What sets a successful enterprise association apart from the competition? A study conducted by McKinley Advisors found that successful associations take time to plan strategically. Study participants emphasized the importance of having a defined, long-term plan that encompasses both the current state of the industry and its future direction.
Perhaps you’re currently experiencing success and are looking for methods to maintain your organizational growth and exceed your future goals. Possibly, your association is facing challenges, so you’re seeking strategies to empower your staff and improve the member experience.
Regardless of your large association’s situation, the Momentive team is here to offer tips to help you 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, members will leave. Offer your members virtual and in-person opportunities to network, learn, and connect, thereby increasing engagement and delivering 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, thereby nurturing a culture of transparency and trust throughout 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 the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA).
H3 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 and getting them invested in data hygiene. Educating your employees on the importance of analytics and regularly updating records will help eliminate errors, enabling you to successfully leverage your data.
4. Automated Processes
How much time does your organization waste completing manual processes? 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 can leverage tools 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. Utilize AI recommendations to personalize the member experience and improve the value of your membership. You can leverage your data to predict which members are unlikely to renew and then redouble your efforts to retain them. 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 collaborated with the Momentive team to develop an AI-driven solution that automatically identifies members at risk of lapsing and enables us to take prompt action to save their 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 Momentive Software Association Trends Study found that 77% of association members and 85% of professionals agree: organizations must innovate or risk becoming a less reliable source for professional development.
Offer innovative continuing education opportunities to your members by investing 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? 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, such as job board software, career insights and data, career coaches and mentors, compensation and career benchmarking, and more.
Discover How Nimble AMS Empowers Enterprise Associations
Nimble AMS is the right technology to help you reach your goals and exceed member expectations. Learn why innovative enterprise associations choose Nimble AMS.
