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Cyberattacks are on the rise (Mclean, 2023) regardless of industry (Check Point Research, 2025), with weak/stolen passwords being one of the leading causes of data breaches (Coggins, 2019).

Thankfully, you aren’t alone, and there are plenty of ways to protect your members, data, and staff with a few practical password management strategies. Let’s dive in!

Our Top Tips for Secure Password Management

1. Use a Password Manager

Storing passwords in spreadsheets or sticky notes is a thing of the past.

Instead, look to password manager programs (like KeePass or 1Password), which generate and store strong, unique passwords for every account. This way, you can keep your passwords safe and accessible (but only to you!).

If your organization isn’t already using one, now’s the time to start!

2. Create Strong, Unique Passwords

A strong password should be at least 12 characters and include a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.

Be sure to avoid:

• Dictionary words
• Personal details
• Common patterns

Even worse, the most common passwords are still “123456”, “111111”, “qwerty”, “admin”, and “password” (Gunnar, 2023)! Under no circumstances should you use passwords like these, whether you’re at work or at home.

Now, if you’re having trouble coming up with a good, unique password, that’s understandable. Thankfully, many password managers (see above) have already considered this and have the ability to generate new, secure passwords for you.

3. DO NOT Reuse Passwords Across Platforms

In a study of breached passwords, of the 19 billion cases examined, 94% of the stolen passwords had been recycled across various platforms (Perez, 2025). Yikes!

If a site becomes compromised, any reused passwords will put all accounts at risk. Every system you access—especially those that handle member data or continuing education (CE) records—requires its own unique password.

4. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)/Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Wherever possible, turn on MFA/2FA. This setup adds a second step to logging in (such as a texted/emailed code or specialized authentication app), which can help you block most attacks—even if your password is stolen.

Google Authenticator is a nice, easy option that you can find on the Google Play Store or iPhone App Store.

5. Stay Alert to Phishing

No matter how strong your password is, it’ll still be vulnerable if you enter it into a fake site. Always double-check URLs, and never click links in suspicious emails.

And, because phishing emails are becoming more convincing, it’s best to create a specific password-sharing process for when you need to distribute passwords amongst staff.

Ensure passwords are never sent through email or regular chat; instead, look into safe password sharing tools like 1Password’s “Password Share” feature or OneTimeSecret, which creates a one-time link that self-destructs after opening.

6. Regularly Update Passwords

Set reminders to update passwords for critical systems every 6 to 12 months. However, if you suspect a breach, update your passwords immediately—don’t hesitate!

It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for keeping your organization secure.

Bonus Resources

If this article has made you feel increasingly nervous, firstly—sorry!

Secondly, there are plenty of resources out there to double-check your security and maintain your peace of mind.

You can try:

• Testing the strength of your passwords with How Secure Is My Password?
• Checking for data breaches with Have I Been Pwned?

Stay cybersafe, everyone!

References

Check Point Research. (2025, April 16). Q1 2025 Global Cyber Attack Report from Check Point Software: An Almost 50% Surge in Cyber Threats Worldwi … Check Point Blog; Check Point Software. https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/q1-2025-global-cyber-attack-report-from-check-point-software-an-almost-50-surge-in-cyber-threats-worldwide-with-a-rise-of-126-in-ransomware-attacks/

Coggins, J. (2019, November 18). Six Common Causes of Data Breaches. Lepide Blog: A Guide to IT Security, Compliance and IT Operations. https://www.lepide.com/blog/six-common-causes-of-data-breaches/

Mclean, M. (2023, August 9). 2021 Must-Know Cyber Attack Statistics and Trends – Embroker. Embroker. https://www.embroker.com/blog/cyber-attack-statistics/

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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?

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Transcript

Vocalmeet’s All-in-One Platform

Vocalmeet offers an All-in-One Platform that seamlessly integrates association management, learning management, event management, financial processing, and reporting—eliminating the need for multiple platforms, cutting costs, and saving time.

This powerful, future-ready solution helps associations, unions, regulatory bodies, and nonprofits automate tasks, streamline operations, engage members, and drive growth.

Why All-in-One?

• Stronger Member Engagement & Retention: Keep members connected with easy access to courses, events, and key resources.
• Time-Saving Workflow Automation: Member renewals, event registrations, course enrollments, reminders, and payments happen automatically, reducing manual workload and improving efficiency.
• Lower Costs & Greater Efficiency: Reduce vendor expenses and eliminate costly system integrations. No more paying for overlapping features!
• Seamless Data Flow: Real-time analytics connect membership, learning, and event data for better decision-making.
• Scalability & Growth: Designed to evolve with your organization’s needs.

Combine Your Systems

• Membership & Event Management: Automate renewals, event and membership registrations, and payments in one system.
• Learning & Continuing Education: Provide seamless access to courses and certifications on any device.
• AI-Driven Reports: Make data driven decisions faster, uncover member trends, and optimize operations with minimal manual effort.
• CRM: Track member interactions, engagement, and preferences to deliver personalized communication and targeted outreach.
• Accounting: Streamline billing, invoicing, and financial reporting with automated payment tracking and real-time revenue insights.
• Document Management: Store, organize, and control access to resources, compliance records, and member documents in a secure, centralized system.

Contact us for a demo today to see how Vocalmeet can help your organization save time, grow engagement, and drive innovation like never before!

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Transcript

AMS 101

Managing a member-based organization means juggling a lot—memberships, payments, events, communications, and more. But using too many systems (or stacks of spreadsheets!) can slow you down and create unnecessary stress.

That’s where an Association Management System, or “AMS”, comes in.

A quality AMS acts as the central hub–and the heart–of your organization: automating manual processes, saving time, and improving the member experience.

With a quality AMS, you can:

• Automate membership registration and renewals
• Maintain a comprehensive CRM
• Offer personalized member dashboards
• Track engagement and generate detailed reports
• Accept payments and connect directly to your gateway
• Manage live and virtual events
• Integrate with Zoom, Teams, and more
• Build your website with flexible, appealing templates

With features designed to meet your unique needs, Vocalmeet’s AMS empowers you to streamline operations, ensure compliance, and focus on what matters most: your members.

Book a demo today at vocalmeet.com

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That’s where automation comes in, ready to save you time, energy, and money.

It’s a game-changer for organizations of all sizes. Whether you’re managing membership renewals, sending out event invitations, or compiling reports, an automated system can streamline your operations and free up valuable resources.

Today, we’ll be diving into the top five benefits of business automation for your organization. Let’s get started!

1. It Increases Efficiency and Productivity

Let’s raise our hands: how many of us have experienced the joy of manually processing hundreds of membership renewals or event registrations? What about sending out certificates to those who have completed a course?

If your hand is still down, you’re one of the lucky ones. Thankfully, business automation is here to help! Perez (2023) explains that automation reduces the repetitive and monotonous tasks staff have to do by relegating them to software, typically leading to better experiences for customers, reduced error rates, improved compliance, and lower stress for teams.

What’s more, by taking care of repetitive tasks and removing the burden of tedious data entry, an automated platform can give your team more time to put the focus back on providing value and growing your audience.

But how?

• Simplifying Membership Renewals

No more chasing down expiring (or expired) memberships! With the right platform, your system will send reminders, process payments, and update records instantly without you having to step in.

• Improving Event Administration

From sign-ups to payments to confirmation emails, automation lets you handle your events with ease. With the right system, you can even automate things like webinar attendance certificates!

• Sending Email Communications:

A good association management system (AMS) will allow you to set up automated email sequences for welcoming new members, sending event reminders, sharing important updates, and more.

Skip the manual tasks; your time is valuable. The more you automate, the more you can focus on big-picture strategizing, building relationships, and creating value.

2. It Enhances the Member Experience

In this digital age, it’s only natural: people expect convenience. If your organization still relies on slow, outdated technology, members can become frustrated and disengage.

Business automation makes things fast, simple, and intuitive, keeping members happy and involved.  And, in our increasingly online world, the thing we lack is the personal touch. By giving your team back their time, you grant them the ability to reach out to members directly. After all, which do you think is more effective at preventing member churn: a mass email reminder of the renewal deadline, or individualized phone calls checking in with those on the brink of lapsing?

If you answered, “both, in combination”–you’re right! Let your system do the notifying, so your team can do the focused outreach.

But how?

• Personalizing Communications

Automated systems can track member preferences and behavior, allowing you to send targeted messages that make members feel seen. Plus, engagement scores will let you see who is using your platform frequently vs. who rarely (if ever) interacts. This can be an important indicator of someone about to lapse, so you can use this information to create particularly involved and “human” campaigns.

• Offering Self-Service Portals

Members can renew memberships, update their profiles, and access resources anytime, anywhere (without having to play email tag!).

• Decreasing Response Times

Automated FAQ email responses ensure members get quick access to answers to many of their questions, giving you time to focus on support requests that need extra attention and improving overall member satisfaction.

When members feel valued and supported, they’re more likely to keep coming back year after year.

3. It Improves Data Management and Insights

Data is gold…if you know how to use it. System automation can help member-based organizations collect, organize, and analyze their data in real-time, providing valuable insights that drive better decision-making. The University of Pennsylvania (2022) affirms this, explaining that organizations can become more proactive in identifying opportunities guided by the validity of data (rather than simple intuition or industry experience).

But how?

• Centralizing Your Data

When you use your platform (be it your membership management system, learning management system, or an all-in-one) to collect and store your data, you’re removing risk. Consider: no more scattered spreadsheets or missing files! Automated data collection keeps everything in one secure, accessible place.

• Reporting in Real-Time

A good platform can grant you instant insights into membership trends, event attendance, engagement levels, finances, and more. Look for one that offers custom and AI-enabled reports for even deeper analysis!

• Predicting Through Patterns

Once you have your data, you’ll want to use it. Your reports will help you identify recurring patterns and forecast future needs, helping you make more informed decisions.

Example:

If your data indicates that younger members are trending less engaged, you can use this as an indicator that you need to add some campaigns, programs, and/or events that cater more to their demographic.

Next, do a little digging: collect some targeted feedback, analyze it, and add recurring suggestions to your roadmap. And, if a request is immediately actionable, don’t wait! Do it now! You’ll soon find your previously at-risk audience is more invested than ever.

Reducing member churn and strengthening loyalty: that’s the power of the automated, data-driven approach!

4. It Saves Cost and Grows Revenue

Let’s talk numbers. Every member-based organization wants to cut costs while increasing impact…and revenue!

By reducing inefficiency while also minimizing human error, automation can lead to significant financial benefits. Take the healthcare sector, for example: intelligent workflow automation enabled one data aggregator to achieve 70% cost savings and automate 73% of document processing, slashing turnaround times from 48 hours to less than a second (Suarez, 2022)!

But how?

• Reducing Operational Costs

Less manual work means lower labor costs and fewer mistakes that can lead to financial losses down the line. Plus, you can redirect your organization’s manpower away from tedious data entry and toward larger, more important initiatives. Save money, limit errors, and gain resources!

• Providing Membership Autorenewal

Consistency is crucial. An automated platform will allow you to offer autorenewal (subscription-based memberships that refresh every year) without you having to reach out. Renewal notifications, reminders, and receipts can be issued automatically, and payments are processed on time, all of which helps reduce lapses in membership.

• Boosting Your Marketing

Reach potential members with targeted campaigns and follow-ups without lifting a finger. Just set your target group, what you want to send, and what triggers the notification (if anything). The system will implement the workflow for you, start to end.

Maintain steady growth without extra effort. Let your automated platform take care of the rest!

5. It Scales With You

Growing your organization is a wonderful thing, but scaling without automation? Now, that’s a recipe for burnout.

As your member base expands, handling everything manually eventually becomes more than difficult: it’s downright impossible! Think of all the spreadsheets you’d need!

Thankfully, automation ensures that your operations can scale smoothly without overwhelming your team.

But how?

• Helping You Handle Increased Workloads

Whether you have 100 members or 100,000, automation keeps everything running smoothly. Whether you’re handling memberships, event registration, finances, or more, an automated platform will help you keep things efficient and orderly.

• Supporting Multi-Program Expansion

As your organization adds new membership tiers, events, courses, posts, or programs, automation helps you replicate and manage each one efficiently—without having to start from scratch each time.

• Combining and Consolidating Your Technology Stack (the Modular All-in-One Option)

If you choose to go with a natively all-in-one platform, all of your systems are in sync from the start: your CRM, AMS, LMS, event registration and webinar platform, member portal, payment gateways, web page builder, marketing tools, and more are always connected and updating in real time.

And, with a modular platform, you can add or remove pieces as you need them; it’s as easy as clicking a button. When everything is built ground-up to work together seamlessly, you can scale without the added complexity.

With the right automation tools, your organization is set up for long-term success, no matter how big it gets.

You may also like: Create Quality Content Quickly: a Guide for Busy Associations

So…Where Should You Begin?

We’ve laid out all the benefits of automating your workflows, and you may be seeing the beautiful light of optimization. That’s great! But we know what you’re thinking: where do we even begin? The trick to introducing automation to your organization isn’t to overhaul everything overnight. Instead, start small by identifying your biggest pain points.

Sit down with your team, and ask: What manual tasks are eating up the most hours each week? For many organizations, the culprits often come in the form of processing membership renewals, answering repetitive FAQs, or managing event registrations. Pick just one specific bottleneck process to automate; this will allow your team to get the hang of it. Once you secure that first quick win (and breathe a sigh of relief!), you can easily scale your automation efforts from there.

Remember: you just have to tackle things one step at a time. From single workflows to systems to full technology stacks, when you break things down, anything becomes achievable. So, what are you waiting for?

REFERENCES

Perez, J. (2023, April 12). How Automation Drives Business Growth and Efficiency. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/sponsored/2023/04/how-automation-drives-business-growth-and-efficiency

University of Pennsylvania. (2022, October 20). 5 key reasons why data analytics is important to business | penn LPS online. Penn LPS. https://lpsonline.sas.upenn.edu/features/5-key-reasons-why-data-analytics-important-business

Suarez, S. (2022, March 3). Workflow automation: What it is and how it can make your job easier. Venturebeat; VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/datadecisionmakers/workflow-automation-what-it-is-and-how-it-can-make-your-job-easier

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