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Association Management Software (AMS) offers associations, as well as other member-based organizations, the tools to run their day-to-day operations and provide services to their members. The most popular association management software and membership management software (MMS) saves associations time and money by improving their membership management and increasing efficiency in addition to growing and retaining membership, engaging members and streamlining tedious tasks. A powerful AMS offers the following features: Association Contact Management Easily view and manage your individuals and organizations, including […]

An inside look at one GrowthZone customer’s journey from an outdated data management system to a full AMS complete with NAHB WMS upload. Veteran association professional Natalie Fryer of the Home Builders Association of Fayetteville recognized their 400-member organization had outgrown their existing association management software. What used to be state-of-the-art was now simply outdated. Find out how to choose the best AMS for your organization’s needs with the AMS Buyers’ Workbook. The HBA wanted a web-based solution. They initially […]

Sending emails without consideration to how they impact your organizations and your members is risky. Email filter systems track the Sender’s Reputation (IP address) based on several factors, and like any kind of reputation, bad decisions can cause a loss of credibility. Even worse, if your sender’s reputation is damaged, it can damage the sender’s reputation of members who receive and forward your email. Low open rates, deletions without opening, or moving an email to junk are a few negative […]

Associations must make an “apples to apples” association software comparison when researching new systems. Still trying to decide what criteria to consider? In Part 2 of the blog series, “Where to Begin Your Association’s AMS Search”, we address how to research the ease of use, setup and integration, and training and support. Download How to Sell Your Board on New Association Software for a step-by-step blueprint to help explain the benefits. Here are some issues to discuss with potential AMS […]

Make sure you are getting mileage out of your association blog posts. While there are multiple techniques to maximize the benefits of blogging, using just a few can make a difference. Stay Within Categories Each post should fit into an established blog category and play a role in your overall content strategy. (Translation: Stay on topic and keep it relevant to your expertise.) Focus on Headlines The headline is the most crucial aspect of a blog post. Headlines are critical […]

Are you paying attention to the footer on your association’s website? If not, you’re missing an opportunity (and you’re not alone). A LOT more people see the footer than you might think (particularly on mobile). It’s an essential element of any website. A website footer, found at the bottom of a web page: helps boost conversions builds credibility reduce bounce rates improves SEO enhances user experience A footer signals that the user has reached the end of the association’s webpage. […]

by Frank Kenny The membership dues model known as “fair share” is unfair to your members and your chamber. With fair share, every member gets the same features and benefits, yet some pay more than others simply because they have more employees, hotel rooms, or money on deposit. This dues model fails to consider that a business’s wants and needs change over time. The needs of a startup business, a growing business, and a mature business are entirely different. Yet […]

The team at GrowthZone continuously hears there is improvement in year-over-year association engagement rates. In this installment of our association blog series on member engagement, we explore the specific focus and strategies used by organizations with strong member engagement rates. Utilizing everything from data analysis to updated new-member onboarding plans, these associations are well-informed about what is and isn’t working in their engagement strategy. Learn How to Measure Association Progress >> How they did it: Deliberate Strategy and Dedicated Focus: […]

Engaged members will renew their contracts and recruit colleagues who help you grow and work towards your mission.

Five out of every six phone calls go straight to voicemail. For busy association professionals, this can be not only frustrating but also a huge time-sucker. Better your chances of getting a call back by mentally composing your message before each call. To improve your chances of getting a callback, try these tactics: Begin by saying your name and your organization’s name. Assume the person you’re calling doesn’t have your number, so say your phone number twice. People hate it when […]

It’s time to change your association emails and make them more voice-friendly. Why now? Millions of Americans now own smart speakers, and they use those virtual assistants to check their email with voice commands. Several years ago, Amazon has updated its Alexa voice assistant, giving it the skill to read, reply to, archive, or delete emails. Alexa will read the sender’s name, subject line, and text. It can read emojis but will ignore images and certain HTML attributes. Alexa will […]

So, you want to make money (a.k.a, sell memberships) maximizing your organization’s social media and digital marketing efforts. Imagine that, right? You have done the groundwork… your organization is online in all the right places, ensuring your target market is aware of its existence. You have also engaged with people, going beyond mere awareness of your organization to building relationships and building up the ‘know, like, and trust’ factors. Now you’re ready to take the next step, that is, turning your online […]