Association Brain Food Weekly: 3.21.16

Spring is the perfect time to nurture your professional growth. You can start doing that by setting aside one hour a week for you. Maybe one of these virtual or in-person events will be a good place to start.

Mon 3/12 at 9 a.m. Central (networking at 8:30 a.m.) – Dallas Fort Worth Association Executives Association Day

DFWAE has put together a good-looking slate of sessions—good luck making your choices! Susan Robertson, CAE from ASAE is the keynote. She visited my state SAE a few years ago and I remember it being one of the most interesting keynotes we’ve had. Trade show too! Location: Arlington Convention Center, Arlington TX. More info.

Tue 3/22 at 12 p.m. Eastern DT* – Managing the Client AMC Relationship (ASAE AMC Section Council Virtual Lunch)

Your approach to client relationship management is influenced by the partnership phase and staff/volunteer dynamics—a balancing act. Hear about real life examples and take home tips on scope discovery, board dynamics, metrics for success, and more. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: ASAE AMC Section Council

Presenters:

  • Jodi Araujo, CEM (moderator), Entrepreneurial Industry & Corporate Segment Leader, Association Headquarters
  • Robert Waller, Jr., CAE, President & CEO, Association Headquarters

*all times are Eastern Daylight Time

Tue 3/22 at 12 p.m. – Columbia (MD) Idea Swap for Marketing

Learn how to keep your marketing efforts fresh, current, and relevant without breaking your budget. Grimm will share lessons learned, goals reached, and efforts still underway to brand and market her association. She’ll bring her stories and ask for yours. Location: Maryland Association for Justice, 6240 Old Dobbin Ln, Columbia MD. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Presenter: Kim Grimm, Deputy Director of the National Association for Catering and Events

Tue 3/22 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Network with FUEL (AENC’s Young Professionals)

Join AENC’s young professionals for a few hours of fun and good beer. No preregistration required. Pay for your own food and beverages. Location: Clouds Brewing, 126 N West Street, Raleigh NC.

Tue 3/22 from 5:30 to 7:30 – Association Happy Hour in Washington, DC

Meanwhile in DC, a cross-generational mix of association professionals will be hanging out at BlackFinn. That’s all I know!

Wed 3/23 – AENC Technology 20.16 Conference

Don’t miss this conference. Session topics include: websites, gamification and polling, data strategies, conference social media ambassadors, virtual events, cybersecurity, working with IT vendors, technology trends, plus roundtable discussions. We’ve put together a flexible schedule—choose from four registration options: full day, morning, afternoon, or luncheon keynote. Location: Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh NC. More info. (up to 5.25 CAE credits)

Keynote: Andy Steggles, president and chief customer officer of Higher Logic

See you there!

Wed 3/23 at 12 p.m. – Embracing the Board’s Duty of Foresight

Through the consistent practice of foresight, association boards, along with their staff partners, can collaborate to explore emerging directions, and make the bold decisions required to create the future. Learn how to imagine an amazing future for your association and stakeholders, and take action to prepare for whatever may come next. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: YourMembership

Presenter: Jeff De Cagna, FASAE, Principled Innovation LLC

Thu 3/24 at 12 p.m. – Make Your Resume Relevant: Trends and Best Practices 

Get introduced to resume trends on the rise—from infographic resumes to ATS-optimized text and more—and see how they fit into your professional profile. You’ll also get practical tips for crafting a relevant resume—no matter what kind of work you do. More info.

Host: Association CareerHQ (ASAE)

Presenter: Cheryl Palmer, M.Ed., CPRW, Call to Career

Thu 3/24 at 12 p.m. – Using Data to Make Smart Decisions

Get practical tips on how to incorporate data into your current decision-making processes and encourage staff to factor data into their everyday work. More info.

Host: Idealware

Presenter: Laura Quinn, Director of Partnerships and Knowledge, Idealware

Thu 3/24 at 2 p.m. – Maximizing Culture and Member Value in Associations

“Awesomely Simple” author John Spence talks about developing culture, nurturing top talent and giving members real value. More info.

Host: Monomyth Collaborative

Thu 3/24 at 2 p.m. – 10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Meet (or Surpass) Your Membership Engagement Goals for 2016

Hear about ten ways to increase member engagement rates as well as ten association and nonprofit examples of best practices. More info.

Host: Incept

Presenter: Adam Snyder, President, Incept

Fri 3/25 at 3 p.m. – Measuring: Blogging Your Brand

Learn how to measure the success of your blog. Find out what metrics are important, and how to collect and interpret them so your organization’s blog thrives. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: HighRoad Solution

Presenter: Maneesha Manges, Director of Inbound, HighRoad Solution

SAVE THE DATE: Thu 4/21 – Sat 4/23 – digitalNow

I believe this is the best value conference in the association community—excellent program, optimal atmosphere for learning and connecting, and always great food. Registration is limited to association CEOs and any team members they bring with them. Location: Hyatt Regency, Orlando FL. More info.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send a link to the recording to all registrants.

If your organization offers professional development for association executives, please send me the link via email or Twitter. Every Friday morning, I publish an Association Brain Food Weekly that lists the coming week’s events.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Norbert Reimer)

Association Brain Food Weekly: 3.14.16

This week’s list is full of learning opportunities—webinars, Blab chat, luncheon and brown bag. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send a link to the recording to all registrants.

Tue 3/15 at 2 p.m. Eastern* – Project Management Techniques for Non-Project Managers (Association Chat on Blab)

Project management…it’s an art and a skill. What if you had the guidance of an expert in project management who could show you some great techniques for working with your current projects? Rebecca Achurch joins Association Chat to make project management more…er, manageable. Join live or view the recording on Blab.

*all times are Eastern

Tue 3/15 at 3 p.m. – Get the Word Out! Increase Your Association’s Value Proposition and Reach with Digital Events

Hear how digital events helped four associations increase engagement and brand awareness, and drive membership, attendance, and revenue. Learn how to present a business case to your leadership for adding digital events to your offerings. More info. (PCMA members only, I believe.)

Host: PCMA, Calgary Meetings & Convention, and Virtual Edge Institute

Presenters:

  • James Parker at President, Digitell
  • Jerome Bruce, CAE, CMM, CMP, CEM, Director of Meetings, Association of Government Accountants
  • Dana Freker Doody, VP of Corporate Communications, The Expo Group
  • Melissa Lanouette, Director of Meetings and Events, National Speakers Association

Wed 3/16 at 1:30 p.m. – What Can You Learn from Gaming That Will Boost Member Engagement?

Learn how to use gamification strategies and techniques to increase and deepen member engagement, and motivate people to achieve goals. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: .orgCommunity

Presenters:

  • Janna Fiester, Executive Creative Director, Sandstorm
  • Sandy Marsico, CEO, Sandstorm

Wed 3/16 at 2 p.m. – Rogue Chapters

Do you have a chapter that refuses to follow brand standards or charter requirements, or is operating as its own, separate organization? Hear how three associations handled their rogue, misbehaving chapters and learn preventive maintenance tips to avoid such situations. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: ASAE Component Relations Section

Presenters:

  • Debra Sher, CAE (moderator), International Society for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
  • Meredith Gibson, Chief Operating Officer, Association for Women in Science
  • Lowell Aplebaum, CAE, Chief Operating Officer, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
  • Dana Aragon, CAE, VP of Affiliate & Member Relations, American Society of Radiologic Technologists
  • Jeff Altman, Esq., Partner, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP

Wed 3/16 at 1 p.m. – Road to Innovation: Why the AMS Platform Supersedes All Else

You association needs to leverage a strong platform to deliver a world class member experience. Learn how to evaluate association management software (AMS) based on three important yet often overlooked criteria; avoid hidden costs; and attract next generation thinkers and staff with a strong technology platform. More info.

Host: Nimble AMS

Wed 3/16 at 1 p.m. – Building a More Collaborative Nonprofit

Learn ten strategies for improving cross-departmental collaboration at your nonprofit. More info. (1 CFRE credit)

Thu 3/17 at 12 p.m. (11:30 a.m. networking) – Member Engagement: Recruiting, Retaining and Engaging the Future of Your Association (Alexandria Brown Bag)

Location: Marketing General, Inc. (MGI), Alexandria, VA

The upcoming generations are a diverse group who embrace technology, communicate in many mediums, and value different content and services from their associations. Hear about proven strategies to recruit, retain, and engage young members, and case studies of what’s worked and what hasn’t. More info.

Presenter: Amalea Hijar, Associate Director, Member Strategy, American College of Cardiology

Thu 3/17 at 12 p.m. – Spice Up Your Website with Interactive Calls-to-Action (Inbound Lunch Bunch)

More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: HighRoad Solution

Thu 3/17 at 1 p.m. – Expert Advice on Choosing a Donor Management System

Learn how to decide whether you need a new system, what an effective selection process looks like, and the main points of differentiation among available systems. More info.

Host: Idealware and NeonCRM

Presenters:

  • Karen Graham (moderator), Executive Director, Idealware
  • Robert Weiner, Robert L. Weiner Consulting
  • Eric Leland, Five Paths
  • Brian Lauterbach, CEO, DonorPath

Thu 3/17 at 2 p.m. – Next Generation Credentialing

Learn about trends and models within the credentialing market that are changing the game, the step-by-step process to successfully implement or enhance an online credentialing program, and the technology needed to deliver a robust end-user experience. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: Abila

Presenters:

  • Greg Melia, CAE, Chief Member Relations and Strategy Development Office, ASAE
  • Tracy Petrillo, Ed.D., CAE, Chief Learning Officer, EDUCAUSE

Thu 3/17 at 2 p.m. – Site Visits Revisited: Little Known Ways to Enhance the Site Inspection Process, Backed by Research

To learn more about what’s important during the site visit, Social Tables conducted a survey of 350 event planners and 350 property managers to discuss the pain points and opportunities of a site visit. Learn what the survey revealed, including ways for properties to close more business after site visits, and for planners to make sure the space is a perfect fit for their event. More info. (PCMA members only, I believe.)

Host: PCMA

Presenter: Dan Berger, CEO, Social Tables

Thu 3/17 at 1 p.m. – Delivering a Unified Learning Experience
Learn how Unified Learning provides reusability, flexibility, and ease of use for professional development. See how a single integrated system provides state-of-the-art solutions for eLearning, communities and virtual conferences, and visit two live case study sites. More info. (.5 CAE credit)

Host: iCohere

Presenters:

  • Amanda Batson, ADB Partners
  • Lance A. Simon, CGMP, CVEP, iCohere

Fri 3/18 at 11:30 a.m. – How Are You Engaging Your Young Professionals? (AENC CEO Luncheon)

Location: downtown Raleigh, NC

Facilitator: Lynette Tolson, Executive Director, NC Public Health Association

Attendance limited to association executive directors only. More info. (1.5 CAE credits)

Fri 3/18 at 1 p.m. – How to Get More Sponsors for Your Virtual Conference 

Go behind-the-scenes to see how organizations showcase sponsors at a virtual conference. Learn about the most important sponsorship opportunities and the key benefits to highlight when soliciting sponsors. More info. (.5 CAE credit)

Host: iCohere

Presenter, Lance A. Simon, CGMP, CVEP, iCohere

Fri 3/18 at 2 p.m. – How to Turn Your Webinars into Self-Paced, Revenue-Generating Courses 

Learn how to transform a webinar into a revenue-generating CE self-paced course. More info. (.5 CAE credit)

Host: iCohere

Presenter, Lance A. Simon, CGMP, CVEP, iCohere

Fri 3/18 at 3 p.m. – Rethinking Your Email Workflow

Investigate different ways to rethink your email workflow and identify gaps and digital touchpoints where you might be able to gain additional insight. Learn how to move recipients from passive content consumers to actively, engaged participants in dialog with your association. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: HighRoad Solution

Presenter: Suzanne Carawan, Chief Marketing Officer, HighRoad Solution

If your organization offers professional development for association executives, please send me the link via email or Twitter. Every Friday morning, I publish an Association Brain Food Weekly that lists the coming week’s events.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Loreto Manriquez)

Association Brain Food Weekly: 3.7.16

Inspiration - thermal activity in Yellowstone

Here’s a list of upcoming free education for the association community. Set aside an hour next week for your professional development. If we want to thrive, personally and professionally, we must stay curious and keep learning.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send a link to the recording to all registrants.

Tue 3/8 at 2 p.m. Eastern* – Moving Meetings from Mindless to Mindful

Association Chat on Blab: How do you take your meetings from mindLESS to mindFUL? How can you prepare yourself to make the most of the meetings you attend? Meet the master of engagement, Roger Haskett, who will share how to make your meetings more meaningful for participants and for yourselves. Join live or view the recording.

Host: KiKi L’Italien of Amplified Growth

*all times are Eastern

Tue 3/8 at 3 p.m. – Encouraging Participation from Young Professionals

Montgomery County, MD Idea Swap: The discussion will cover text messaging, virtual learning opportunities, virtual exhibit hall, micro- or ad hoc volunteering and other ideas that may be more appealing to younger professionals. More info.

Facilitator: Colleen Harper, CAE, Director of Membership & Marketing at A.S.P.E.N

Location: A.S.P.E.N in Silver Spring, MD

Tue 3/8 at 3:30 p.m. – Adult Learners and eLearning

This free monthly webinar series, Unified Learning Design Studio, will help you building better eLearning programs for your association. Sessions air the second Tuesday of each month. More info. (1 CAE credit per session)

Host: iCohere Academy

Speakers: Amanda Batson, Ph.D., education architect and consultant at ADB Partners, and Lance Simon, vice president of client and government solutions at iCohere

Wed 3/9 at 11:00 a.m. – Social Media Engagement

Learn about tools that can help you become more strategically social. Understand how social engagement can help drive new revenues, memberships and business. More info.

Host: Altai Systems

Thu 3/10 at 1:00 p.m. – Designing and Facilitating Social Learning

Facilitating effective social learning experiences is one of the key ways that associations—which are social by nature—can generate significant value for their members. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: CommPartners

Speakers: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele of Tagoras

Fri 3/11 at 3 p.m. – Best Practices: Blogging Your Brand

Delve deeper into the best practices of blogging your brand. We’ll explore who’s doing it right, what are the important criteria that make it successful and how you can do it. More info. (1 CAE credit)

Host: HighRoad Solution

Speaker: Maneesha Manges, Director of Inbound at HighRoad Solution

If your organization offers professional development for association executives, please send me the link via email or Twitter. Every Friday morning, I publish an Association Brain Food Weekly that lists the coming week’s events.

Association Brain Food Weekly: 2.29.16

inspiration - Cascade Canyon Trail in Grand Teton National Park

I hope you’ve been able to take advantage of some of the free, quality education offered by the association community. With all the challenges faced by associations these days, these webinars help us hear new perspectives and learn about new practices and technology. If you can’t make the live webinar, register anyways. Sometimes, you’ll receive a link to a recording you can listen to while eating lunch at your desk.

Mon 2/29 at 11 a.m. Eastern*- The Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2016

Research firm Gartner presents the trends they believe will drive the greatest disruption to the IT landscape over the next three years and the technology needed to become a digital business. Learn how these trends and technologies are evolving and the actions you can take today. Register.

Speaker: David W. Cearley, VP & Gartner Fellow

*all times are Eastern

Mon 2/29 at 2 p.m. – The Completely Revised Guide to Great Board Recruitment

Learn a practical set of steps you can take to enrich and improve your governance while minimizing the possibility of bringing nonfunctional or negative forces into your board room. Register.

Hosts: BoardEffect and Nonprofit Quarterly

Speakers: Vernetta Walker, vice president of programs and chief governance officer for BoardSource, Ruth McCambridge, editor-in-chief of Nonprofit Quarterly and Anasuya Sengupta, board member of Nonprofit Quarterly

Tue 3/1 at 2 p.m. – Website Analytics

The ASAE Technology Council takes over Association Chat this week to talk about website monitoring and analytics. Join live or view the recording on Blab.

Wed 3/2 at 12 p.m. – Integration Celebration: The Automation Ecosystem

With the continued expansion of digital channels and the ability to capture data at every user touchpoint, the immense amount of data now available can be used to better understand and target your members/customers. Learn how associations are building ecosystems where data can flow freely between application databases to allow for automation and analysis. Register. (1 CAE credit)

Hosts: ASAE and HighRoad Solution

Speaker: Suzanne Carawan, Chief Marketing Officer at HighRoad Solution

Thu 3/3 at 1 p.m. – Ultimate Member Engagement: The Power of Data-Driven Decision Making

Learn how to leverage visualizations and analytics to better understand the data in your AMS, mine the right data to improve your member’s experience, and determine a successful ROI on your collection and analysis of member data. Don’t just sit on a vast amount of untapped member data, find out how to start making data-driven decisions. Register.

Host: Impexium

Thu 3/3 at 2 p.m. – Breaking Free of Conference Learning Myths

In an effort to improve conferences and help attendees, associations have pushed the existing conference model into hyperdrive, offering more and asking attendees to consume as much as possible. These overly-scheduled events negatively affect attendees’ learning and quality networking in the long run. This webinar will help you break free of myths about conference experiences, learning and networking and find ways to hardwire conferences to organically develop the natural intelligence of your attendees. Register.

Host: Velvet Chainsaw Consulting

Speaker: Jeff Hurt, EVP, Education and Engagement at Velvet Chainsaw

If your organization offers professional development for association executives, please send me the link via email or Twitter. Every Friday morning, I publish an Association Brain Food Weekly that lists the coming week’s events.

Association Brain Food Weekly: 2.22.16

Inspiration - Colorado River, Horseshoe Bend, Page AZ

Have you invested in yourself this week? Set aside an hour next week to attend one of these webinars or get some reading (and thinking!) done. Thanks to all the companies in the association community that provide free professional development. You are appreciated.

Tue 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Engaging Your Members

Learn about proven member engagement tactics that effectively communicate and compel members to renew and buy more of your services and products. Register. (1 CAE credit)

Host: Marketing General, Inc. (MGI)

Speakers: Ian King, Executive Director of Membership for the American Psychological Association, and Erik Schonher, MGI Vice President

Wed 2/24 at 12 p.m. 5 Tips to Drive Mobile Event Sponsorships in 2016

New event tech is delivering more relevant experiences to attendees and savvy planners are using their mobile apps in innovative ways to attract event sponsors. Learn four ways to bring value to sponsors and five best practices for integrating sponsors at events and thereby boosting your revenue. Register.

Host: Lanyon

Speaker: KiKi L’Italien, Social Media Strategist, Founder and CEO, Amplified Growth LLC

Wed 2/24 at 2 p.m. – The Latest Trends in Instructional Design 

Members look to their associations now more than ever to be the one stop shop for all their professional development needs. This virtual lunch will summarize the latest trends in instructional design including microlearning and credentialing, binge learning and ever-evolving social spaces, and explain how you can prepare your association for next level learning. Register. (1 CAE credit)

Host: ASAE

Speaker: Ben Kotenberg, Instructional Designer, National Association of Tax Professionals, and Associate Lecturer, University of Wisconsin

Thu 2/25 at 2 p.m. Bridging the Association Membership and Content Gap

In the ever-evolving association landscape, the gap between your membership, content, and systems keeps growing wider. Explore the shift in member needs and expectations; system alignment and integration strategies; and tactics being used by three associations today to successfully bridge the gap. Register. (1 CAE credit)

Host: Abila/Peach New Media

Speakers: Ryan Graham, Vice President of Sales, Abila/Peach New Media

Thu 2/25 at 3 p.m. – Leading Member Engagement from the Outside-In

Discover insights that will radically shift your understanding of engagement to one based on your members’ perspective and focused on the outcomes they want to achieve. Learn how to redefine engagement as a value-generating partnership; refocus engagement efforts on what matters most to your stakeholders and advancing the association’s goals; and shift your perspective on engagement to understanding its role at the heart of your business strategy. Register.

Host: Wild Apricot

Speakers: Anna Caraveli, PhD and Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE

If your organization offers professional development for association executives, please send me the link via Twitter. Every Friday, I publish Association Brain Food Weekly with the coming week’s events.

Writing Online Content for Distracted Readers

How to capture the attention and interest of a busy, distracted online reader

This article was originally published as “Writing Online Content for Distracted Humans and Web-Crawling Spiders” in the Association Executives of North Carolina’s Success By Association magazine, November/December 2015 issue.

~~~

Remember the days when members read everything you mailed them? Or, at least you thought they did. You never knew for sure, but one thing’s for certain: you didn’t have the competition for their attention like you do today.

Nowadays, media sites, for-profit communities, vendors, consultants, and brands are clamoring like you for the same 15 minutes of your members’ online reading time. Many of these competitors have big budgets to spend on behavioral scientists, marketers, copywriters, and designers to help them deliver attention-grabbing content.

But, you can compete and win if you know the basics of effective online writing.

Capture attention if you want to deliver value.

A few years ago, marketing experts proclaimed, “Content is king.” If you wanted to position your organization as a trusted authority and indispensable source of information, online content was the way to go.

Now, content is in danger of becoming a commodity. Much of the content slung about the web today is irrelevant crap—written in a rush to capture eyeballs and the favor of Google’s search algorithms—those web-crawling spider bots. To deal with the constant stream of content in their inboxes and social streams, readers quickly skim and mercilessly hit the Delete button.

“When information is cheap, attention becomes expensive,” said science historian James Gleick. If you want to deliver value to your members, you must first capture and hold their attention.

Write for skimmers, not readers.

When online readers visit a page of content, eye-tracking studies show that they scan the page in an F-pattern. First, they scan the headline, and the first sentence or two. Then, their eyes glance down the page, scanning subheaders and other bold or bulleted text.

Online readers scan to find out if the content appears to efficiently deliver the promised value, so your content must invite the reader in by looking easy to read. Segment content into short paragraphs interspersed with bold subheaders that summarize the message and guide the reader down the page. With content management systems, you can format subheaders so Google takes notice of any keywords used in them.

Use a parallel structure for subheaders and bullet lists. For example, make each subheader an imperative sentence, like the ones in this article. Bullet lists and indented quotation blocks also provide a target for skimming eyes and the necessary white space to break up a page.

Stick to one font style so the page doesn’t look busy. Use different font sizes for the headline, subheader, and body. Never underline text—only embedded links should be underlined. When using links, never say, “Click here.” Instead use the embedded link text to describe what the reader will get when they click.

Reel in the reader.

Hook your reader with the headline or subject line. Headline writing is an art and science that takes years to master, but a few tips will move you to the front of the class.

  • Promise value.
  • Make it personal.
  • Ask a challenging question.
  • Trigger curiosity.
  • Stoke anxiety.
  • Convey urgency.
  • Make it tweetable.

If you capture readers’ attention with the headline, they’ll read the first sentence. Then keep pulling them in, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. Don’t wait for a big reveal at the end of your piece—deliver the value up front before you lose them.

Speak to the reader.

Let your content be personally engaging and conversational, not dry and institutional. Be a real person behind the screen. Address the reader with “you”—the most powerful word in copywriting.

Strive for strong, simple language. Avoid using jargon, clichés, and buzzwords. Use the active, not passive, voice.

In MS Word options, under Proofing, turn on the Readability Statistics tool. After a spell-check, it shows the percentage of passive sentences and the Flesch-Kincaid grade level. The lower the grade level, the easier and quicker your content is to read. The Hemingway Editor is an online tool that identifies complex and passive sentences. Don’t worry, you’re not dumbing down your content, you’re saving time for your readers.

Write for the reader, not Google.

Google’s algorithms have changed over the years to become more attuned to what readers naturally seek. If you write content that readers find valuable, Google will find you too. There’s no need to stuff content with keywords. Write clearly and naturally using the words and phrases that readers use to talk about your topic. Listen to members’ conversations in your online community, social platforms, and elsewhere to understand their language and needs.

Beware “black hat” SEO agencies that guarantee a search ranking. Never try to game Google—you’ll suffer a punishing and, perhaps, permanent loss of ranking. Knowing a few basic search engine optimization (SEO) principles will ensure your content does well in search rankings.

In April 2015, Google announced that websites must be mobile-friendly to earn a decent ranking. Write for the mobile reader:

  • Shorten subject lines.
  • Use appropriate font sizes.
  • Provide plenty of white space on the page.
  • Make links easy to click.

Use your content management system’s SEO tools to create a title tag and meta tag—the page description in Google search results—for every web page. Make sure your image file names include descriptive keywords. Provide explanatory alt text for every image—when images don’t load, readers read the alt text to see what they’re missing.

Include internal links within your content—links to related content on your website. Check out the SEO starter guides from Google and Moz for more SEO tips.

Neuroscientists say the digital world has rewired our brains. Our attention spans have suffered. We read differently online than we did when print was king. However, we have access to more information now than ever before. Make sure your online content is easy for your members to find and digest.

Deirdre Reid, CAE is a freelance writer for technology firms serving the association market. The association community remains her professional home after spending ten years at national and state associations overseeing membership, vendor programs, marketing, publications, chapter relations and more. 

Related posts:

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Mike Licht after Edouard Manet)

Association Brain Food Weekly: 2.15.16

Bryce Canyon NP start of Fairyland Loop

Next week, schedule one hour for professional growth. Attend one of these webinars or catch up on reading. If you want to learn more about association technology, check out the DelCor blog. Or, if you’re in the generalist mood, Associations Now is your one-stop shop for news and information.

Wed 2/17 at 2 p.m. – CMS and AMS Integration Tips for Creating Member Happiness

Most website projects include integration between the association management system (AMS) and the content management system (CMS) so members can login and access members-only content. Learn reasons to integrate your CMS with your AMS and 3rd party systems, tips for leveraging these integrations to drive member value, and common hurdles in the integration process. Register.

Wed 2/17 at 12 p.m. – Looking Forward 2016: Association Business Environmental Scan

Dean West, FASAE, President of Association Laboratory, will present findings from his company’s annual benchmarking scan of the association business environment so you can understand trends, shifts, challenges and opportunities every association will face in 2016 and what the future will look like. Findings address the economy, the information environment, changes in the relationship of associations to state and federal government, as well as factors important to workforce and global issues. Register. (1 CAE credit)

Thu 2/18 at 1 p.m. – LMS Selection: Mastering the Process, Avoiding the Pitfalls.

Great content is only part of the equation for successful online education—you also need a way to effectively deliver the content, track participation, and manage credit and certificates. The right technology can mean the difference between a big success and a big headache, but the selection process can be daunting. In this session, Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele of Tagoras will discuss their time-tested process for selecting a learning management system and highlight the pitfalls to avoid. Register. (1 CAE credit)

Thu 2/18 at 12:15 p.m. – Success of Failure: Through the CEO Lens 

Join Kerry Stackpole, CAE, FASAE, to talk about the importance of learning from failure. Kerry will share decision-making strategies, and explain how to approach mistakes as successes in the making. Register.

If your company or organization offers professional development for association executives, please send me the link via Twitter. I publish a post every Friday with the coming week’s events.

Association Brain Food Weekly: 2.8.16

webinars and chats for association executives

Schedule one hour next week to attend one of these webinars, read ASAE Collaborate, or skim the #assnchat hashtag on Twitter for good reads. You can’t get ahead if you’re always behind!

Webinars

Tue 2/9 at 3:30 p.m. – eLearning Strategy, Tactics & Responsive Planning

Pave a clear pathway to building better eLearning programs for your association with this free, monthly webinar series from iCohere Academy, a worldwide professional community of practice dedicated to the evolution of webinars, web meetings and courses, and hybrid/virtual conferences. Register here. (1 CAE credit)

Wed 2/10 at 3:00 p.m. – 5 Tips for Maximizing Non-Dues Revenue from Your Communications Vehicles

Learn tactics to maximize your non-dues revenue earning potential: analyze communication gaps, engage members with advertising, meet advertiser needs, arm your sales team with the right tools, and invest in resources that provide maximum return. Register here. (1 CAE credit)

Thu 2/11 at 3:00 p.m. – How to Build an Amazing Volunteer Recruitment Strategy

Discover the difference between traditional recruitment strategies and the volunteer attraction strategy. Find out how to create the perfect mix of appreciation, recognition, incentive and reward to push volunteers to the next level. Learn about powerful organizational strategies that cultivate future leaders and long-term success. Register here. (1 CAE credit)

Fri 2/12 at 2:00 p.m. – Be Their eLearning Valentine: Capture Your Members’ Hearts in 3 Steps

The Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s marketing manager will share tactics to improve your learning catalog and member experience, while also driving membership and revenue numbers in the right direction. Register here.

Fri 2/12 at 3:00 p.m. – Promoting Online Education & Certification

Explore who’s doing online education effectively, the criteria to make it successful and how you can succeed too. Register here. (1 CAE credit)

Online chat

Have you tried Blab yet? Blab is a live-streaming video platform that’s really taken off in the last several months. A lot of its user-generated content, like on every social media platform, is self-promotional garbage, but there’s good stuff if you know where to look. For example, every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., consultant KiKi L’Italien hosts Association Chat on Blab. This is the same chat (#assnchat) that used to take place every Tuesday on Twitter – it’s moved to Blab.

Blab is easy to use. You can watch and listen to the hosts and guests who appear in four large boxes on your screen. You can chat in the sidebar with the hosts and other viewers. And, you can even request to go on camera yourself by taking someone’s seat. Social Media Examiner explains Blab in more detail.

This Tuesday, February 9 at 2:00 p.m., the chat topic is: How Associations are Attracting Millennial Members. This time, consultant Amanda Kaiser is hosting with association execs Karen Hansen and Amalea Híjar who, according to Amanda, are doing some really cool things and will bring both small and large association perspectives to the chat.

You can see (and suggest) future topics on the Association Chat Facebook group.

That’s it until next week! If your company or organization is hosting a professional development opportunity for the association community, please let me know by giving me a shout-out on Twitter.