Tool: Social Media (and Related Apps)

Next to your association’s website, social media may be the next most commonly pointed-to source of potential. On social media platforms (like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter), you can reach out to your members directly.

While IT support and ticketing systems will always be the main way to solve problems, people are becoming increasingly more likely to reach out to organizations on social media–especially when it comes to more general questions or concerns. When this happens, be sure to listen; timely and helpful responses are always appreciated.

Social media doesn’t just go one way, however; if your association is wondering about the wants and needs of its members, don’t hesitate–reach out to them! Consider using the poll option if your question is more of the multiple-choice variety.

Hootsuite

Running an association involves a lot of administration and coordination, so simplify things by making use of media management platforms like Hootsuite. Hootsuite lets you queue posts on your social channels ahead of time, meaning you can schedule blocks of content when it’s most convenient for you. Keep your members up to date with regularly released association news and articles; consistent posting helps improve engagement!

Canva

If you find it difficult to design marketing copy, graphic design platforms like Canva could be the perfect tool to help you out. Canva lets you create quality ads, posts, slides, articles, and more–if it’s something that can be formatted, Canva probably has it. Grab your members’ attention with chic, eye-catching posts and boost your overall social media value.

You may also like: Webinar blog: 5 Powerful Growth Strategies to Boost Non-Dues Revenue for Your Association in 2022 and Beyond

Conclusion

While the ever-expanding field of technology may seem daunting, bar associations have more tools and strategies available to them now than ever before. Don’t miss out on all the ways you can increase your support to members, build trust, and boost engagement; instead, look into improving your website, enhancing your research techniques, implementing cloud computing, bolstering your online security, and increasing your social media’s value. With the right tools in your belt, you’ll be able to help your members survive and thrive in the present and beyond!

The post Technology Tips and Tools to Help Bar Associations Build Trust and Support Members – Part 5 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”!

The post Building Better CLE: Tips for Bar Associations appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Your LMS project can quickly go off the rails if it isn’t adequately planned and executed. According to the Project Management Institute, 30% of projects fail to achieve their original goals, and almost 40% exceed their budget. Neither of these is a category you want your association to fall into!

So, how can you ensure your LMS project is set up for success? With the right project management approach, you can avoid common pitfalls and launch your LMS with minimal disruption.

Without further ado, here are 6 simple steps to help you get started:

1. Establish Your Goals and Objectives

Before you even start looking at LMS software, it’s essential to take a step back and define your goals and objectives. What do you hope to achieve with your new LMS? How will it benefit your association and its members? Answering these questions will help you choose the right software and set realistic expectations.

Make a list of your objectives and turn them into SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. Once you’ve decided on your objectives, you can map a timeline to reach your targets. Make sure to use an iterative, Agile approach; as your project progresses, you may need to adjust your goals and objectives.

Related: See 5 Things NOT to Leave Out of Your LMS!

2. Choose Your Vendor

Not all LMS vendors are created equal! When evaluating potential providers, it’s important to consider more than just the software itself. You’ll also want to look at the vendor’s reputation, customer service performance history, and implementation process. Make sure you choose a vendor that’s a good fit your organization and has a proven track record you can verify with their existing clients.

As you research different vendors, it’s important to make sure that they specialize in learning management systems for associations. University and corporate learning management systems are not a good fit for associations because they do not include built-in e-commerce functionality and they’re not designed to be compliant with continuing education regulations.

3. Promote Your New LMS Early and Often

When you’re launching your new LMS, make sure to give your members a heads up! Educate them on the benefits of the new learning management system, how easy it will be to use, and how technical support will be readily available. Then, continue promoting your platform even after launch to ensure that your members (and the public) know about it.
There are a few cost-effective marketing and promotion tools that can help your association do more with less.

Jasper AI (Artificial Intelligence Marketing): Jasper is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing assistant that can generate an array of different works, including persuasive blog posts, marketing emails, landing pages, and more! If you find yourself having trouble coming up with advertising copy, you may find Jasper a great help. You can find Jasper AI here.

Canva for Nonprofits: Canva is a website that hosts graphic design templates that can be tailored to fit your association’s needs. If you tend to require a plethora of custom graphics, check it out! You can find Canva for Nonprofits here.

4. Test, Test, Test!

You want to make sure everything functions properly on your new system. Run through each course several times, checking as many different variables as possible. You want to find all the bugs you can before you launch. Whatever you can think of, test it! Quality assurance is a vital step in the process, so give it the attention it deserves.

5. Train (and Test—Again)

Your vendor should teach your staff how to use the new system. This will act as an internal soft launch for the platform, where your staff can experiment with the LMS.

This step also doubles as another round of testing, so make sure to listen to any feedback your staff offers during this time; try to incorporate it before going live.

6. Launch! (and Provide Ongoing Support)

After testing the LMS and training your staff, it is time to launch your new LMS officially–but the work doesn’t end here! You (or your vendor) will need to provide ongoing support for your LMS. This may include providing technical support for your members and staff, uploading new courses, and preventing cyberattacks from hackers.

Technology is constantly changing, and your LMS will need to change with it. LMS vendors typically offer a subscription model (software as a service, or “SAAS”) that includes regular updates. Make sure to understand the terms of your agreement so you can budget for LMS support on an ongoing basis.

Conclusion

Launching your new LMS can seem like a daunting task, but by following these 6 simple steps, you’ll be able to avoid common pitfalls and ensure a successful launch. Keep in mind that proper planning and execution are key, so make sure to allocate the necessary time and resources upfront.

With careful preparation and a focus on detail, you’ll be able to confidently launch your new LMS and reap the benefits in no time!

The post Launching Your New LMS: 6 Steps for a Successful Rollout appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Whether you missed the original livestream or want to watch it again, you’re in luck! Vocalmeet, the CPA (Canadian Psychological Association), and the CSAE (Canadian Society of Association Executives) partnered to bring you a fantastic discussion on growth strategies for associations in 2022 and beyond—a discussion you can catch online now!

Meanwhile, in this webinar recap, we’ll explore the 5 powerful growth strategies that were shared during the livestream conversation. Join us as we discover the strategies other association leaders use to maximize their ability to generate non-dues revenue for their organizations!

1. The Benefits of On-Demand CE Courses

Does your association hold live sessions? Do you livestream continuing education courses and workshops? Well, you’re in luck; you can record these streams and transform them into continuing education (CE) courses. Your association gets more courses to package and sell, and your members get access to new, premium content–everyone benefits!

That’s not all; you can also use previously recorded courses to create something fresh and new. By re-editing and updating your older courses, you can offer your members improved, modernized content. Consider packaging it with new courses for extra value!

2. Cost-Effective Marketing Tools and Promotion

When it comes to earning more revenue, your members and the public need to know about the benefits and programs your association offers. Thankfully, there are plenty of economical assets at your disposal. In our discussion, Anthony Campbell, Growth Manager at Vocalmeet shared a few cost-effective marketing and promotion tools that will help your association do more with less;

• Jasper AI (Artificial Intelligence Marketing): Jasper is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered writing assistant that can automatically generate persuasive blog posts, marketing emails, landing pages, and more! If you find it difficult to generate this kind of content, you may find Jasper a great help. You can find Jasper AI here.
• Canva for Nonprofits: Canva is a website that offers pre-made graphic designs that you can take and tailor yourself. If you find yourself needing lots of custom graphics, check it out! You can find Canva for Nonprofits here.
• Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a social media management platform that allows you to schedule posts ahead of time, as well as keep track of your content streams, mentions, and more. If your association uses several social media channels, Hootsuite is the program for you. You can find Hootsuite here.
• Vidyard: Vidyard allows you to record your computer screen and webinar at the same time, making window-in-window a breeze. Use it to personalize your presentation content and more! You can find Vidyard here.
• Calendly: Calendly is a program used to book appointments online. You select the dates and times you’re available, and your members can book time with you in just a few clicks; what a time-saver! You can find Calendly here.

3. The Importance of the Strategic Plan

Having a clear strategic plan is important for any organization. Your strategic plan should outline the association’s priorities and how you plan to achieve them. This is essential in order for the organization to thrive and grow in a competitive environment. Will your staff be able to facilitate and manage your new priorities? Will your current budget allow you to build and support new programs? The key to successfully implementing your strategic plan is to avoid it from turning into your operational plan. Your strategic plan is designed to help you achieve your goals and mission. Your operational plan helps you carry out the tasks needed to achieve your strategic plan’s goals and mission.

4. Combined Dues and Non-Dues Revenue Initiatives

No one said dues and non-dues revenue streams had to be mutually exclusive! Try offering members free continuing education packages for early renewal. If you want to get even fancier, try creating membership packages based on what the member selects; you can run the gamut from low-cost, low benefits memberships all the way up to VIP premium memberships that include all the bells and whistles! The number of membership types and the perks they include is up to you.

5. Technology Consolidation

By consolidating your association’s technology, you can actually improve its ease-of-use and its value. Remember to KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly! Simplification will reduce both complexity and costs while improving the efficacy of your tools.

That’s not the only thing your association can condense, of course; consider having all of your technological needs filled by a single vendor! You’ll build a better partnership, and you won’t have to keep track of who covers what. One account, one vendor, one contact! Additionally, your vendor will become more invested in (and fond of!) your association–they may even be willing to go the extra mile for you as your business relationship develops. Better still, by sourcing all your technology from one vendor, you’ll have fewer compatibility issues when it comes to expanding your tools (they know what you have and what connects to it, after all). Streamline your processes; go for a vendor that offers all in one!

Has your interest been piqued? By offering on-demand CE courses, marketing with economic tools and promotions, directing in a plan-focussed manner, creating varied membership packages, and unifying technology and vendors, your association will be able to boost its growth and increase its non-dues revenue!

The post Webinar Recap: 5 Powerful Growth Strategies to Boost Non-Dues Revenue for Your Association in 2022 and Beyond appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

From the online learning platform you select, to the way you market your continuing education courses, creating a successful online continuing education program is a continuous process.

To help you create a successful online continuing education (CE) program, we will highlight three key areas that most associations overlook when offering online CE courses:

• An Easy-to-Use Online Learning Platform
• The Importance of the Course Content and Pricing
• The Value of Marketing

It is not enough to just post your recorded CE courses online and then expect members to purchase your courses; you need to consider how user-friendly the platform is, the quality and cost of the courses, and the marketing strategies you’ll employ. 

Selecting an Easy-to-Use Online Learning Platform 

The success of your online continuing education program starts with your members’ online experience.

Imagine walking into a brick-and-mortar store where the aisles are so close together that it’s hard to find the product you’re looking for. When you attempt to ask for help, no one answers. Chances are, you would walk out upset and annoyed, vowing to warn anyone and everyone away from it! The same principle applies to your members’ online experience.

If your online learning platform is cumbersome and hard to navigate, your members will eventually stop using the platform.

If technical support isn’t prompt and professional, your members will be frustrated. If your members are unhappy with your platform, they’ll let each other know about it.

Consequently, when selecting an online learning platform, focus on usability and user-friendliness rather than features alone.

Go through the learning process yourself, all the way from purchasing an online course to completing it. Was it easy to find all the courses you wanted? Could you do it all on your first try? Did you need help at any time? If you were ever confused on where to go or what to click, chances are that your members will be, too. 

Remember, the entire purpose of offering online continuing education courses is to add value while increasing non-dues revenue.

If the process of completing your online courses is too complicated, not only are you losing out on non-dues revenue–you’re also creating a negative experience for your members!

Course Content is King, and the Price Must Be Right

In the last section, we talked about the importance of the online experience. In this section, we’ll focus on the product: your online courses.

By providing online education courses, your association has the opportunity to become a go-to source of timely and relevant information for your members. Make sure that your courses are up-to-date with the latest trends in your field, whether that means offering courses in newly developing areas or expanding on sectors that are already considered an industry backbone; whatever courses you create, they have to add value. 

Thus, by offering online continuing education courses that provide both prompt and thorough information, your association will have the opportunity to become the go-to source of high-quality information and online courses for your industry. This is the power and the importance of CE course content.

Your Online Courses Need Clearly Defined Learning Outcomes with Well-Written Descriptions

Your members need to know what specific, actionable insight they will earn by paying for and partaking in your course.

For example, will the contents of the course help them earn a certificate in a new skill? Will it teach them the current best practices in their field?

If your course descriptions are too vague, your members won’t understand the benefit of enrolling–meaning your association loses out on the non-dues revenue your programs could be producing! Instead, use clear, concise descriptions to demonstrate the value of each course to show your members why they should enroll. 

Value-Based Pricing: Your Association’s Ability to Maximize Non-dues Revenue From Continuing Education

Value-based pricing helps associations set prices of the courses they sell based on the value the course provides to their members.

If you understand the unique challenges that your members face, creating niche courses that cater to these issues is a worthwhile undertaking for your association. Your members will recognize the value of your courses and will be willing to pay more to access the tailored information–even more so when compared to a blanket course that covers a generic topic. 

Whether your courses are niche or expansive, remember to price them according to the value they offer your members.

Increasing Non-dues Revenue Means Online Marketing Matters More than Ever

Marketing online courses requires a different strategy than marketing in-person continuing education sessions.

To address this, you’ll need to create clear and persuasive marketing campaigns to let your members know about the convenience and ease of your online learning platform and its courses.

Though you may have already sent out an email campaign upon the release of your platform, it is necessary to keep up the communication and continue to inform your members of new, exciting course opportunities. After all, if your audience doesn’t know you offer a course, they won’t know to look for it!

Research has shown that in order to get a recipient to follow an email’s call to action, you need to send approximately 10 to 20 emails about it.

Because of this, we recommend you notify your members via email about your online learning platform and any new courses about 1 to 2 times a month.

Additionally, you’ll want to build a few marketing campaigns to promote your association’s new CE platform once it’s live.

Examples of possible campaigns you could use to promote your online learning platform and courses include:

• Monthly Association Speaker Advice
• Current Offers and Deals
• Course Recommendations and Endorsements from Members
• Featured New Courses

While the creation and maintenance of email campaigns may sound like a lot of work for your association, we must look to the retail world for advice. How many emails have you received from your favorite brands advertising new products and services?

You may work with an association, but the message is the same: messages are more effective when repeated!

Thus, while creating online marketing campaigns may be a laborious process, they aren’t without benefit–they’re a key tool when it comes to keeping your members up-to-date with what you offer!

Vocalmeet Offers Marketing to All of Our Clients as a Complimentary Service.

Let us help you inform your members about your association’s online continuing education options and help you increase your online sales. Learn more about our online learning platforms here!

In closing, increasing non-dues revenue for your online continuing education program is an ongoing process: you’ll need to research and employ the best learning management system platform; to constantly revise, review, and upgrade your content; and to create a string of marketing campaigns that promote your platform once it goes live.

There are lights at the end of the tunnel, however, and their names are “Non-dues Revenue” and “Member Satisfaction”– the best outcomes an association could have!

The post 3 Ways to Increase Non-dues Revenue for Your Association’s Online Continuing Education Program appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Every one of your recorded sessions represents an opportunity for your association to provide timely and educational information to your members, while also creating new streams of non-dues revenue! By extending the usefulness of your recorded Zoom sessions, your association’s return on investment increases.

This post will discuss what associations can do with their recorded Zoom sessions to add value to their memberships and increase non-dues revenue.

Create On-Demand Continuing Education Courses from Your Recorded Zoom Sessions

Your library of recorded Zoom sessions is composed of the perfect building blocks to generate new streams of non-dues revenue for your association. By offering the recorded sessions as on-demand courses, your association can extend the value of each one while also increasing member engagement. Members who were unable to attend your sessions will now be able to access the recorded version on-demand and even earn CE credits at the same time!

Additionally, providing convenient and easy-to-use online options for your members to access your recorded content and complete their CE requirements underscores and increases the value of membership with your association. From your members’ perspectives, having access to quality CE programs helps them stay up-to-date and allows them to remain competitive within their field.

Simply Uploading Recorded Sessions to Your Website or a Video-Sharing Platform Won’t Cut It.

Although uploading recorded sessions to your website may strike you as easier, offering quality online continuing education requires much more than just linking members to your recordings. You will need to track attendance, produce completion certificates, facilitate payment, and answer any questions your members may possess. Tracking these requirements manually will create substantial administrative work for your staff, leading to your team spending less time on your members.

An Online Learning Platform Makes It Easy for Associations to Offer Online Continuing Education

In order to generate non-dues revenue from your recorded Zoom sessions, you will need to use an e-commerce enabled online learning platform. 

These platforms make it easy for your association to offer on-demand continuing education courses while reducing administrative work for your staff and making payment simple and easy. 

Before selecting an online learning platform, ensure that the platform tracks user progress, restricts users from jumping to the end of the video, produces completion certificates automatically, facilitates payments, and navigates easily. The purpose of using an online learning platform is to make it easy for your members to access and pay for your courses online while simultaneously increasing non-dues revenue for your association. 

Marketing Your Online Continuing Education Courses is Key

Marketing your online courses is an essential element to the success of your online continuing education courses. Your association must create marketing campaigns that promote your online continuing education courses and remind members that completing their continuing education requirements with you online is easy. 

While creating marketing campaigns is something that your association staff will have to commit to and handle, the return-on-investment is well worth the time. 

Align Your Upcoming Zoom Sessions to Your Continuing Education Strategy

When planning your next webinar, virtual conference session, or continuing education course, always have your continuing education strategy in mind. If you arrange your plan correctly, taking everything into account, the educational sessions you create will be able to generate revenue for months (and even years!) after the original session ends. Think ahead, and be sure to structure all of your Zoom sessions so that they can easily be repurposed as on-demand continuing education courses.

Conclusion

With a little elbow grease and a bit of forethought, your library of Zoom recordings can become a valuable asset that could generate significant revenue for your association in the future. Offering your Zoom recordings as online continuing education courses is a worthwhile endeavor for all, creating better value for your members and higher non-dues revenue for your association.

The post What Can Associations Do with Their Recorded Zoom Sessions? appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

In the past, organizations placed greater emphasis on establishing processes and tools, adhering rigidly to the plan, conducting frequent contract negotiations, and producing endless documentation. In recent times, however, there has been a shift towards constant communication, adaptive plans, customer collaboration, and greater individual ownership. This is often credited to both leaders and employees adopting an Agile mindset.

So, Just What is an Agile Mindset?

Encouraging continuous interaction, adapting quickly to changes, and increasing member engagement requires associations to think differently about how projects are implemented; it requires an Agile mindset. The Agile mindset must be flexible to changes in the plan, be open to differing opinions from teammates, be constantly learning, and be focused on delivering the highest value to members. With an Agile mindset, association employees are better equipped for collaboration and for managing the many challenges that can arise during a project.

You May Ask, “Does an Agile Mindset Benefit Association Employees Who Are Non-technical?”

There are some preconceived notions that an Agile mindset is not for the “non-technically inclined”–quite the contrary! Adopting an Agile mindset can be a game-changer for any project–after all, being able to swiftly adapt to change is an important skill for any association, project, or workplace!

Associations Are Ever-Changing; an Agile Mindset is Now Critical for Success

At times, employees can be buried under paperwork and fall victim to the multiple roadblocks that can result from poor communication, outsourced problem-solving, and unorganized task scheduling. However, associations and workplaces are evolving, and changing market demands and member behavior must be accounted for if one is to stay competitive. Consequently, associations need to keep pace with the shifting sands of market changes and business conditions. An Agile mindset will prepare them for anything the ever-changing business world presents them with.

Agile Teams Can Empower Each Other

The success of an association relies heavily on the confidence of its employees.

Find any poorly run association that stifles its employees, and the result will likely be a lack of motivation, underperformance, and minimal creativity amongst the staff. Business consultant and strategist Kaihan Krippedorff stated, “Arming employees with the tools, know-how, and mindset needed to successfully innovate on a continual basis will be paramount to organizational survival.” The key to achieving this lies in empowering team members with the freedom to operate under minimal limitations.

True Empowerment Involves Changing the Culture of an Association from One That Is Ruled by an Iron Fist to One That Inspires Innovation and Thought Leaders.

Empowering a non-technical team with the Agile self-direction mindset is crucial. It allows team members to be more independent, without the need for manager direction at every turn. With self-direction, the team is able to work together to execute each of their respective responsibilities and duties at a self-designated and optimized pace–without having to constantly look over their collective shoulder!
Self-direction emphasizes the abilities and experience of each team member and combines them into an outcome greater than the sum of their parts. This establishes trust among the team members, proving that each cog in the wheel is necessary and valued when working in tandem to complete a common goal.

Does Empowering Agile Teams Render Management Obsolete? Absolutely Not!

A manager can still lead, but an empowered team means that their focus can be placed more on strategy and communication with the team than on routine duties, which leaves the door open for team input which, in turn, allows team members to feel helpful and appreciated–after all, it proves that management has faith in their abilities! An effective leader can provide mentorship using positive feedback for a good performance, as well as constructive criticism for a poor one.

Iterations and Continuous Improvement

Achieving success is one thing; sustaining it for the long term is another story. Adopting an Agile mindset can help associations improve policies and processes quickly and easily, thus maximizing their efficiency. It is important for associations to develop plans that work with existing policies and processes, while also brainstorming about how these practices can be enhanced further. The improvements can then be made to the existing policies and processes–just make sure to be prepared for unforeseen obstacles that require further development. Remember, Agile values adaptability–unexpected issues are just a stepping stone to improvement!

Once the changes have been made, make sure to thoroughly assess the new policies and processes and observe their performance. Are they better? Worse? On par? This will provide key information for further improvement.

Now that your investigation is complete, management can make the final call to officially confirm the proposed changes, or else suggest additional modifications before moving forward.

Agile Improvement Strategies

There are other improvement strategies that can elevate an association to the next level. An association can implement lean continuous improvement, where the objective is to identify and abolish all areas that fail to offer members additional benefits. This is a proactive approach that allows the association to concentrate more on the relevant benefits that their members want and accelerate towards the end goal with greater efficiency.

Value stream mapping is another vital asset to improving performance in your association; this strategy enables the association to perform a comprehensive assessment of a process in order to identify where adjustments can be made and what can be eliminated by using knowledge gained from experience to indicate what is working in a process and what is not.

Conclusion

So, fear not, the Agile mindset makes associations a better, more cohesive place for staff and members alike! Greater emphasis is placed on major priorities, while lesser priorities are shelved for later.

Interested in gaining a deep understanding of the principles and practices of Agile project management? Take this trusted Agile & Scrum Certification Course!

Agile prepares you to take on any challenge that threatens the success of your project by arming you with independence and flexibility. With an Agile mindset, association leaders and employees can be certain that greater success is just around the corner!

The post Can an Agile Mindset Benefit Association Leaders? appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

While you may be fully aware of the benefits of offering continuing education programs online, in many cases, you may not have the final say in whether or not your association takes the leap. Chances are, you may need to convince board members (and even some senior decision-makers!) that the initial startup investment and time commitment will be worthwhile. 

For a detailed guide on how to increase revenue and memberships by setting up an online continuing education platform for your association, view our ebook here.

To win over the skeptics, you will need to have a firm grasp on all of the benefits an online continuing education platform can provide, as well as how the association can ensure that this initiative will be financially sustainable.

Here are five ways you can build a strong case and convince your board to invest in an online continuing education platform:

1. Be Prepared

Because you are trying to sell the benefits of online technology, you must first put your best foot forward. To do this, you must research online learning technologies and vendors so that you can collect all of the necessary data to support your case.

For research on online continuing education platforms, read our whitepaper entitled “9 Things to Consider before Offering Online Courses” here. 

It is important to know that there are many different types of learning platforms, each with its own priorities and formats. Some examples of online continuing education platforms include managed service platforms and self-service platforms. It is important to understand the differences and to outline why one approach may work better for your association than another.

In addition, board members like to hear about facts, statistics, and results. Therefore, it is good practice to do research on associations that have already invested in an online learning platform; you can use this to show how it has helped their association meet its objectives–objectives that may be similar to those of your own association! 

The best way to prove the worth of an online continuing education platform is to use real-life situations and specific case studies to demonstrate a platform’s usefulness. View our case studies here for insights into demonstrating the efficacy of online continuing education platforms.

2. Connect with Objectives

When presenting a proposal to anyone–especially a board or executive team–always remember that you are selling more than just an idea. 

Your presentation needs to demonstrate why investing in an online continuing education platform would align with the executive team’s objectives, would help achieve a better vision, or would aid in reaching their goals faster. Having a sound understanding of what is important to your association will help you connect your vendor of choice to your association’s strategy. 

Make sure to focus on the “why” instead of on the “what.”

If you spend most of your pitch talking about all of the fancy high-tech features of your online continuing education platform of choice, chances are, you may lose their attention! However, if you are able to prove to the decision-makers that these features work towards their specific objectives, they will be encouraged to view your pitch far more favorably. 

To make your presentation more visual and easy to understand, divide this information into different categories so that the decision-makers get a clear picture of the impact that learning technology will have on membership engagement, the attraction of new members, increased referrals, and the amount of positive feedback garnered.

3. Let the Numbers do the Talking

When you are building your case for the board, you need to consider how introducing a new online continuing education platform will affect the organization financially. 

With any major decision executives make, they always factor in how it will impact the organization’s bottom line. This means that it is key to make a point of saying how the learning platform will positively impact the financial goals of the organization.Include financial numbers and statistics in the eLearning industry during your presentation to show the potential increase in revenue that can be achieved when switching to a new online continuing education platform. 

If the board is focused on the cost of the platform, show how automation through an online continuing education platform can decrease manual operations. For example, automating certificate generation for online courses can decrease manual efforts and save time for staff!  Additionally, choosing a managed service vendor means association staff can focus on member engagement more while administering the learning platform less.

4. Avoiding Stagnancy

As you pitch all of the reasons why investing in the learning platform will greatly improve your association, you should also describe what could happen if they choose not to invest in this opportunity.

Explain to the board that there are risks involved when an association does not evolve and change with the times. 

By choosing not to invest in online learning technology, younger members may not be as engaged in the association’s events. In addition, staff may not be as productive and may fall short of expectations. This could lead to frustrated members since they don’t have easy access to the information they need to succeed.

Building your case in this way can help to show the board that continued stagnancy could cause the organization to be left behind by competitors. Instead, by switching to a new learning platform, they could inspire innovation rather than complacency.

5. Transparency is the Key

As you build your case and prepare your presentation to the board, it can be easy to get caught up in the sales pitch and wow-factor of flowery words. But while there is nothing wrong with highlighting all of the great reasons to invest in learning technology, make sure to always stay grounded–after all, honesty is always the best policy!.

It is important to always be transparent. 

If your presentation does not mention any potential issues with transitioning to an online learning platform, and instead only focuses on the positive aspects, it could raise red flags with the board. They may start thinking you are keeping something from them, which will hurt your credibility and could turn them off of your pitch.

Your case will be more airtight and impressive if you are thorough and state all of the pros and the cons of investing in a learning platform. You want to make sure that the board is aware of all aspects of the switch and understands what to expect. While no one likes to discuss potential challenges during a presentation, this will give you an opportunity to present solutions and alleviate your fears. This type of honesty and confidence will go a long way to impress the board and put their concerns at ease!

Remember, when it comes to convincing others of the power of online continuing education platforms, you have to focus on preparation, targets, finances, improvement, and transparency. With all of this in mind, you should be ready to face your association’s board and dazzle them with your knowledge. Go forth and make your case–your members will thank you!

The post Five Ways to Build an Airtight Business Case for an Online Learning Platform appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Even if your organization’s products or services don’t play as well on social media as Netflix’s, it’s still possible that you, too, can make use of memes for marketing purposes. The effectiveness of this strategy depends on your audience; however, it is possible to succeed if you observe and follow some of the cardinal meme-sharing rules! Before integrating memes into your marketing strategy, here are a few tips you should be mindful of:

Designed for Social Media

Memes and social media are perfect for each other. Memes allow for quick consumption of engaging, comedic bite-sized content, while social media provides the perfect sharing vehicle through which they can spread. For marketing purposes, the sharing of memes on social media sidesteps hard marketing in favor of brand awareness. After all, the most effective marketing memes rarely focus on brand marketing at all. If they did, the genre-savvy audience would catch the intention and the meme would fall flat.

Bring the Community Together

One of the main reasons memes are so effective for marketing purposes is that they are truly community-based content. Specifically designed to be shareable, funny, and engaging, memes unite members of a community by leveraging a shared knowledge. Typically, the greater the number of people that understand the meme’s material, the greater the number of interactions on a post. People thrive on being aware of trends and bringing others into the mix, and memes accommodate this compulsion like no other. Because of this, memes have dazzlingly high engagement levels, one of the most important factors for an organization’s social media channels. However, make no mistake: memes must be used carefully to be effective!

Stay on Brand

Memes can absolutely be used to build brand relevance and brand awareness, but organizations should be wary; make sure you’re sending the right message when using them! In other words, make sure the meme matches the tone, energy, and values of your brand. If this is done right, memes can help showcase and spread brand identity quickly and easily. If no current memes share the spirit of your organization, you can try your hand at creating your own. While this is typically more challenging, the rewards on success are much greater. The rules for creating are the same as sharing: keep them on-brand and aligned with your audience.

Make Sure There’s an Appetite for It

The environment for memes can sometimes be turbulent. In general, audiences love memes and seek them out, but be warned— people can relate to them very differently. Before you begin sending out memes, be sure you understand your audience and what their appetite for memes truly is. This knowledge will allow you to cater your content to your viewers. The way to do this is simple: observe your audience closely. Take note of the content that resonates with them. What type of memes do they like to share? Now, it’s unlikely that everyone will agree on just one theme or type of content, but you can use this information to find a middle ground. When you first set out, start by sending memes sparingly to test the waters before going all-in.

Use Them Properly

One of the most important things to consider when creating and sharing memes is how to use them properly. Depending on your organization, the language and tone of a certain meme may not be a good fit. Memes often leverage a very specific lingo, one that might feel forced or unnatural coming from the wrong source. To avoid this, you’ll first want to understand the meme, how it originated, and how it has evolved. Make sure that the spirit of the meme doesn’t clash with your organization or marketing goals. You also need to ensure that you use all lingo properly – people will spot an outsider right away. If you need help to accomplish this, it may be worthwhile to have a digital native create the meme for you.

Avoid Major Mistakes

Every meme has an expiration date, though unfortunately, not one displayed for all to see. Some memes gradually fade away, while others disappear overnight. It’s important to get the timing right. If you’re too early, your audience will miss the joke. If you’re too late, you could become the joke. Furthermore, before repurposing a meme or creating your own, you should check the rights of the images used to ensure that there’s no copyright infringement or unfair usage. If you do use an owned image, be sure to ask permission or credit the creator in the method they choose. It’s also a good idea to avoid any images or content that could imply endorsement of another organization or brand, especially if that brand doesn’t share similar values!

When running your organization’s social media, it’s important to stay equipped, making use of every item in your arsenal. After all, it’s dangerous to go alone —so why not take a meme?

The post What if I Told You Associations Can Use Memes to Grow Membership and Drive Member Engagement? appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.

Marketing online CLE courses requires a different strategy than marketing in-person CLE sessions. For example, it’s not enough to simply rebrand all in-person sessions as “virtual” or “on-demand” without any additional information. As some members may not be comfortable with taking online CLE, let them know that it’s easy to sign up, that there’s technical support if they need it, and if offered on-demand, that they can access the CLE courses at their own convenience. For that reason, marketing is a complimentary service Vocalmeet provides to all our legal clients to help them increase their online CLE sales.

Additionally, a concrete marketing plan must be accompanied with a solid website. How a website looks and functions is every bit as important as the content itself. Your website content could be relevant and meaningful, but your members may still ignore your message if it is not designed well.

Continue reading below for our top 10 website design best practices to help drive traffic to your site and increase your online course sales. Incorporate these tips as you see fit and make your association’s website the best resource it can be!

Top 10 Website Design Best Practices

1. Set a Goal and Follow Through

When designing a website, it’s important to make a list of goals that you want your website to accomplish. Do you want it to drive membership, teach viewers the benefits of joining your association, or convince them to purchase courses? Try thinking about these goals in terms of a “call to action” to better help formulate your goals. After ranking this list in order of priority and importance, identify and implement as many ways to achieve these goals as possible.

2. Audience-Driven Design

If you want your website to attract an audience, you need to know who they are and what they like. If you have this information, you can better direct your design, tone, and content to match your target audience. Identify them by demographic. For example, what kind of work do they do, and what interests them the most? What other products and services do they use?

3. Simplicity Over Everything

A simple and clean aesthetic is one of the most effective design decisions you can make for your website. An uncomplicated design and user-friendly interface allow for clean navigation and accessible options. In general, clutter can have a negative impact on viewership and engagement. Too many options or pages, regardless of how amazing their content may be, can lead to “paralysis by analysis” for viewers – a form of overthinking that can be counterproductive for a website. As a result, websites should limit the number of overall pages, as well as design each page with plenty of white (or “negative” space) in order to give each item of content or image the space to breathe and be experienced.

4. Responsive Design

Responsive design almost always refers to the ability of a website to automatically accommodate the screen size, viewing platform, and screen orientation of each visitor. All modern websites should take into consideration a diverse array of viewers and devices. In this case, however, responsive design also speaks to a design that reacts quickly and effectively to user decisions while browsing. This means that the images, videos, and playable media of a website should load quickly. It also means that users should receive responses to their requests in short order. Additionally, organizations should ensure that all contact is met with a confirmation immediately after processing any kinds of requests.

5. Helpful Color Schemes

The choice of website colors can make or break a website. Colors can invoke specific emotions in viewers. They can help people better identify with an organization, as well as instill stronger brand recognition among visitors. It’s also important to ensure that colors are used effectively with each other. Websites should be designed in a way that has the text popping off the background color without putting too much strain on the eye. This is usually done by using a dark font over a lighter background. Try avoiding using similar shades, hues, and saturation alongside each other as well, as this can lead to a distracting effect where the colors meet.

6. Strategic Design

While common sense and thoughtfulness usually go a long way, there are some strategic choices that organizations can make for their website design. Organizations may, for example, employ the rule of thirds, which breaks the screen into a grid of two evenly spaced horizontal lines and two evenly spaced vertical lines. The four resulting intersecting points on the screen are your thirds – the points on the screen to which the eye is naturally drawn. It is on these intersections that a website’s most important features should be placed, such as the call to actions. Another option is to connect components into thematic groupings by using similar shapes, colors, and fonts. This allows viewers to subtly associate different on-screen elements with each other.

7. Proper Structure

How a website is structured can help users navigate and browse more easily. One of the most important structure elements is the header. Headers should only be used sparingly and should accurately explain and contextualize the content below them; this aids visitors in interpreting and digesting the material. Websites should also include tools like “breadcrumbs” so users can retrace their steps when desired. If your website incorporates forms, they should be clearly labeled and easy to complete. Be sure to provide clear instructions and information – assume that everyone is unaware of the typical process and new to your webpage (and organization!) as a whole.

8. Consistency

A good website is an extension of an organization. The tone and feel of the website should be consistent with the overall brand. There should also be a consistency between the pages on the site, a natural flow that is present throughout. However, the website should be consistent not only with itself, but with the conventions of the rest of the web as well. While it can be tempting to be unique and artsy, being too adventurous and unconventional can lead to miscommunication. When using call to actions, for example, users should be able to easily identify and understand them. You may wish to follow some of the language and conventions used by major online brands, like Amazon, Facebook, or Google.

9. Avoid Automatic Media

While more of a faux pas than a rule, automatic media has quickly become a major no-no in the design community. Things like scrolling text, auto-playing sounds or videos, carousels, and sliders are more distracting and harmful to a viewing experience than anything else. Additionally, organizations should consider allowing users to alter the text and layout of a website. Locking down the text size can be very limiting for some viewers, especially those with poor vision.

10. Track, Report, and Adjust

If your goal is constant website improvement, you should use every tool in your belt. Don’t be shy about testing something new, but be sure to track and analyze how effective it was. Make sure to take advantage of website analytics; organizations can now identify how viewers find their page, where they go first, and where they stay longest. They can measure how people scroll and how they interact with the site. If an organization finds that certain elements are underperforming, they should be moved or replaced altogether. Use the available data to optimize every component of your website, and your organization will enjoy more satisfied viewers and higher conversion rates.

By taking all of the above into account, your association will have a sleek new website in no time!

The post Why Legal Associations Should Care About Their Website to Increase Online CLE Sales appeared first on Online Learning Solutions | Association Management System | Vocalmeet.