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The MemberClicks Blog

Thinking of purchasing an association management system in 2018? How can you be sure you land on not only the right system, but the right provider?

There’s SO much to take into consideration: software features, efficiencies, company experience and reliability, future developments, etc. To keep track of it all - and make sure you don’t leave any stone unturned - here’s a checklist of questions you need to ask when going through the AMS shopping process:

With the arrival of the new year, you need to be ready for a rise in traffic to your website. Why? Most people in January often begin exploring what New Year’s Resolutions they want to take seriously and that very well might be joining your organization!

To make sure that you make a great impression for your organization, try including these five easy hacks on your homepage to boost your member acquisition.

Association professionals switch association management software providers for all sorts of reasons, but two of the biggest are lack of support and resources.

A good AMS provider should WANT to help you succeed, and to help you succeed, they should provide you with a bank of valuable resources. Specifically, they should offer…

Last week we made a pretty big announcement. MemberClicks is joining forces with WebLink, and we couldn’t be more excited! By coming together, we’ll have more resources and people power to do what we do best - to serve you and your members!

While there’s a lot to navigate in the coming weeks, there’s one thing we know for sure: we’re here to further spread our mission to associations and chambers, empowering you to thrive with refreshing technology and a heart for service.

Association management system, or AMS for short. You’ve likely heard the term, and you may even know what it means. (For those who don’t, an AMS is a technology solution that allows you to manage your organization’s membership using one integrated system, which includes your website and your database. Dues renewals, email marketing, event registration, and more - you name it, an AMS does it.)

Sounds great, you might be thinking. But do I really need one? I mean REALLY?

We say yes, and here’s why:

Your database may give you a headache from time to time, but there’s SO much valuable information there. Are you using it to your advantage?

Sure, you should be tracking the normal numbers: recruitment rates, renewal rates, event registrations, etc. But are you taking it a step further to actually advance your association?

Here are three ways to strategically use your association’s database (Yes, you’ll still have to analyze the data, but it’ll be worth it!):

So, you’ve found yourself in trade show season, with the big show, #ASAE17 in Toronto, right around the corner. One of the reasons to spend precious time on any trade show floor is to discover potential partnerships that will help your association succeed. Now, whether that means finding exciting locations for your next annual meeting or a new association management software--word on the street is MemberClicks has a good one, btw--there are certain signals sent through a vendor’s on-floor presence and behavior that can give you an indication of their relationship potential once the booths have been broken down and you’re back in the real world together.

If an association management system (AMS) is on your radar (or even just in the back of your head for now), the next big question then is when: when should you start looking for association management software and when exactly should you pull the trigger?

Well, as with most things, the sooner you can start the better. But with software, in particular, it all depends on when you’ll need it.

Getting your members to login can be challenging, but once they do, are you doing everything in your power to keep them there - happy and engaged? Are you providing them with the information they need to take “next steps” - whether that’s to register for your next event, renew their membership/pay dues, or even just read up on the latest industry news?

Having an engaging member landing page - the page members see upon logging into your site - dictates not only how much people engage with you, but whether or not they continue that behavior. (One or two bad experiences and someone could decide that logging in just isn’t worth it anymore.)

So what makes an engaging member landing page? What elements do you need? We’ve identified five must-haves:

Let’s say you’re using a membership spreadsheet to manage your association - and you KNOW that’s not working. You know you need a technology partner and an association management system (AMS) to help lighten the load.

The trick, though, is selling that idea to your board. How do you get them to see that this isn’t just something you want, but need?

We’ve got a few tips. When it comes to “selling” an AMS to your board, consider the following three talking points: