the road–both personally and professionally. 

With the experienced guidance of their mentors, mentees can feel assured that they’re on the right path and that it’s possible to achieve their career goals. The mentors, meanwhile, gain a sense of fulfillment from the mentorship, giving back and sharing their hard-earned knowledge and expertise. 

The reality is, mentorship programs provide engagement opportunities for members at every level of their membership, leading to more loyal and committed members. Everyone benefits when you work together!

3. Strengthen the Onboarding Process

When combined with the onboarding process, mentorships get started on the right foot. The mentee will feel supported and connected to the association right away, while the mentor gets to guide their charge through every step of the process–building both bonds and lasting relationships! 

Offer participants walkthroughs of the program so that they can learn how the program works and get a feel for the kind of support they might receive. At the same time, provide mentors with training resources to ensure that they feel confident to support their partners.

To improve the chances of success for your association’s mentoring program, give it a formal structure and a specific timeframe. Not only does this help keep mentors and mentees motivated and on schedule, but it can also improve the participation in programs, as an open-ended commitment can be off-putting. With a solid, actionable mentorship plan in place, members will be excited to sign up and give it a try!

4. Plenty of Settings

In the past, mentoring programs were held in face-to-face formal settings, but things have changed over time. People are no longer limited to geographical locales–they can now meet online or connect via forums! 

Members aren’t limited to discussing the program either. Mentors and mentees can take part in professional development programs or attend events together; learning is always more fun when you do it with a friend! By upskilling together, mentors and mentees can keep the relationship feeling fresh while collecting new experience to pass on to future members.

5. Evaluate the Program

While mentorship programs can be easy to manage once they get rolling, they aren’t entirely set-it-and-forget-it. 

To make sure things are moving smoothly, consider checking in with both parties from time to time. Ask them about the amount of communication they’ve had and about the quality. Get a feel for how effective each side believes the mentorship is and give suggestions about how they might enhance the experience. 

Wondering how to get feedback? Something as simple as a Google Form or a social media post (including Twitter polls!) can help you out. You can even start a thread on your association’s forum or create an email campaign soliciting replies.

Checking in can go a long way to keeping the mentorship a priority for members while ensuring everyone what they’re hoping for from the experience.

6. Change Things Up

You don’t want your program to get stale, so try spicing your program up every so often to attract more members. By offering mentoring opportunities at events and training programs, you’ll double their value and likely improve attendance. 

Additionally, your association could consider running a peer-to-peer event during which mentors and mentees run the discussions (instead of a traditional keynote speaker). This is a great way for new members to learn from more experienced professionals, as well as for veterans to be inspired by the younger generation. It’s a win-win!

You may also like: How to Bring Your Association Closer to Your Members

Conclusion

When it comes to it, mentoring programs can be a great way for associations to engage their audience, boost morale, and attract new members. After all, you’d be providing a unique, valuable experience to both the mentor and the mentee.

By putting the right strategies in place, mentor programs can be cost-effective and rewarding. Ultimately, the key to success lies in creating a program that fits the needs and goals of your association’s members. There’s no better time to start than now–so get plannin’!

References

The post Engage & Empower: the Impact of Mentoring Programs appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

The average user spends more time on sites that display video; as a consequence, these websites typically perform better on major search engines. Because of this, organizations everywhere are investing more in video content, as well as trying to integrate it with their initiatives.

However, knowing how effective video can be is only half the battle. To get the most out of your video content, you need to know why it’s effective:

• What is it about video that makes it perform so well on so many different stages? 
• How does it alter the experience for viewers and increase engagement? 

To help you improve your video content strategy, we’ll be looking at what makes video special. After that, it’s up to you!

1. It Combines Learning Styles

One of the main components of engagement is understanding. 

The more users understand your content, the more they’ll be entertained by it, the more they’ll discuss it later. 

By combining a variety of content mediums (such as text, music, and images), videos become a multisensory experience, allowing them to appeal to many different learning styles. 

For obvious reasons, visual and auditory learners can find videos especially useful, but did you know that even kinesthetic learners can benefit? 

By including visual demonstrations in your content, physical learners can put themselves in the place of the video “protagonist” to better experience the lesson. 

Because viewers understand video content better than text and static images, they tend to watch videos for longer and interact with them more. More engagement doesn’t just mean more viewers either–it also means better return on (content) investment and improved search results. 

How? Well, search engines track how long people stay on a page, too; when viewers stay on your content longer, search engines qualify it as more useful. 

Crucially, content that is well-understood by viewers leads to greater immersion and stronger connections being made between viewers. This, in turn, more memorable content and superior brand recognition. Success!  

2. You Process Video Faster

While the ease of understanding that videos provide is remarkable, it’s also the speed at which the content is processed that makes videos so effective. 

In fact, research indicates that video and visual content is processed 60,000 times faster than text! 

Why? Because our brains are wired to find information visually first; taking time to read text and gain meaning from it is still a relatively “new” advancement evolutionary-wise.

Additionally, in our fast-paced times, people tend to prefer the most economical route when consuming information. Unlike text and other mediums–which have people reading at vastly different rates–videos help to ensure that your consumer base follows along at a more uniform rate.

Another positive is that, with video, organizations can present a great deal of information in a short clip. By combining visual and audio information, videos boast higher information fidelity (the amount of information conveyed vs. how much effort it takes to convey it), making it one of the most effective content vehicles available to us.  

3. It’s Social Media-Friendly

As social media continues to dominate the marketing landscape, organizations are on the constant lookout for content that is engaging while still integrating with as many channels as possible; after all, if a post can work well on all platforms, that cuts down on a lot of work for creators! 

When it comes to interactions between social media users, videos are shared 12 times more often than text and image content combined. Additionally, videos also generate far more conversation–an essential step when it comes to content gaining ground on social media!

Statistics back up the video movement, too. 

More than 80% of Twitter users watch videos, and nearly half of Facebook and YouTube users watch an hour of video each week. Currently, more than 85% percent of online marketers use video content for their promotions. 

In just 30 days, more video content is uploaded online than major television networks have created in the last 30 years. Video has become the main source of online information, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down!

4. It’s More Mobile

The best (and most easily spread) content is that which can be digested quickly and easily. Consumers want to be able to take in the greatest amount of information in the shortest period of time. 

To achieve this, content should be mobile-ready–meaning it can be accessed on smartphones and tablets in a variety of ways. Compared to text and images, videos fit on smartphones better and require less attention. 

Unlike images or text that often require you to zoom in and move around (especially when not optimized!), video typically displays information in steps, maximizing the visibility of information. For consumption purposes, the convenience of videos makes them perfect for advertising and training content.

5. You Can Make an Emotional Connection

It’s said that the vast majority of consumers buy with their hearts, not their heads. Since videos can make an emotional connection with viewers that is generally unrivaled by other mediums, this is music to the ears of video marketers. The way videos convey emotions allow them to speak to viewers in immeasurable ways. 

First of all, can use body language, verbal tone, mood, and inflection to convey emotion. In the right video producer’s hands, each of these elements become tools for connecting to an audience. Emotion can shift the mood of an audience to make content more impactful; even the presentation of information in a video can impact how an audience relates to it. 

While it might be enticing to make a video look as idyllic as possible, a little rawness can actually boost the effect it has on viewers. By taking some of the sheen off a video, your association’s message may appear more authentic and realistic. 

What does this mean for your organization? That a little budget can go a long way–so focus on your content “cake”, not just the icing on top!

You may also like: What Can Associations Do with Their Recorded Zoom Sessions?

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, video content is simply one of the most incredibly powerful tools for organizations. Not only is it a highly engaging medium (that your audience will likely stick around longer to watch!), it also combines different learning styles, is social media-friendly, is mobile-accessible, and allows you to make an emotional connection with your viewers. By understanding just why video content is so effective, you’re one step closer to creating compelling video content that will engage your audience and stand out from the crowd!

References

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