The Association Adviser Podcast
By Association Adviser
Episodes are published monthly.
Interested in being a guest? Don't want to be a guest, but want to hear about a certain topic? Email us at kclark@naylor.com!
The Association Adviser Podcast is sponsored by Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about our resources for improved member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
The Association Adviser PodcastNov 30, 2017
How to Run More Efficient, Secure Elections
Elections require a delicate balance of transparency and privacy. You want your members to know and trust the process and the results. But sometimes you also want to protect the privacy of individual choices. There's also the chance of human error if making a group decision the old-fashioned way: by a show of hands, or by counting scraps of paper.
That's why Pete Westerhaus and Tony Hoff are with us today to talk about the benefits of using an electronic balloting system like the one Survey and Ballot Systems offers. Their DirectVoteLive platform is a cloud-based system of conducting elections or voting on initiatives.
Pete, an account manager for Survey and Ballot Systems, and Tony, their marketing director, explain how software like DirectVoteLive makes balloting in any size association easy, quick, and most importantly, secure.
This is a topic we've never broached before, but given the larger climate these days, we felt it was important to address, if only to get associations thinking about the integrity of their own elections and decision-making processes.
Interested in appearing on the podcast? Want to suggest an idea for an episode? Email Kelly Clark at kclark@naylor.com!
ASAE's Annual Meeting is Aug. 13-18! While we're disappointed we can't meet everyone in person this year, we hope the online format means many of you will be able to tune in again for a few days of education, networking, and fun. We'll have a team in attendance online and we hope to chat with you about our member engagement and non-dues revenue solutions.
Our Chief Revenue Officer Walt Phillips will lead what's sure to be an intriguing Q&A session with the dynamic Baratunde Thurston for the opening keynote. Join us for an Action Lab to talk about how your association will strategically plan in our next normal.
If you're going to be there for the education sessions, check out Digital Summit's Senior Sales Director Cedric Fellows's Express Talk on Monday, August 16 titled, "Will Your Sponsors Succeed at Your Next Virtual Event?" It's a 20-minute talk about ways you can improve your sponsorship offerings for virtual and hybrid conferences.
We'll see you online August 13-18!
Creating the Place Where Talent Gathers
Brian Hoffman, president at Illinois Bankers Business Services, loves banking. He loves what banks do for their customers and communities, and accurately predicted in his senior yearbook that he'd become a banker. Now all these years later, he's president of the Illinois Bankers Business Services, Inc. and Chief Evangelist, Co-Creator and Podcast Host for BankTalentHQ.com, a national network of job postings and resources for the banking industry.
Illinois Banking Business Services, Inc. is the for-profit arm of the Illinois Bankers Association. Its purpose is to create non-dues revenue for the association. IBBS started in the 1980s with a focus on selling insurance to members. Since then, the organization has grown to include a preferred vendor program and the online career center BankTalentHQ.com, a central hub for job listings and career resources for the banking industry.
Brian explains how BankTalentHQ grew out of members' stated need for more ways to get people interested in working for banks - and not just your stereotypical teller job, but everything that goes into running a successful bank - marketing, accounting, customer service, human resources, and more. This need for talent, and for people who would make a career out of banking, motivated the creation of BankTalentHQ. It started as a job board that catered to Illinois Bankers Association members, but has since expanded to a network of banking associations in 28 states, with more in the pipeline.
Brian tells us all about the amazing resources BankTalentHQ hosts and how he's built them. If you're thinking about adding or expanding your association's online career center, you'll definitely want to listen to hear how it can be done.
Thanks to our sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions, for supporting this episode. Learn more about our commitment to exceptional customer service and strategic growth for your membership at Naylor.com.
Want to appear on our podcast? Send Kelly an email at kclark@naylor.com. We'd love to talk with you about your association and the challenges and successes you're experiencing!
How to Keep a Member Magazine Thriving for More Than 100 Years
If you've worked in restaurants, factories, hotels, schools, or other places before attaining your dream job, you're going to relate well to this episode's guest. William Jones is the editor-in-chief for Independent Agent magazine, the flagship publication of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, Incorporated. But before he landed this position in October of 2020, he worked in all of those places. He's grateful for those experiences, however, because insurance is a part of every industry, and knowing first-hand the risks inherent in work in several industries has helped him better relate to members and what they want to know about through the magazine.
We talk with William about why it's hard for writers to build a career. When the Internet makes it easy for anyone to publish their words, the supply of writers increases. But so do the opportunities to practice your craft and set yourself apart from the pack. We cover how Will went from writing stories for free for a soccer fanzine to becoming editor in chief of a publication that serves 38,000 independent insurance agents.
We also cover how Will and his team heavily rely upon data to know how readers are responding to Independent Agent's content, and how essential it is to frequently survey readers to know what to talk about in future issues. IIABA is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. And, the association has continuously published Independent Agent since 1903. There's a lot of tradition associated with a publication that established, but tradition will only get you so far.
Will's routine for examining readership surveys, and studying click and impression numbers and visitor activity on IA's website is what keeps Independent Agent going strong in an era when many associations are decreasing the frequency of their print publications or ceasing them altogether.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions.
Want to be a guest on The Association Adviser Podcast? Have an idea for an episode topic? Email Kelly Clark, kclark@naylor.com.
Accepting Change and Working Through It
Change is hard, no matter how you look at it. Accepting change and working through it are essential to sustaining and growing your association, however. On this episode of The Association Adviser Podcast, we welcome Jennifer Spear, a facilitator, trainer, and un-consultant on this episode to talk about change. The past year has forced everyone to deal with some level of change, but the end of the pandemic won't signal the end of change forever. As associations like yours grow, adapt to new circumstances and refine their missions, change will always be a constant.
Jennifer works with organizations to help them think creatively, solve problems and plan strategically. Her consultancy, Unscripted, helps organizations accept the offer of change. We spoke with her about how to become more resilient and accepting of change, and how to work unscripted, especially during a time when we're all going through so many changes. She offers great advice about overcoming obstacles to changes as well as plowing through change fatigue in order to stay afloat and thrive. You're going to find this episode very useful no matter your association role or goals!
Before or after you listen to this episode, take the 2021 Association Communications Benchmarking Survey. This comprehensive study defines member communications best practices for associations of all sizes. It's possible because of professionals like you who give 30 minutes of your time to improve the practice of member communcations for all.
Give us your input to shape the report into an insightful and relevant resource for the entire association community. The survey is open through April 30, 2021. Participants who complete the survey will be entered for a chance to win one of 25 $100 Amazon gift cards when the survey closes. Access the survey today!
One more thing: The next Digital Summit at Home virtual conference is April 27-29, 2021. This is for all you association marketers—and for the association professionals who don't have "marketer" on your resume but wear that hat anyway. Hear keynote speeches from author Priya Parker, David Shing, and Robb Lee of ASAE. There will be more than 35 sessions across 3 days, and workshops about content marketing, member engagement, email marketing, lead generation, revenue strategies, diveristy and inclusion, and more. Snag your ticket at here! Groups of 3 or more get a $50 discount, even if that group isn't at the same organization! So tap your marketing friends to join you for 3 days of interactive learning. Go to digitalsummit.com and register for Digital Summit at Home for Associations, April 27-29, 2021.
What We’ve Learned from a Year of Virtual Conferences
How to Optimize Membership Management
Association professionals are under constant pressure to get more done with fewer resources. They're being compared to leaner, more agile startups, and they're being told their foundations are outdated. What do you do when faced with the need to streamline operations?
To continue on a path of delivering outstanding membership experiences and making progress toward their mission, Emily Hendershot of Nova Strategies recommends following a 3-step process to optimize operations. She talks with us on The Association Adviser Podcast about what it means to optimize association operations. Optimization is not the same as improving productivity or efficiency, but a combination of both. She recommends slowing down with your staff and asking yourselves three key questions when faced with narring time and resources but a goal of providing the best member/stakeholder experience:
- What's being done?
- What should be done?
- How can we make it better?
More than just increasing efficiency or productivity, optimizing your membership management means to make the best or most effective use of the time and resoruces you have. Optimized operations lead to happier staff and members. Focusing on the operations that really matter can also help your association fulfill your mission better.
Emily loves building strong, collaborative relationships with organizations to strategize efforts and optimize operations. Her successful history in creating and executing strategic initiatives has driven growth for global associations with membership targets from 200 to more than 125K people.
She'll share a lot more during April's Digital Summit event, which you can sign up for online at digitalsummit.com. Digital Summit is 3 days of interactive, exciting sessions about everything marketing, including content, lead generation, branding, email, social, video, and and more. You can attend from the comfort of your home, office, favorite coffee shop, or anywhere you have an internet connection. Digital Summit's speakers are LIVE and excited about helping attendees like you learn. Reigster today!
Come for the Mission, Stay for the Membership Value
Members join your association for the mission, but buy your value. Or do they buy your mission and stick around for the value?
Our guests Dave Will of PropFuel and Tom Morrison of MTI explore the balance associations must strike between focusing on association mission and providing member benefits.
If Tom and Dave's names sound familiar, it might be because they host the Association Strong podcast. There, Tom and Dave offer insight from both a seasoned association executive and an entrepreneur perspective about topics that help associations drive value and engagement while running more efficiently. They've joined us on The Association Adviser Podcast to further explore what it means for associations to offer an engaging membership experience while also earning enough revenue to continue serving members.
We cover a broad range within this topic, including how the pendulum of association business seems to swing between focusing on mission versus emphasizing member benefits. We address marketing strategies like conversational marketing and using FOMO, or fear of missing out, to get members more involved. And we break down Tom's framework for association business that he dubs "ALIVE." It's all about asking your members what they need and responding with value. Listen to the conversation to get the full explanation!
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions.
Want to be a guest on The Association Adviser Podcast? Have an idea for an episode topic? Email Kelly Clark, kclark@naylor.com.
Check out the Association Strong Podcast as well! There's strong, and then there's Association Strong.
Create Steak and Sizzle for Your Virtual Sponsorships
We're almost one year into the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, and virtual events - or at least hybrid events with both in-person and virtual components - are here to stay. One aspect of virtual event production that's essential to do well is meaningful sponsorships that encourage exhibitors to continue their financial support of the association. But how do you connect your sponsors with attendees when they're separated by two screens and a WiFi range? What benefits do you offer when you can't guarantee a certain amount of foot traffic past their booth?
Tobias Schremmer, director of sponsorships for Digital Summit, shares how he and his team have created virtual sponsorship packages that contain the "steak" - the attendee interactions and information that sponsors and exhibitors want - plus some "sizzle," or extras you should throw in to make sponsorship with your particular association worth continuing during this period of remote gatherings. In this episode, hear what they've learned about offering a meaningful virtual sponsor program that still leaves exhibitors satisfied with their ROI.
Thanks to our sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions!
How to Write a Marketing and Communications Plan
It's planning season for most associations - the time of year when we take a long-term view of how far we've come and where we'd like our work to take us in the new year. For many association marketing teams, it's time to draw up a communications and marketing plan. Rachel Clemens, chief marketing officer, and Nicole Araujo, client engagement director, both of Mighty Citizen, join us for a discussion about creating a comprehensive communications plan that covers all your bases AND wins over your leadership team.
Rachel and Nicole have come up with a five-part communications plan template that will help you write out everything you need to consider for a stellar communications program next year. We also discuss how to gain acceptance of the plan among your organization's leadership, including how to get approval for ideas you've never tried before.
We wrap up with thoughts about how often you and your team should check in with your plan to ensure you're still on track, and what to do when things go off the rails as they did spectacularly in 2020.
This episode will help to anyone listening who is new to strategic communication planning or is looking for a refresher about best practices for creating a comprehensive marketing plan.
Find Mighty Citizen's five-part communications plan template here.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions!
The Association Reinvention Mandate
Our guest this episode is Jeff De Cagna, FRSA, FASAE, a leader and contrarian thinker in the association community. He talks with us today about the need for associations to reinvent themselves in the leadership and stewardship roles they were meant to fulfill. 2020 has been a year of uncertainty, protests, political upheaval and refocusing of all kinds of priorities. It's past time associations take a hard look at what their priorities are, and adjust accordingly.
Jeff explains that many associations have spent the last 20 years falling into what he calls "the relevance fallacy," or the idea that being relevant to as many stakeholders as possible is the ultimate goal. But relevance has caused association leaders to become more self-serving, and less focused on who they really need to be serving: their members, supporters, and their professional and geographical communities at large.
He goes further to say that going forward, associations must show a willingness to be uncomfortable as we transition to a way of doing business that's more sustainable and profitable. Reinventing associations in this image of stewardship will involve hard choices and the courage to take some self-sacrificing actions, but associations' very existence is at stake. If you've been thinking your association needs to regroup as we head into a new year, this episode is for you.
Read Part I and Part II of Jeff's article series, The Reinvention Mandate.
Thank you to our sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Naylor is devoted to building stronger associations. Learn how at www.naylor.com.
Want to be a guest on The Association Adviser Podcast? Have an idea for an episode topic? Email Kelly Clark, kclark@naylor.com.
How to Take Care of Your Virtual Event Participants
Before 2020, Zoom meetings were somewhat of a novelty. But since March of this year, almost everyone has become familiar with — and become fatigued from — virtual meetings. Now, associations are having to step up their online meeting game to keep members engaged and excited about their involvement from home.
And that's when Lindsay Gross and Kate Pojeta step in. Lindsay is the director of facilitation services and Kate is director of meetings and technology for Event Garde, a trendsetting professional development consulting firm that helps associations and nonprofits pushes the boundaries of what’s normal and expected to facilitate lifelong learning. On this episode, they share with us how Event Garde is helping associations support their boards and members through strategic, engaging online meetings.
We talk through specific strategies their team uses for preparing for a remote meeting, and how running a remote meeting differs from in-person. Lindsay and Kate take a holistic approach to online meeting facilitation that emphasizes taking care of participants as much as it emphasizes acheiving the meeting's goals. It's a great lens through which to view virtual event planning and management, especially in a year that has been so heavy. In addition, they address managing everyone's expectations for what constitutes a successful virtual meeting, and how to make the most of engaging with others online. Kate and Lindsay teach us how to tap into unexplored possibilities to make your next virtual strategy session, board meeting, or full-blown annual conference a success.
Event Garde has teamed up with Ricochet Advice to publish The Complete Guide to Virtual Event Creation, a tool to help with the conceptual preparation and detailed planning that virtual events require. Producing a virtual event is difficult, and those with years of experience can anticipate and resolve all the challenges associations face. But if you're new to virtual events, this virtual event guide, with its 147-point checklist and structures, should help you avoid the more common mistakes and put on an engaging event from which your attendees will benefit. Download The Complete Guide to Virtual Event Creation for free today. We cannot recommend this virtual event guide from our trusted content partners, Event Garde and Ricochet, enough!
Want to guest star on The Association Adviser Podcast? Want to submit an idea for an episode? Email Kelly Clark, kclark@naylor.com. Submissions are always welcome!
Take the Shame Out of Your Career Changing Game with Nicolle Merrill
We talk with Nicolle about common themes she hears from workers of all ages. Things like, "I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life," or "I want to change careers - but I don't want to go back to school." She walks us through her approach to overcoming these mental obstacles, and how to map your interests to your career path. After listening, you'll be motivated to take the necessary steps toward achieving your dream job while taking advantage of every career opportunity out there.
Read more about Nicolle and her career changing work at her website, nicollemerrill.com. Her book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers and Beat the Robots, is available on Amazon and on her website.
Listen to her podcast at www.50conversations.com.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser‘s platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast by emailing Kelly Clark at kclark@naylor.com. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions.
Insights from the 2020 Association Communications Benchmarking Report
This year, Association Adviser also added a number of questions specific to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s affected associations since the spring. And we've brought Sarah Sain, director of content at Naylor, to explore in more depth what the benchmarking report says about the state of association communications in 2020.
Sarah Sain, CAE is responsible for the overall strategy, leadership and management of Naylor’s content department. In her nine years with Naylor, Sarah has provided editorial consultation and content strategy for more than 30 associations across an array of industries. Today, she works closely with a select group of Naylor’s association partners to plan, coordinate and produce their print and digital communications. Sarah also serves as writer and managing editor of Association Adviser.
Sarah delves into the major challenges association communicators report facing in 2020, and six recommendations for meeting those challenges. While the report team does an excellent job every year of offering advice for association communicators, this year's recommendations are going to be so important as associations strive to prove their membership value and retain members through excellent communications.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast by emailing Kelly Clark at kclark@naylor.com. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions.
How Association Partnerships Are Helping Members Thrive
"We will all be remembered by how we react to this situation" says our guest, Thomas Foreman, executive director of the Building Supply Industries Association of British Columbia and the Northwest Industries Association. The Northwest Industries Association formed in April 2019 to focus on building the strength of small- and medium-sized businesses in three areas: advocacy, education and training, and revenue-generating partnerships.
We spoke with Thomas about how NWIA members have banded together to help local businesses, keep each other informed, and most importantly, continue helping unemployed job seekers find meaningful work.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
How the Fisheries Council of Canada is Building and Sustaining Future Association Leaders
In the commodity business, people tend to think "If I supply it, someone will buy it." But the world is changing, and interacting with all parties involved in a supply chain can supply valuable knowledge for industry professionals working to create and sustain a profitable business model. That's why the Fisheries Council of Canada, led by president Paul Lansbergen, CAE, created the Future Leaders Canada program. Future Leaders Canada exposes participants to different parts of the fisheries supply chain that they would otherwise never see, and expands their personal network of industry individuals and companies. We spoke with Paul and Future Leaders Canada graduate Denise Avery-Reinhoudt about the goals of the program, how they planned and implemented the inaugural program in 2019, and their plans for enriching the program further this year. The program is a testament to the power of associations to bring members from diverse roles within an industry together to deepen their knowledge about the way their industry works while helping members network on a more personal level. Paul and Denise's conversation will encourage any association staff trying to better their member engagement and education offerings.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Data Analytics Reset: Assessing Your Data Analytics Program
Our guest this episode is Evan Reid, Data Analytics Manager for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Evan has been working with ASHA for almost two years to improve ASHA's use of its membership and operational data so that staff can deliver data and answer people's questions as quickly as possible through tools they can use on their own.
His team's goal is to create a "curated data exploration experience" where ASHA team members can dig into the data they need in a customized dashboard. Evan details how they're deciding what data to include, what kind of capabilities their new platform must have, and how he's getting everyone at ASHA excited about data analysis.
Some of the tactics he tells us about might be tactics you'd want to adopt at your association: Short in-office workshops, data "science fairs," and stickers labeled "data nerd" or "data geek." Evan explains that there IS a difference between the two, and such tokens have been a strong motivational tool for encouraging data literacy at ASHA.
Listen in for more tips about how to draw tech-adopters AND tech-avoiders into a productive conversation about making better use of your organization's data.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
How to Welcome New Members to Your Association
We talked with Amanda about how to make members feel valued by going back to the basics of what makes people feel like they belong to a group. We also discuss Kaiser's annual New Member Engagement Study that provides valuable data about what works in a typical new member onboarding program, and which outdated practices associations can abandon.
Press the Dang Button on Podcasting
Why are podcasts so popular, and how can your association begin one?
Podcasts operate similar to books, says Brian Fanzo, podcaster expert at iSocial Fanz and our guest on this episode. As you listen to a podcast you can create personal visualizations for yourself, which help you feel more connected to the host, brand or organization behind the podcast.
Podcasting might seem like too much of a time commitment to association professionals, or like something you've missed getting a jump on, but there's still lots of opportunity to make your mark with a podcast, whether it's for member resource sharing, highlighting member work, advocacy, or industry education. In this mini conversation, Brian advises associations interested in podcasting to learn how to use a few basic, free tools, then just "press the damn button" - meaning, just go for it!
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Accessible Content is Just Good Content
How well can people with vision impairment navigate your website? Would someone who is color blind be able to grasp everything you convey in your latest brochure? Accessibility isn't something that's widely talked about in the tech or association communities, but it's on the mind of Carmen Collins, senior social media and brand talent manager for Cisco.
Inspired by her experiences working with a broken elbow and then a visually-impaired intern, Carmen has been improving the accessibility of Cisco's online properties to create a better user experience for everyone, not just people who are already fully-abled. Adding things like captions for video or using cap case ("Cap Case") for hashtags can make your online content stand out, and your brand appear more caring and purposeful than your competition.
Our conversation at last fall's Digital Summit Tampa covered a range of accessibility topics from creating mobile-first content, to managing multiple platforms, to being judicious about your use of emojis. Listen to learn how you can easily and gradually make your online content reach more people by making it more accessible.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Human-Centered Strategy for the Now, Near and Far
If you were hired to revamp an association's 5-year plan, where would you start? If you're Garth Jordan, you'd start with the people in the association - and not just the staff or board of directors, but a representative sample of members at all levels of involvement.
Garth is the senior vice president and chief strategy officer for the Healthcare Financial Management Association, talks with us this episode about planning your association's strategy using human-centered design, and learning to really connect with members by shadowing them to understand their concerns and hopes for the direction of your association. He also emphasizes that associations must plan not only for the now, but for the near and far future.
Strategic plans can look forward, but unless they account for the now, near and far, your plans might not have the resources or manpower allocated properly to execute it.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Deconstruct Data Silos with a Member Data Platform
Have you heard of a member data platform? It's a software hub that offers an association a 360-degree view of a member or customer by breaking down silos between individual data platforms, such as an email marketing program or an eCommerce account. A member data platform can help your association find out how engaged members are by showing a map of all the different ways they interact with your resources.
At this month's ASAE TEC Show, we spoke with Jeff Horne and Juan Silva of Wicket, creators of the world's first member data platform. Jeff and Juan led us through how an MDP works, and how it can increase operational efficiencies for your association. We learned how an MDP can help you trust your data more, and most importantly, use your data more often to make business decisions that will further your mission and grow your influence.
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
How to Create Better Member Surveys
We're honored to host Rachel Clemens, chief marketing officer for Mighty Citizen, a firm that transforms mission-driven organizations through branding, marketing, and digital communications.
Rachel talks with us about why associations should survey their members regularly, how to build trust in your survey process, and what specific components make up a truthful, informative survey.
We also cover ways to customize your surveys for different member groups or for different surveying purposes, and we had a great discussion about incentivizing survey takers. Did you know that incentives that are too small or large can work against your surveying efforts? Us neither! Listen on for Rachel's explanation why.
Learn more about Mighty Citizen.
Check out Mighty Citizen's helpful guide to creating member surveys that work!
Advertise on this podcast, or any of Association Adviser's platforms, and reach thousands of association professionals eager to learn more about the businesses that can help them operate more effectively. Check out our media kit here.
Suggest a guest or topic for The Association Adviser Podcast! Email us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
How to Weave Your Association’s Story
Association Adviser welcomes Tamsen Webster of The Red Thread® to this episode! Tamsen helps organizations to help people find, build, and tell stories of their ideas. She combined 20 years in brand and message strategy with four years as a TEDx Executive Producer to create The Red Thread™, a simple way to change how people see and what they do as a result.
The Red Thread™ is the connection between a question and the answer. It's how you get others to care about your association's story. This could mean how you get members to join, and how you want them to engage with your association once they've joined. Weaving your Red Thread is about doing the work to know where your members are, to build THEIR case for joining and staying involved, and for creating a sense of pride in being a member of your association and industry.
Tamsen taught us that people want to believe they're smart, capable, and good. You'll want to listen to how she explains "letting others have your way" when it comes to disagreements and opposing viewpoints.
Learn more about The Red Thread at https://tamsenwebster.com/.
Find her free Red Thread assessment for your association here: https://tamsenwebster.com/how-big-is-your-big-idea/
Interested in advertising on this podcast or within another Association Adviser publication? Browse our media kit.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Don’t Test Your Emails and Other Email Marketing Advice
We talk with Jen Capstraw, strategist and email geek, about today’s email capabilities and how anyone can be a proficient email marketer if they take advantage of the tools available to them.
Links:
Women of Email: Find them on Facebook and at the Women of Email website.
Email and Cross-Channel Testing: You're Doin' It Wrong (webinar referenced during the episode)
Learn more about Iterable.
Advertise with Association Adviser!
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
The 2019 Association Communications Benchmarking Report
Join Sarah Sain, Naylor's director of content, member communications, as she explains the results from the 2019 Association Communications Benchmarking Report. this is the 8th year of the survey and resulting report, and we're starting to see a shift in association communication priorities.
Sarah discusses which communication challenges are vexing associations the most, which publication types are holding strong, and why having clean member data is the responsibility of everyone on an association staff.
Want to download the report for yourself? Find it at resource.naylor.com/benchmarking.
Want to take the survey? It's open year-round! Association professionals who complete at least 50% of the survey unlock access to a custom communications report card. See where your association's strengths lie compared to industry best practices, and know which areas of your communication practices could use some improvement. Compare your performance to similar-sized associations, and if you've taken this survey over multiple years, compare your progress! Find the survey and your custom report card at communicationsbenchmark.naylor.com.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
What is Machine Learning?
We speak with Chris Knoch of Big Squid, a company that produces automated machine learning platform for business insights. Chris explains what machine learning and artificial intelligence are, and how associations can use machine learning to better position themselves for success.
Plus, he discusses how associations can use data they already have, such as membership renewal or event registration data, to predict how successful their recruitment or event marketing efforts will be in the future. It's a great conversation, especially if you're interested in machine learning but haven't had the time to dive further into how you could apply it to your operations.
Thanks to Chris for joining us!
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Don’t Let Cynicism Overcome Passion: Association Advocacy
We spoke with Kevin Daley, director of government affairs for Naylor Association Solutions, and Dr. Madelaine Feldman, president of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations. CSRO advocates for access to the highest quality medical care for rheumatic disease patients with autoimmune inflammatory and degenerative diseases. They provide a network for state societies to exchange information regarding issues surrounding high quality care to Rheumatic disease patients, and collaborate with patient organizations, national and international societies and others whenever possible and appropriate in order to achieve better policies and care for rheumatic patients and their families.
Dr. Feldman is passionate about her work both as a doctor and as an advocate for patient access to the right medicines, streamlined healthcare processes, and fair policies for all patients. We loved talking with her about her experiences educating patients about their rights, speaking on Capitol Hill, and facing opposition. If your association is wondering how to get into advocacy activities to enact change in your industry, this is definitely an episode you will want to hear.
Kevin Daley is the Director of Government Affairs at Naylor, where he tracks and analyzes state and federal legislation and regulation of impact to clients. His insight into the legislative process and how associations can become involved, is valuable for anyone wanting to learn more about association advocacy.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Building Career Connections with ASCE
We recently caught up with Courtney Ross and Tirza Austin of the American Society of Civil Engineers to talk about the variety of career resources ASCE offers through its online career center, called Career Connections. Started in 2003, Career Connections has grown strategically and organically into a multi-faceted resource that includes a job board, education hub, salary surveys, and information about career paths in engineering.
But their career center is more than an information hub. Through initiatives like their Mentor Match mentoring program and a comprehensive directory to local ASCE branches and sections, the pair is working hard to encourage members to network offline and get involved in association-sponsored activities that can truly change their career paths.
Tirza and Courtney share how they're overcoming the perception that Mentor Match is an engineering version of Match.com, and how they're letting each bit of feedback about ASCE's career resources guide their decisions about what to do next. If you're involved in your association's professional development or career resource programming, this episode is full of information and mini case-studies you'll definitely want to hear.
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Modernizing Your Association: WRLA
Kelly and Kaydee speak with Liz Kovach and Jessica Cranmer of the Western Retail Lumber Association about the work they and their staff are doing to modernize WRLA's events, industry talent pipeline, and government relations.
WRLA began in 1890 as an organization to facilitate the success of the building industry. Today, it represents 2,400 member businesses and 262,000 Canadians employed in building material-related industries. Liz and Jessica talk about updating WRLA's Buying Show with an educational track (it never had one until last year!), their partnership with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to show students that working lumber industry doesn't mean you become a lumberjack, and their plan to regroup with related associations and create a strategy for advocating for the lumber industry at the federal level.
It's a great conversation to hear if your association is considering becoming more involved in government relations. Thanks to Liz and Jessica for joining us!
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
The Leading Edge of Change
We’re happy to welcome back Sharon Newport, Executive Director for the Door Security & Safety Foundation and Director of Operations for the Door and Hardware Institute for today’s episode. Sharon continues our conversation about association leadership and how great leaders are nurtured within organizations that make leadership training and knowledge transfer part of their organizational culture.
'Leading”associations are firmly grounded in their mission, and while they might adopt some of the latest leadership or staff development trends - they stay firmly grounded in their WHY so they don’t lose sight of the leadership or succession goals they’re striving for. We talk about transferring leadership and organizational knowledge across roles and generations, why it's important that leaders accept failure, and the difference between mentorship and sponsorship. We’re so glad Sharon could make time to share what she’s learning about leadership with us!
Check out the Door Security & Safety Foundation at dhi.org.
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Refresh Your Association Brand
Updating your association's brand can seem like a gargantuan task, but it doesn't have to be impossibly difficult. Josh Spradling, CAE, and Steven Stout, CAE, both of the Texas Society of Association Executives, share the process of their organization's recent brand refresh.
They detail how the impetus for an update began with their board leadership, how they involved an outside research firm to learn where their reputation stood and how to move it into the next decade, and how they formed a task force intentionally made up of people with different perspectives and experiences with TSAE so that everyone the association reaches could contribute to the new brand. "Better together" is TSAE's new tagline from the refresh process, and we think you'll agree that "together" is how a vibrant, impactful association brand like TSAE's is made.
Listen for Josh and Steven's two most important pieces of advice when it comes to refreshing your association brand and how to ensure a positive reception from your members upon revealing a new association look.
Check out TSAE's updated brand at http://www.tsae.org!
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Change Leadership and Leading with Curiosity
Changes in your work and team are inevitable, but they don't have to be difficult. Sharon Newport, director of operations at DHI - Door Security & Safety Professionals, shares about leading through the lens of change, and the benefits to using the power of change leadership to mold your association's culture and programming.
She details how leading with curiosity can help you explore the hidden strengths and great ideas of your team while improving your leadership skills. Sharon was once a documentary writer, producer, and actress, and has found many parallels between the structure of the media community and the association community, which she says is the tribe she never knew she needed. We think you’ll love her insights into the power of change leadership.
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Programmatic Advertising: Retargeting
On this mini episode we welcome back Kerry Walter, Naylor’s director of programmatic operations. Kerry explains how retargeting on Naylor’s programmatic advertising platform can benefit associations, their members and their advertisers. Retargeting is advertising online to certain individuals or groups of individuals based on their demographic characteristics or their recent online behavior.
An example of retargeting that Kerry gives during our conversation is event registration. Using programmatic technology, an association can track who hasn’t yet registered online for an event, and continue to advertise to those individuals through display ads, pop-ups, or other online messaging.
In addition to events, associations can use retargeting to advertise membership, to solicit sponsors, or to thank vendors. I’ll let Kerry explain how it works in detail. It's worth the listen and will get you excited about breathing more life into your association communications!
For more info about programmatic advertising, visit Naylor.com/programmatic-advertising/
Thanks to our sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions for their support of this podcast! Visit us at Naylor.com.
Thanks for listening to The Association Adviser Podcast! If you'd like to suggest a topic or a guest (even yourself!) for a future podcast, reach out to us at associationadviser@nayloronline.com.
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Tradition vs. Technology in Association Communications
What balance between traditional forms of association communications, such as printed magazines and newsletters, and newer, trendier forms such as podcasts or online communities, should associations strike? We talk with two leading communicators in the association community about maintaining this balance: Evan Sparks of the American Bankers Association and Bill Thorne of the National Retail Federation.
Both Evan and Bill head communications at their respective associations, and focus not only on producing content that their members value, but on delivering that content in a way that is accessible and convenient for as many members as possible. While association professionals have ranked traditional face-to-face events and print magazines within their top three communication channels for three years running - AND printed member newsletters broke into our top ten for the first time since we’ve run this survey - newer, trendier forms of communication are gaining prominence. Private online communities, apps, and podcasts were all rated at very or extremely valuable by 40 percent or more of association professionals surveyed.
We talked about the logic of publishing quick updates and in-depth features on different platforms. We touched upon integrating advertiser content into member communication in a way that presents product and service info without determining an association's content strategy. And we cover how to find out which communication platforms are effective among members and other stakeholders, who should be making those decisions, and how often you should be examining those preferences.
Show links:
ABA Podcast: https://www.aba.com/Press/Pages/podcasts.aspx
NRF's annual STORES Magazine: https://nrf.com/connect-us/stores-magazine
American Bankers Association: https://www.aba.com
National Retail Federation: https://nrf.com
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com. Check out our programmatic advertising product at Naylor.com/Programmatic-Advertising.
Connect with Association Adviser:
How Programmatic Advertising Benefits Associations
Heard of programmatic advertising, but wondering what it is and how it works? Join us for a conversation with Kerry Walter, director of programmatic operations for Naylor Association Solutions. Kerry explains how programmatic advertising is an auction-based style of buying and selling ads that can help your sponsors reach more of your members. Programmatic also helps associations reach more members and potential members with important programming messages through retargeting capabilities.
In short, it helps suppliers reach their target audience, and helps your association reach the people you want to involve more! This mini episode is the first of a series on programmatic advertising.
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Foresight is the Future of Governing
On this episode we’re pleased to welcome Jeff De Cagna, FRSA, FASAE, executive advisor of Foresight First, LLC. Jeff is a respected contrarian thinker on the future of associating and associations. He talks with us about the need for high-performing boards of directors and the necessity of adopting a future-oriented planning mindset he calls foresight first. Jeff explains how associations need their boards to focus their attention on understanding and preparing for an uncertain future for their organizations and stakeholders.
We're also excited to debut a new eBook in collaboration with Jeff: "Foresight is the Future of Governing." Download it at FutureOfGoverningeBook.com or Naylor.com/associationadviser.
Going to #ASAE18? Visit Naylor at booth 423! We'll have Garrett Popcorn and furry friends from the Canine Therapy Corps to help you relax and recharge. Find out how Naylor can help you achieve more by talking with one of out team members about solutions for your association.
Want to be a guest on our podcast? Drop us an email at associationadviser@nayloronline.com with your topic ideas! Want to stay behind the scenes, but have a concept you want to know more about? We're always accepting episode ideas at the email address above.
Want to share your message with the Association Adviser community? Advertise on this podcast! Association professionals will hear about your business and your solutions as they listen for in-depth features about what’s happening now - and next – in the association community. Your business belongs in this community, too. Go to Bit.ly/AdviserMediaKit for more info.
Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Naylor Association Solutions. Learn about Naylor's resources for improving your member engagement and non-dues revenue at www.naylor.com.
Connect with Association Adviser:
3 Things Associations Should Do on Social Media Right Now
Make Content Planning Work for You
How Associations Can Earn More Non-Dues Revenue
This month, Kaydee Brown and Kelly Clark talk with Tara Ericson, Group Vice President for Member Communications at Naylor Association Solutions, and John Bacon, a group publisher also with Naylor, about the ways asosciations can earn more revenue that will support their mission and goals. We cover ways of earning more revenue including the sale of advertising space in publications, charging for exhibit space at an event, and collecting fees to view content from an educational course or your association’s conferences and workshops.
Tara and John give useful insight into how a vendor that specializes in publication design and production or event management can help an asoscia
Why You Should Work for an Association
1. Opportunity to work in ANY industry
2. Opportunity to come from ANY background
3. Opportunity to work in a variety of roles
4. Opportunity to grow your career parallel to the growth of an organization
We then discuss ways to keep your association career moving forward, including self-improvement book recommendations from Erica Halmstad of the National Fluid Power Association, taking online or in-person courses, attending conferences and workshops, and where to find quick association career tips online.
As promised during the podcast, these are some of our favorite association blogs and online resources:
www.eventgarde.com
www.smooththepath.com
membershipmarketing.blogspot.com/
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Event Security: What to Anticipate and How to Plan For More Secure Events
Does your association have an event crisis plan? Do your staff know what to do when someone at an event is injured, or when a hurricane is bearing down on your venue?
Safety and security is the No. 1 trend in the Meetings Outlook Surveys held by MPI (Meeting Professionals International) twice each year. This is the first time in the history of the survey that safety and security has ranked as the number one trend meeting planners pay attention to when planning an event. Surprised? Considering recent events that have negatively impacted concerts, church services, schools and other events, not to mention the usual risks of sickness or weather that event planners usually anticipate, you shouldn't be. While some crises are more preventable than others, you and your staff can and should prepare for all types of crises.
On this podcast, we review the most re
New Year's Resolutions for Associations
On this episode we’re talking about New Year’s Resolutions: Why we make them, tips for making and keeping a new year’s resolution, and how associations can adopt resolutions that help achieve their goals.
Kaydee and Kelly run through the most popular New Year's resolutions and what research says about why people break them. We cover tips for keeping your resolutions and for setting goals/resolutions that are realistic and achieveable. We also share different ways of making resolutions, including the increasingly popular One Word or Word for the Year method of focusing your new year goals.
Finally, we discuss how associations can get into the New Year spirit and set resolutions for their organization - after all, resol
The Association Adviser Podcast Intro
Association Adviser is a hub for trade and professional associations looking for best practices, news and leadership strategies. We shine a spotlight on the fun and successful things associations are doing! We also listen to what our association partners tell us they want to improve, and we research what tools and processes are available to help associations overcome those challenges.
Our goals for this podcast are to host a space for association professionals of every background, every title, and every experience level to talk about what you all have learned and are continuing to learn about working in associations. This includes working with members and boards of directors, marketing, advocacy, technology use and everything in between.
We also want this to be one more way you can connect with Association Adviser. Busy professionals like to have options for getting information, and we aim to deliver! We hope this podcast can become a re