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The MemberClicks Blog

Your association management software is the lifeblood of your organization. It contains all key contact information, annual billing, past transactions, related individuals and companies, events management, committees, certifications and much more.

And yet, with so much information being added TO your membership database, too many association leaders don’t take information FROM their database to help them drive better decisions!

Spending a little time with the data can pay huge dividends as you look at your membership in different ways. You’ll get a better understanding of how members, companies, or industry segments contribute to your organization’s health. And, you can better understand the aspects of the organization that your members value the most.

With the right reports, it’s easy to uncover powerful data. See if your software includes some of these common reports:

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!

With the New Year closing in on us (seven weeks away), this fourth quarter will be done before you know it! That means your time is even more valuable during the holiday season and you want to make sure you're using your time effectively and efficiently.

But don’t fret! As long as you keep your head on straight, you’ll be able to tackle any project you’re trying to wrap up. Take a look at our time saving tips to help any association (or chamber) professional rock this holiday season!

If you’ve ever been to any Disney park, you KNOW they go above and beyond to provide an exceptional customer experience. What makes their approach so special is Cast Members (aka, park employees) are given the authority to go above and beyond for guests.

To give you an example of something I experienced personally: It was my son’s very first time at Disney World in Orlando, and he was SO excited to explore the Star Wars area. It was a particularly busy day, so when it came to meeting characters he had to choose between Kylo Ren and Chewbacca. He ended up choosing Kylo Ren because, as he informed us, he’s “his biggest fan.”

Afterward, we were looking at some of the movie props in the building when a Cast Member struck a conversation with my husband. When he mentioned that we didn’t have time to meet Chewie, the Cast Member simply said “Follow me,” and walked us straight to the front of the line! (True story, I have the pictures to prove it.)

This small act made all the difference for the then 7-year-old - and us, too! And it wouldn’t be difficult to apply some of the same principals at your association. What unexpected gestures can you do for members to show them that you care? We have some ideas:

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:

If you’re like most chamber or association professionals, you may be inadvertently focusing on acquiring and engaging your current members without trying to actively retain them for the next season. To pick up your retention efforts, try making your renewal messages SO compelling that it’s obvious that they must renew!

That said, remember that there are a lot of ways your renewal messages could do more harm than good. To avoid this, check out our list of what NOT to do with your member renewal campaigns.

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!

Trying to look into the future to see how you can be the most prepared in 2019? With the average age of the association workforce starting to shift toward the younger generations, it’s crucial that you’re considering what it will take to keep Millennials plugged into your association.

Check out these values that your association should focus on to keep association Millennials around in 2019.

Managing any type of organization comes with its pitfalls. Enter, technology. It’s built to make your life easier and avoid those pitfalls at all costs! This Halloween season has us thinking: What nightmares could YOU avoid by using the right association management software?

Here are a few we think are worth mentioning: