The Top 5 Strategies for Bar Associations to Increase CLE Revenue in 2021 and Beyond
Creating successful online CLE programs that generate consistent revenue is no small feat. There are numerous factors that Bar Association leaders must take into account in order to provide value for attorneys. Some of these factors include;
- The Types of CLE Topics Offered
- The Usability of Their Online CLE Platform
- How CLE’s Are Promoted to Attorneys
The 5 Marketing Strategies to Increase CLE Revenue in 2021 and beyond Webinar
We recently hosted a webinar with several bar association leaders to explore various strategies to create and maintain a successful CLE program. During the 1 hour conversation, the panelists explored numerous marketing strategies and shared insights into what works and doesn’t work for their CLE programs.
To give you a glimpse into the conversation, we have provided a brief recap of the conversation.
1. Know Your Audience and Create Highly Targeted CLEs
The first step to developing a highly profitable CLE program is to understand the needs of your members and the general public. By understanding what attorneys are looking for and highlighting how they will benefit from purchasing your CLE, your association can create targeted CLEs that provide value.
For example: aside from offering comprehensive courses that are of great importance for all legal professionals, your association can also provide education on topics that resonate with attorneys based on their interests and what they wish to pursue.
A great way to know what your audience wants is to ask them! Then, incorporate their feedback into your CLE program planning.
2. Course Quality over Course Quantity Matters
Providing quality programs is more significant than a large number of miscellaneous CLEs. When bar associations focus on quality instead of quantity, they achieve better results and accomplish their strategic goals faster. In addition, producing quality CLEs saves time, generates more revenue, and provides value to your members.
3. Everybody’s Experience with Online CLE Programs Is Different
Keep in mind that your members will interact with your Learning Management System in different ways–some members are used to attending CLEs in-person, while others are more tech-savvy and prefer online options. So, make sure your association is there to provide support to those who need it.
Also, associations that don’t use a mobile-responsive online CLE platform could lose up to 70% of online traffic. Hence, apart from being user-friendly, your platform needs to be mobile-friendly as well!
4. Create an Outstanding Promotional Plan For Your Courses
Having a solid and thorough promotional plan is also an important strategy to increase the revenue of your association’s continuing education. After all, once you have quality CLE courses ready for your target audience, you have to let them know!
Advertise your courses where your audience is present–websites and social media accounts alike. Reach out to them via a separate CLE-only newsletter. Pay close attention to the email frequency and overall information contained in the email–you don’t want to spam your members with your offers, but make them aware of it instead!
You can also create landing pages for specific courses aimed at different members–as previously stated, your audience has different needs! Make sure your courses are diverse and engaging to different professionals.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Change Approaches
Associations have to be in sync with their members and the general public. So, do not fear change! If you develop a strategy that doesn’t yield the results you are looking for, pivot and create one that does–otherwise, you will end up with the same outcome. Ensure that your association’s CLE program is relevant and your marketing plan even more, so members can find your courses–and, eventually, buy them!
By following this outline, you can help your association move in the right direction by creating quality CLEs and effectively promoting them to your members.
View the webinar in its entirety below.
