By Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President For all of us, our lives are in a state of disruption.  This is no less true for our members and prospective members.  That’s why there is no more important time for associations to boldly communicate with members about the practical assistance that they can provide to them.  It is a time […]

Organic Social Media … it’s an amazingly powerful way to engage and interact with members and prospects alike, but it is also constantly changing, challenging to measure, and time consuming. Not only do you need to be generating content and responding to comments, but you need to pick the right content for the right platforms, mix your mediums, and post at the right times on a near daily basis.

It may not come as a surprise if I tell you that not every prospect you ask to join your association will, and that at some point even the most devoted long-term members may not renew. We “Membership Marketers” know instinctively that we oftentimes survive and even thrive on 1/10th of a percentage point rate of return. The difference between a 0.90% and 1.00% in the number of members and revenue you generate can be huge. Knowing the reasons why prospects don’t join and members don’t renew can only help us do a better job in growing our total members and revenue. You may remember some of these thoughts from years past, but they are still good reminders.

In 2003, Michael Lewis published Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Lewis examined how Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, utilized an advanced analytical approach to maximize the talents of his players while still maintaining one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Using this approach, Oakland performed above expectations and made several postseason appearances.

That was an actual sign I looked at every day in the lobby of the corporate headquarters at The Trane Company, my first job in corporate business. It's Back! The rumors abound right now, just like 2009, 1999, 1983, 1976, and so on. Recessionary impact frightens the entire association world with concerns about finance, employees, members, investments, and more. But there is good news. Associations that deliver significant value to their members usually thrive in a recession—countless studies have proven it—but not without careful thought and the contingency plan to be always prepared. The best method for that is to start now so that if and when a recession comes, your organization is already prepared. Here are some insights.