Big Data- Your Association’s Crystal Ball

Terms become popular so quickly, and then are so widely used, that we often don’t stop and take the time to consider what they mean. For instance, “Big Data”, what is it exactly, and why should we care about it so much? The term Big Data refers to data sets that are too large, complex, or fragmented to analyze using traditional data processing applications. For companies and associations this data is a like a crystal ball; read right it can reveal business trends and unforeseen opportunities that can lead to large revenue gains. Every executive, director, and manager would love to [...]

Big Data- Your Association’s Crystal Ball2017-09-14T07:53:05+00:00

Online Shopping Habits: Does behavior differ depending on what you’re buying?

There’s big reasons we prefer to shop online – time-savings, convenience and ease of use to name a few. Whether from the couch or waiting at the airport, we have instant access to find exactly what we’re looking for online. It may be an emergency anniversary gift that has to be delivered tomorrow or a book you’ve been dying to read. Regardless of what we’re looking for online, do our search habits change? For example, would I shop for a pair of shoes any differently than I would for an online course that’s required for my profession? Nope, it would be [...]

Online Shopping Habits: Does behavior differ depending on what you’re buying?2016-04-19T14:03:53+00:00

Webinar Recap: Using Content to Drive Member Loyalty

In case you missed last week’s dynamo cast of presenters on the topic of “Using Content to Drive Member Loyalty” here’s a quick recap and links to the presentation slides and webinar recording. Amanda Davis, Online Learning Manager at North Carolina Association of CPAs discussed how their use of high-quality educational content helps to keep members satisfaction with the organization high and lead to overall member retention. Dean West, founder and President of Association Laboratory Inc. highlighted their recent report on the “Future of Association Engagement” and how those key findings relate to the NCACPA case study. It was a great [...]

Webinar Recap: Using Content to Drive Member Loyalty2017-09-14T07:53:05+00:00

Must See Six: May

After our recent webinar with Avectra, an Abila company, we got to thinking more about engaging members and what that really means and how to effectively do it. Here’s a selection of articles to read as you consider what engagement means for your association. What We’re Scoring When We’re Scoring Engagement A tool for tracking and measuring member engagement can be valuable for any association—if you can decide what “engagement” actually means to you, first. You Dropped the Ball with Member Engagement. Now what? You become so absorbed elsewhere that when you look up and get a chance to focus on [...]

Must See Six: May2017-09-14T07:53:05+00:00

The River Guide and Continuing Education

I read a Seth Godin blog recently called The River Guide and the Rapids. It’s a post that could relate to a lot of things, but I immediately connected it to the professional associations we do business with. The gist of the post is that domain expertise provides the knowledge and flexibility that allows a river guide to effectively pilot the boat (or raft) by responding to and handling whatever arises along the way. This is important, because rivers are anything but static. Neither is the world that professionals like doctors, lawyers, CPAs, or engineers, perform in. So, domain expertise becomes [...]

The River Guide and Continuing Education2017-09-14T07:53:05+00:00

Preparing for the June Compliance Deadline

Everyone’s favorite time of year is just around the corner- Compliance Time! The June CLE compliance deadline can be a very busy, and if properly planned for, very lucrative time of year for membership associations. The best way to minimize the headaches and maximize the revenue is to plan in advance. As Alexander Graham Bell said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” So take a minute to decide which courses you will highlight in advance of June compliance, how you will schedule them, and how you will communicate this to your members. Here are some things to consider: [...]

Preparing for the June Compliance Deadline2017-09-14T07:53:05+00:00

How to Launch a Successful Online CE Catalog

It is baseball time in America and one of the best quotes from a baseball movie is from Field of Dreams:  “If you build it he will come.”  Some have used the quote changing “he” to “they.”  In the movie there was a bit of doubt and a little risk taking in the building of a baseball field, but “they did come.” Building and launching a successful online continuing education catalog is not unlike the efforts taken in building the baseball field in the movie.  If you want to guarantee that “they will come” all it takes is a plan to [...]

How to Launch a Successful Online CE Catalog2017-09-14T07:53:06+00:00

April Greetings

For starters, I would like to take this moment to thank you for your valued partnership. The collaborative relationship we maintain with you is without equal in today’s business world and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it. My previous letter to you introduced a theme – upholding and increasing your marketplace identity to your members and learners. InReach recognizes that we find ourselves executing our businesses in the most hotly-contested, global-marketplace in human history; where competition is fierce. Our philosophy is to provide to you the most superior products and services the industry has to offer, so [...]

April Greetings2016-04-25T14:02:24+00:00

Must See Six: April

Let’s face it—the times, they are a’changing.  Currently, Millenials make up a third of the workforce, and by 2020 they’ll be in the majority. Not to mention, they’re an interesting bunch to employ, engage and retain. Here’s a great round-up of articles to begin learning what makes this newest generation tick. Meet the Millennials: The consumers to change the marketing landscape Nextweb.com Understand what millennials value, and discover the best ways to connect with them and market to them. Designing New Opportunities for Millennial Members Association Now Look at how AIGA, the professional association for design, is adjusting to changing membership demographics and [...]

Must See Six: April2017-09-14T07:53:06+00:00

What’s Your Great Idea?

The “Great Ideas Conference” is an event provided by the American Society of Association Executives that I attended and presented at in March. It was my first time to attend this conference, and I was astonished with everything related to the event: the registrants, the presentations, the networking, and all the fun. Truly, great ideas were everywhere, and I knew I wanted to write a blog about some of these great ideas. However, selecting the golden nuggets to highlight was just not possible—too many to choose from. However, there was one other big takeaway from the conference that was blog worthy: [...]

What’s Your Great Idea?2017-09-14T07:53:06+00:00
Go to Top