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The MemberClicks Blog

‘Tis the season to be thankful! And boy, are we ever. It’s been a remarkable year, and there’s so much to look forward to in 2019!

But, before we get ahead of ourselves, we think it’s important to take a step back and reflect on what we’re most thankful for: our customers.

There are SO many reasons we’re thankful for you, but here are four, in particular, we’d like to share:

Note: This post was originally published on 11/4/15; Updated 11/19/18 for added value.

The holiday season is officially upon us, and with that comes a certain level of increased social media visibility. (People are on their phones a lot more, after all.) But how can your organization really leverage that visibility to increase online member engagement? We’ve got a few ideas!

Engaging your members throughout the year is hard enough. But throw in the holidays, and it often feels downright impossible.

Your members are on vacation, enjoying time with their loved ones, taking a much needed break from their jobs/professions - and rightfully so!

So how can your association or chamber still engage with members, even during the busy holiday season? Here are a few tips:

If you’re a chamber of commerce or an association with members in the retail industry, Small Business Saturday is a big deal for your membership! They have a tough time year-round competing with retail giants. This is THEIR day to shine.

Show your support by doing a little promoting of your own. Check out these three ways to celebrate your members on Small Business Saturday:

Does your association or chamber currently have a volunteer recruitment strategy in place? Or is that strategy, we ask for volunteers as we need them?

If it’s the latter, while that might work on occasion, chances are, at some point in time, you’re going to come up short. For that reason, it’s best to have an ongoing recruitment strategy.

What exactly does that look like? Well it could be as simple as a page on your website and a series of email marketing campaigns. The key, though, is what you include on that web page and in your emails. See below for ideas and suggestions:

Note: This post was originally published on 10/20/15; Updated 11/6/18 for added value.

When it comes to onboarding new members, welcome packets go a long way. Not only do they help your new members get up to speed, but they make your new members feel welcome and relaxed about their decision to join.

While every organization’s welcome packet will vary, there are seven basic items you don’t want to leave out. Take a look:

You know you need to be posting on social media, but hey, who has the time? And for that matter, the content?

You do! You just have to plan ahead and get a little creative. And good news: The holiday season is one of the BEST times to engage with people (both members and prospects) on social media. Why? Well the photo opps are limitless (more on that shortly), people’s spirits are usually high, and best of all, it’s a way for you to connect with people (and them, you) on a more personal level.

Great, you might be thinking. But still, what should we post? See below for your very own holiday social media schedule!

Raise your hand if working with your board is like pulling teeth? Or a headache waiting to happen?

Ok, maybe don’t raise your hand (board members could be looking!). But we get it, boards are tough - and you’re certainly not alone!

That’s why DJ Muller, Chief Strategy Officer at MemberClicks, dedicated his breakout session at MC LIVE! to best practices for dealing with a difficult board (which he referred to as more of a therapy session).

Today, we’re bringing a little bit of that therapeutic advice to you. While Muller outlined several key tactics worth trying, here are four in particular that could have a major impact not only on how, but how well you work with your board:

Ghosted by a member? Yup, that’s scary. You NEED membership renewals to grow your organization.

But fear not! Even if a member lapses, there are still several ways to bring them back. (And these three are eerily good.)

MemberClicks is thrilled to be sponsoring SURGE Optimism, a free, interactive, virtual conference hosted by AssociationSuccess.org! The following blog post was written by one of the AssociationSuccess.org team members, Lucie Robathan! 

At AssociationSuccess.org, we feel very strongly that virtual conferences are a game changer. Technological solutions for interaction and communication mean that a virtual event can stimulate a unique kind of knowledge-sharing, across a huge range and variety of minds. We host a semi-annual virtual conference called SURGE, which began as an experiment in online collaboration - and has since taken shape as a platform in which knowledge is co-created in real time, through the active contribution of the participants.

The best way to understand the special kind of collaboration made possible by technology is to experience it - and in fact, by participating in an interactive virtual event you are strengthening the experience through your own contributions. We are therefore delighted to invite you to our upcoming conference, SURGE Optimism, running on November 7th-9th. Attendance is free, and your insights could actively shape the direction of the discussion. It’s win-win, really.

Since November is still some time away, below are some top tips for making your online event a truly collaborative one - and to whet your appetite!