Blog
September 12, 2022
Being back in-person at this year’s American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Conference in Nashville was a refreshing experience as we continue to navigate the world coming out of the pandemic. There were handshakes, hugs, and smiles abound. Still there were stark reminders of the world we hoped to be leaving behind including masks, sanitizer, and social distancing.
We look at this new world and have to map out a future that keeps changing and adding new opportunities. As I reflect on my time at this event, I want to take a deeper dive into a couple of these items.
Membership Recruitment and Retention
First, we can look at how to find new members as well as keep current members happy and engaged. One thing that remains consistent despite the quickly evolving pandemic guidance is that people want to feel appreciated and a sense of belonging.
Using a multichannel approach for your digital engagement can help meet both of these member desires. When adding new members, find where they are and go after them there. Remember that hope is not a strategy. Doing the research and investing upfront to find your key audience will pay dividends on the backend. Don’t be afraid to experiment and challenge the status quo to find what works best for you and your organization.
While the messaging will be different, use the same approach to keeping your members engaged. Do the research, use a multichannel approach, and experiment.
Delivering a Worthwhile Hybrid Event
Second, perhaps the biggest challenge is how to handle events. The challenges here are numerous and tough to navigate. The key question is how to plan and execute a hybrid event that is successful on all fronts AND drives the revenue to cover the additional costs?
To accomplish this, you need to begin with data analysis and understand the audience that you are targeting. Use the experience of your online events from the last few years to evaluate what was successful and what wasn’t. Data is your friend and to reiterate a previous statement, hope is not a strategy. Perform a ROI calculation and discover the delta that needs to be filled with the additional expenses of making it into a hybrid event. Finally, remember that not all events need to be hybrid. It may not be the right path for your organization and that’s ok.
Partnering for Success
As keynote speaker Safi Bahcall said at the conference, “Every new idea has potential AND is full of flaws.” When we are forced to adapt the way we do business there will always be pains as we work our way through to the correct path forward. One way to shorten and ease this path to success is to find a partner that can help. Partners can help you navigate technology, streamline change, and provide business process reimaging to optimize the way your organization works. By making the work easier and more effective, it will allow your staff to easily collaborate and focus on improve your membership experience. In the end, isn’t that the opportunity that we all want?
Learn More
At Attain Partners, we acknowledge the importance of choosing the right implementation partner. We have the knowledge, experience, and technical expertise to provide you with advice and guide you to ensure you’re getting the most out of your systems and business processes. We have helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations successfully implement solutions tailored to their unique needs since our inception.
Learn more about our services here.
About the author:
Chad Simmons is an Associate Business Development Director at Attain Partners. Since 2013, Chad has helped hundreds of organizations implement innovative technology solutions designed to meet their complex needs. Chad’s focus is demonstrating the value of the Salesforce Platform and Attain Partners’ services to association and healthcare clients.
