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This article has been updated since its original publication in 2017. Enjoy! Associations everywhere are about to enter their program and conference planning seasons. This type of planning should always include a step for driving even more registrations. The key to success is to make it as easy as possible for potential attendees to get approval to attend. Get the Guide: Successful Association Event Planning » A critical component to marketing your organization’s program should be a letter/proposal template that can be used […]

When making presentations, it’s critical to be aware of the messages you’re sending through body language. Set up your board members for success with The Field Guide to Board Orientation. 10 Tips for Effective Body Language: Open your chest and arms and keep your back straight to help you relax. Smile to make your audience comfortable. Gesture with your arms and hands and look your audience in the eye in order to keep the audience’s attention. Keep calm to show […]

Smartphone use has disrupted the way we create and consume videos, but people love to hate vertical video – or do they? Vertical video has become the new default, despite the fact that the human eye prefers a horizontal plane. The use of smartphones (along with social media) quickly disrupted this fact. According to Ooyala, 58% of video plays worldwide are shown on mobile devices. Get shareable, member-friendly motivational quotes for your association’s blog articles, newsletters, and social media posts. Most […]

November kicks off one of the busiest times of year for social media. Plan ahead with these holiday and event ideas for your November posts: MONTHLY: Health National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month Diabetes Month National Epilepsy Awareness Month National Healthy Skin Month, Cancer Awareness Month Prematurity Awareness Month Food Georgia Pecan Month Good Nutrition Month National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month National Pepper Month National Pomegranate Month National Novel Writing Month Raisin Bread Month World Vegan Month Read more. ↓ DAILY: Major […]

Humans have evolved, but the urge to hear a good story has remained inherent. Learn how to use this technique to engage and persuade your board.   Storytelling is a powerful tool, whether you use it to engage association members, or for your next presentation to the board. History proves this point, dating back to thousands of years ago when humans told stories through cave drawings. As we evolved, the setting changed to huddling around the old campfire to be inspired […]

The Challenge: It’s no secret that many industries were affected by the economic conditions of the Great Recession. As a result, some trade associations were impacted more than others. For example, printing associations experienced a decrease in memberships due to consolidations, buy-outs, and increased digital marketing and communications. A New Idea: One printing association in particular, when faced with lost membership and non-dues revenue, recognized it was critical to evaluate their programs and member benefits. They determined that, in the […]

The GrowthZone team is again providing a free “Shop Local First” Facebook cover image (the image and download instructions are below). We’re also including a “Top 10 Reasons to Shop Local First” list. Use it for social media posts for a “Small Business Saturday Countdown” or for talking points when promoting the “Shop Local First” message.   Top 10 Reasons to Shop Local First To shape and preserve our distinctive community character Local competition and diversity leads to more product choices It keeps and recirculates money in […]

Exceptional new member experiences are key to association success. In this FREE, on-demand webinar, membership expert Amanda Kaiser explains why associations are focusing on new members in order to successfully engage all members. In her interactive presentation, Amanda helps association professionals: learn how to turn the renewal process entirely upside-down for better results. see why engaging new members within 3 days to 3 weeks is critical. walk away knowing the most powerful (yet most under under-leveraged) key to engaging new […]

Coming up with ideas for social media posts can be stressful and time-consuming. The social media success formula indicates that only 10% of posts should be about your organization. So, what about the rest of your posts? A simple technique for keeping on pace with your content calendar is to post about holidays and events. Here’s how to write an association blog article people will actually read » Here are several holiday and event ideas for your October social media posts: […]

It’s a fact that a member’s decision to renew is profoundly influenced by their experience when they first join – is your association fueling exceptional new-member experiences? Join us on Thursday, October 11th, when membership expert and guest presenter, Amanda Kaiser, will explain how associations can focus on new members in order to successfully engage all members. In her presentation, “Fueling Exceptional New Member Experiences,” Amanda will help attendees: • Learn how to turn the renewal process entirely upside-down for […]

Membership pro, Frank Kenny, explains how to build a board of directors that is representative of your members (and why it’s important you do so). When you scan the faces of your board members, what do you see? How many are men? How old are they? Are they mostly of the same race? When I am prepping for facilitating a strategic planning retreat or board orientation I always ask the CEO, “How well does your association’s board reflect your members […]

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 562 million users in more than 200 countries. It is a powerful tool, especially for associations who want to reach members, legislators, journalists, and prospects. With persistence, associations can benefit from utilizing this platform to bring better visibility to their organization. Having a robust LinkedIn association page isn’t enough, engaging current followers attracting new ones is key. Just like all social media, it may take some time to grow, but with […]