Why Associations Must Build Stories
More people are showing up in your database as “members” while behaving like something else entirely: subscribers. They join, but they don’t connect. They pay, but…
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Tag: Marketing
The Era of “Automatic” Joins Is Over. Here’s What Acquisition Really Takes in 2026.
New members are not going to show up just because you exist. Not anymore. For years, many associations could count on a steady trickle of new…
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You Trained Your Members to Disengage. Here’s How to Retrain Them.
If your members seem passive, distracted, or slow to act–you probably trained them to be that way. That’s a hard sentence to read. But it’s the…
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The Perception of Membership and Subscriptions Will Blur Together
In 2026, more people will experience your association like a subscription instead of a membership. This shift isn’t dramatic. It doesn’t announce itself. It happens quietly,…
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AI Will Underdeliver for Associations And Overdeliver for Your Audience
By now AI is part of daily work for association staff and members alike. People are using it to write faster, research quicker, and reduce friction…
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Lead with Value, Not Stuff
Many associations confuse their offerings with their value. They market benefits, discounts, access, and features — believing that if they show enough “stuff,” people will join. It works just enough…
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Want Higher Renewal Rates? Stop Acting Like a Billing Department
Too many associations treat renewals like a billing cycle. A few reminder emails. An invoice. Maybe a final “last chance” nudge. And then they wonder why…
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Hit Your Membership Goals by Showing Outcomes, Not Features.
You’re putting out the emails.You’ve got ads running.Maybe you even built a shiny new landing page. And yet… the joins aren’t coming in like they should.…
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Send Less, Convert More: Your Quiet Edge in a Loud Market
You’re not hitting your membership numbers—and it’s not because people don’t care. It’s because they don’t see your value clearly or quickly enough. And that’s a problem…
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You’re Using AI to Save Time. Your Members Are Using It to Replace You.
Let’s be honest: Associations love to talk about their “stuff.” They say things like:“We have so many resources.”“We have a ton of webinars, whitepapers, toolkits.”“We have…
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Talk Small, Win Big: Workflows That Actually Convert Small Firms
You don’t have time to chase small fish. So what’s the solution? Big firms get the attention. They have the budgets. They make your numbers look…
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It’s Q2—Time to Act on Member Acquisition
Change is messy. You’ve faced plenty of distractions and challenges these past months. But now we’re already into Q2. Member acquisition and engagement can’t wait any…
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Why Aren’t More Non-Members Attending Your Events?
Events should be your association’s best pathway for turning prospects into loyal members. One positive experience can demonstrate clear value and spark lasting connections. Yet, despite…
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How to Use Brand Pillars for Better Marketing
Your association has a lot of resources. So many, in fact, that it’s almost impossible for a prospect to quickly see how they might benefit from…
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Anatomy of an Effective Member Story That Converts
You probably know by now that member stories are great for marketing. But did you know that some story formats work better than others to convert…
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How to Create Priceless Word-of-Mouth Marketing in the Digital Age
The digital age demands a new approach to word-of-mouth marketing that actually gets results. Gone are the days of casually hoping people will talk about your…
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Let’s Talk Business
Your messaging needs a day stopper, something so powerful it makes your audience stop what they’re doing, pay attention, and take action. The tired old refrain…
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Your Association and AI: The Story You Need to Be Ready For
Chances are you’ve thought about the impact AI might have on your association this year, next year, in five years…There’s likely some apprehension as you wonder…
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You’re Sending Too Many Transactional Emails
It’s true that most people favor email as their preferred method of communication; it’s immediate and versatile. That said, this same flexibility often leads organizations, including…
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Your Association’s Marketing Plan Isn’t Working as Well as You Think It Is
Associations that have been around for a while—years, decades even—are doing a lot of things right. A word of caution, though. It’s easy to get complacent,…
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Navigating the Event Marketing Landscape in 2025: A Strategic 3-Phase Approach for Success
How are you going to get people to your association’s event this year? If you’re not asking yourself this question right now, you should be. Why?…
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Your Biggest Competition Isn’t Another Organization: It’s Busyness
Ask any one of your members or customers how they’re doing, and there’s a good chance they’ll say, “Busy,” as part of their answer. Busy professionals…
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With Email Bot Clicks Skewing Your Open Rates, It’s Time to Diversify Your Strategy
Tell us if this sounds familiar. You send out an email to members and prospects in the morning, and then check your open rate and click-through…
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3 Event Marketing Best Practices That Cut Through the Recession Chatter
As experts debate whether we are headed towards a recession, you can improve your business in case we enter one. We have three strategies to help…
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Trust provokes, entices, and motivates.
Trust provokes, entices, and motivates. It’s also the only thing of value remaining once the noise recedes. So why not start there? This is what we…
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