What sets a successful enterprise association apart from competition? A study conducted by McKinley Advisors found that successful associations take time to plan strategically. Study interviewees shared the importance of defined, long-term planning that encompasses the current and future state of the industry and organization.
Perhaps you’re currently experiencing success and are looking for methods to maintain your organizational growth and exceed your future goals. Maybe your association is experiencing challenges, so you’re searching for strategies to empower your staff and enhance the member experience.
Regardless of your large association’s situation, the Nimble AMS team is here to offer tips to measure your success and meet your future goals!
Successful enterprise associations prioritize these seven factors
How do large associations measure success? There are seven success factors your association should prioritize as you work to meet and exceed your goals.
Consider these factors as you make a strategic plan for long-term success:
1. Member-centric
How would you measure your association’s commitment to your members? All member-based organizations are focused on membership: attracting new members, boosting member retention, enhancing member engagement, and more.
The fact is this: if your association doesn’t offer tangible membership value, a member will leave. Offer your members virtual and in-person opportunities to network, learn, and connect to increase engagement and offer membership value. Try setting measurable goals and KPIs to become a member-centric organization.
“We are very fortunate to have Nimble AMS. We continue to grow our offerings in Nimble Communities and reach higher levels of member engagement,” said Michael Blake, Chief Technology Officer at American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
2. Authentic leadership
How would you measure your association’s culture? Set your organization up for success by modeling authentic leadership in staff town halls, team meetings, and membership events to nurture a culture of transparency and trust across your entire organization. When done correctly, leading with authenticity has the power to attract new members and demonstrate your value across the industry.
Encourage employees and members to ask questions and offer feedback to gain valuable insights into your processes and workflows. Take care to implement this feedback to show how your association values all your stakeholders.
“As an association leader, you don’t know what you don’t know. Asking members what’s keeping them up at night gives them a voice and allows them to be heard more broadly,” said Bruce Moe, Executive Director and CEO of Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA).
3. Data-driven culture
How well does your organization leverage its data? Forming a strategy for success is only as good as your data. If your large association currently faces data silos, repeated records, or platforms that don’t automatically sync, it might be time to reinvest in new technology. With innovative association management software (AMS), you can seamlessly update your records and leverage robust reports and dashboards to keep everyone informed.
Build a data-driven culture at your association by bringing all staff on board by getting them investing in data hygiene. Educating your employees on the importance of analytics and routinely updating records will eliminate errors and help you successfully leverage your data.
Want to learn more tips to develop a data-driven culture? Discover how the Council of Foundations successfully leverages Nimble AMS dashboards to optimize its data. Watch our free on-demand webinar: “How to super charge your use of membership data with dashboards” and don’t miss the case study!
4. Automated processes
How much time does your organization waste completing manual processes? IDC research found that employees waste 44% of their workday on unsuccessful data-related tasks.
To drive success in the future, your large association should leverage an AMS with automation tools. Automation is the key to reducing manual or ineffective tasks. With automated processes you can save staff time and enhance your ROI. Use automation tools to streamline membership communications, automate membership renewals, offer chatbots, remove human error from tax processing, and more.
“Our previous systems required us to pay someone who understood the systems to set up process automations with custom code. With Nimble AMS, built on the Salesforce platform, we now have constant innovation with each seasonal release. This means we get to leverage things like automation, AI, and chatbots… Better yet? Because it is intuitive, the staff at ASSH are excited and empowered to find new ways to leverage the technology,” said Jake Adler, Chief Technology Officer at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH).
5. Artificial Intelligence
Is your organization successfully leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)? AI can help your association succeed by making forward-looking statements and helping you address organizational pain points.
Look for an AMS that offers AI and predictive analytics to enhance your staff and member experience. Try using AI recommendations to personalize the member experience and increase the value of your membership. You can leverage your data to predict if a member is unlikely to renew and then redouble your efforts to retain the member. AI also makes it easy to offer personalized content and suggest upcoming events a member might wish to attend.
“We’re able to process memberships and run reports so much faster with Nimble AMS. We also worked with the Nimble AMS team to build an AI-driven solution that automatically identifies members at risk of lapsing, and then helps us take quick action to save the memberships. All of this has led to a return on our investment sooner than we expected,” said Jaclyn Baird, Director of Membership Services, Marine Corps Association & Foundation (MCA&F).
6. Professional development opportunities
How innovative is your continuing education program? The latest Community Brands Association Trends Study found that 77% of association members and 85% of professionals agree: organizations must innovate or will no longer be a go-to source for professional development.
Offer innovative continuing education opportunities for your members when you invest in the right technology. Choose modern learning management software (LMS) that integrates seamlessly with your AMS. The right LMS + AMS integration will help you offer personalized learning experiences, boost member engagement, reach non-members, and more.
“Nimble AMS automatic processes save our staff major time, and members are no longer waiting on staff to send a certificate or credit transcript. With Nimble AMS, members are empowered to take charge of their professional development,” said Susan Houchins, Senior Manager of Membership and Data Analytics, The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM).
7. Career advancement resources
Does your association support your members throughout their careers? Community Brands found that almost half of association members prioritize career advancement help as a top priority, while only 26% of professionals view it as a priority.
Become a go-to career resource in your industry when you leverage the best technology. Look for career resource technology that integrates with your AMS and offers valuable resources like job board software, career insights and data, career coaches and mentors, compensation and career benchmarking, and more.
