Get inspired by the power of online communities
The way that members interact with membership associations has been evolving since the birth of the Internet. The Covid-19 pandemic caused another significant shift in member and association relations with 47% of associations reporting a decline in membership in 2021. Now, with many individuals and organizations facing budget cuts and economic volatility, there is yet […]
What would make someone join an association today? That’s a question many association leaders are asking themselves, particularly as tightening budgets have many members scrutinizing the value they’re getting from their associations. Make no mistake, there’s a lot behind the decision to join (and remain) with an association. Tapping into this desire is the key […]
Some things are as true as time itself. One of those is that B2B sales is longer, and in many ways, harder than selling to the public. Cycles are months, if not years, long. And business budgets are subject to great scrutiny, especially if the market is volatile. But get B2B sales right, and your […]
Belonging to something bigger than yourself is powerful. Membership organizations that tap into our intrinsic need to belong and share knowledge, are building thriving, loyal membership bases. It’s a dynamic that Abraham Zaleznik, a leading scholar in organizational psychodynamics once recognized, when he stated, “Innovation grows out of membership and a sure sense of responsibility […]
A recession appears inevitable in many parts of the world, but history shows that your business doesn’t have to suffer. During the recessions of 1980, 1990, and 2000, there were stark differences between the 17% of companies that performed badly and the 9% that thrived. What did the strong performers do differently? They doubled down on […]
In the current climate, many organizations are looking at ways to diversify their revenue as a way to ensure business continuity, growth, and agility as the market fluctuates wildly. That has led many business leaders to wonder how to create another revenue stream that aligns with their existing product or service. A key way to […]
Member engagement and retention is always a top priority for online communities. After all, it’s great to attract new members but to increase membership long-term, you need to make sure your members stay around. That’s where having a member engagement plan can pay off for your business performance and community growth. Why member engagement matters […]
Millennials expect to create a better future, using the collaborative power of digital technology. Mal Fletcher, futurist. Many associations are seeking out younger generations to cement their future membership, and yet, like many organizations, they cannot figure out how to connect with them. Millennials and Gen Z are unlike any generation that came before. They […]
When you set out to build an expert community, you know what you want to achieve at the end of it: a community that engages with each other, your content and your advertisers. You also know that process starts with a solid community platform, and excellent content to share on it. So, you’ve got your […]
When you look at a successful STM community, it can seem as though it has sprung up by magic. The audience is engaged and interacting, conversations are happening, users are networking…it’s all there: a thriving, exciting community. If you’re looking to those communities – like Springer Nature’s – and wondering why your own has yet to reach […]
During the recessions of 1980, 1990, and 2000, there were stark differences between the 17% of public companies that performed badly and the 9% of companies that flourished. On average, they outperformed competitors by at least 10% in sales and profit growth. What sets them apart? According to Walter Frick, writing in HBR, adopting the […]
All eyes are on online communities. According to the State of Community Management 2022, the pandemic and resulting societal, financial, and business changes, have shone a spotlight on communities (and the opportunities they offer) among C-Suite executives. Now, 88% of senior executives are supportive of the community programs in their organization (up from 56% in […]