Growth

Crisis response planning is something most organizations don’t want to think about. Numerous studies also confirm that only about half of all organizations have any kind of crisis plan in place.  Make sure your association is prepared. The intent of crisis communications is to strategically restore and preserve an organization’s reputation.  Even though it might not be a “fun” process to write a plan, it is crucial if you want to be ready to mitigate an issue. The goal is […]

Leveraging social media is a great way to open a dialog and grow your organization’s relationship with its members. See Part 1 of Social Media Relationship Building with Frank Kenny. Here are 8 more tactics for your organization to implement to generate relationship-building conversations on social media: Post during off-business hours. Lots of people are using two devices when watching TV so take advantage of it. There is less competition in the evening to be in news feeds. You could […]

Associations are in the relationship business. People join and retain their membership because they know, like, and trust the association and the people in the organization. Sure, they need to justify their membership by getting value, but really, if they decide they no longer know, like, and trust the organization, they are gone. Well, in the age of social media, how do you develop and maintain that know, like, and trust that is so crucial? With social media, of course. […]

Stories are always better when they are shared with others, and creating a book club is a great way to for association members to network and foster relationships – either in person or online. Not sure where to start?  These steps will help you get going. Set goals: What do you want to get out of it? And what do you want your members to get out of it?  This is also a great time to decide the tone or […]

The Interstate Mullet Toss weekend, Autism Awareness Month, and Volunteer Appreciation Day are just a couple of this year’s April holidays. Holiday observances are a great way to keep your association’s social media feeds active. Check out these April themes to get you started: Monthly Observances National Autism Awareness Month National Distracted Driving Awareness Month Oral Cancer Awareness Month National Grilled Cheese Month Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month 30 More Ideas for Association Social Media Posts » Weekly Observances […]

THE CHALLENGE When Laurie Lourie came on board as Executive Vice President of the York Builders Association, she brought 22 years of association experience and a keen eye for continuous improvement. She knew that a dues-based organization had to have cost-efficient systems in place in order to provide members with valuable programs and services. Laurie identified costly inefficiencies at the association, including separate systems for managing programs, accounting, and member data. With limited staff, outsourcing technical support would prove to […]

The GrowthZone team wishes everyone a productive American Associations Day! In virtually every business sector and industry, across the country, state to state, associations mobilize millions to turn change into progress one step at a time. The Power of A implements programs and impacts policies to support this progress. ASAE created the Power of A to serve as the association industry’s brand – not ASAE’s. The Power of A is a platform for all associations to educate audiences such as […]

You may not realize it, but you’re in the business of selling. Think about it. You sell memberships. Renewals. Sponsorships. Certifications. And conference registrations. Get the idea? But how do you really succeed in sales? It starts with being able to track and manage the sales process. Using a sales funnel, anyone can master the art of cultivating and closing sales. Watch a quick video about the GrowthZone AMS Sales Funnel Management Module » Not sure what a sales funnel […]

Half of Americans are under age 30 and millennials have become the largest share of the U.S. workforce. millennial noun [mil-len-ee-uh l] A person born in the 1980s or 1990s, especially in the U.S.; a member of Generation Y Young professionals (aka Millennials) are the future of member-based organizations. In order to survive, chambers must learn to reach young professionals and adapt to their culture. Myth: Millennials are not willing to join or take an active role in an association.  Fact: They’re willing, but participation needs […]

From pistachios to polar bears, February is full of random (and not-so-random) holidays. Holiday observances are a great way to keep your association’s social media feeds active. We’ve shared several February themes to get you started: Monthly Observances American Heart Month Black History Month Canned Food Month Great American Pie Month National Cherry Month National Children’s Dental Health Month National Grapefruit Month National Weddings Month 30 More Ideas for Chamber Social Media Posts » Weekly Observances Feb 4-10 Burn Awareness […]

The purpose of a press release is to get attention, make news, and generate publicity. It’s cost-effective marketing (free) and they can be used to create brand awareness for your association. Keep your website at the top of search engine results through blogging. Download How to Write an Association Blog People Will Read. The Basics of Crafting a Press Release: Make it newsworthy; it’s not an ad, it’s a news article Use an attention-grabbing headline Be time-sensitive – no one wants old news Stick to […]

GrowthZone recently surveyed 1,000 association professionals, asking about everything from renewal stats and member communication tactics to staff health insurance coverage and mobile payments… plus a whole lot more. Download the 2018 Association Industry Trends Survey Report to see what your association peers said. But, there was one question that opened a Pandora’s box of responses: What do you wish your board realized? We heard about board members who try to micromanage, those that don’t really do anything, and many who […]