HOW CAN CHAPTERS GET HOW CAN CHAPTERS GET THEIR MEMBERS INVOLVEDTHEIR MEMBERS INVOLVEDCreating an exceptional member experience

Peggy Hoffman, CAESMACNA Chapter Executives SessionOctober 12, 2009

Our Discussion…Our Discussion…Data you can useThree steps to involvementHow to engage

◦People ◦Tools◦Strategies

Decision To Join…Decision To Join… It’s all about WOM (Word Of Mouth) –

your secret weapons: colleagues, friends, connections◦ What’s cool: inexpensive, viral, credible

It’s all about the Good of the Order – Being part of something larger was consistently chosen over personal benefit ◦ What’s cool: it really is about community

Engagement increases retention ◦ What’s cool: engaging members pays off in two

big ways – more volunteers, higher retention It’s Not a Generation Thing – one caveat:

younger professionals more dissatisfied with how associations are meeting their needs at the beginning of their careers & leadership opportunities provided ◦ What’s cool: we can engage GenX and GenY by

opening our doors and minds

Decision To Volunteer…Decision To Volunteer…It’s all about WOM (Again!)

◦ What’s cool: inexpensive, viral, credibleOne Size Does NOT Fit

◦ What’s cool: ad hoc roles draw people in and get them connected

Members see professional benefits of volunteerism – many said volunteering is a benefit of membership. ◦ What’s cool: here’s a benefit that meets a

need and because it’s a form of engagement, drives retention

It’s all about the Good of the Order (Again!) – Values drive volunteering◦ What’s cool: it really is about community

Social Media & the Web …Social Media & the Web …Millions are already there◦55.6 million use social media

networking sites◦40.6 million use personal

portals/content sites◦165 million use email◦58.8 million watch streaming

video on line◦37.1 million read blogs

Social Media & the Web …Social Media & the Web …It’s doubled since 2007 …

◦by 2010 GenY will outnumber Boomers -- and 96% of them have Facebook!

This is the biggest shift since industrial revolution

It’s a people-driven economy

Social Media & the Web …Social Media & the Web …It creates connections

◦What’s cool: accelerates sharing, facilitates communication, drives face-to-face interaction

It’s accessible◦What’s cool: absolutely user-

friendly

Your Members …Your Members …

How do we get members How do we get members involved?involved?

Welcome …Welcome …Confirmation letter &

welcome kit Personal phone calls from

association leadership & staffPersonal messages from

other members Personal invite to attend a

program

Connect …Connect …Pair a current member with

a new member … 1:1 orientation

Guide member on how to connect

Post “meet our new member” profile

Engage …Engage …Explore & connect

member’s interests/needs with specific programs, committees, projects

Personally invite member to help out

How do we get members How do we get members involved?involved?

PEOPLE …PEOPLE …Replace membership committee

with Welcoming Committee Create ad hoc rolesAdd leadership positions:• Talent Pool Coordinator• Volunteer Chair• Community Strategist

Tools …Tools …

Create a member connection map. Start with a Hub (your website) add Traditional Channels (phone, email, mail, listserv) and New Channels (Online member community, social media)

Listen (Google Alerts, Twitter search …)

Communicate (RSS, feed aggregator, bookmarking …)

Engage (Discussions, sharing, contributing…)

STRATEGIES …STRATEGIES …

5 Tools to Explore5 Tools to Explore

LinkedIn – Professional ProfileTwitter – Microbloggingdelicious – File Cabinet that

sharesGoogle Reader – RSS AggregatorSlideShare – Capturing &

Sharing PS … these are worth a look

5 Actions to Take5 Actions to TakeLearn to listen:

◦ Google’s Blog Search http://blogsearch.google.com/◦ Google Alerts http://www.google.com/alerts◦ Social Mention http://www.socialmention.com/◦ Technorati http://www.technorati.com/◦ Twitter http://search.twitter.com/

Find your members:◦ Quick poll –what tools are they using◦ Search on LinkedIn◦ Import emails to “check” who’s there

Test one outpost at a timeBreak your volunteer jobs into small ad hoc

positions

Resources to checkResources to checkCommoncraft.com

◦ Search their Videos on technology for social media, RSS & othersSocialFish.org

◦ Search their site for great info on developing social media tools for your chapter and creating a vibrant community online & face2face

◦ Check out their 4-part series on social media policies and their posts on risk: http://associationmarketing.blogspot.com/search/label/social%20media%20policies

Beth Kanter’s Blog http://beth.typepad.com◦ Be sure to check out her post on Facebook Fan pages

DiosaCommunications◦ Be sure to visit their page on Facebook Best practices

http://www.diosacommunications.com/facebookbestpractices.htm

CONTACT MECONTACT ME

Email: phoffman@marinermanagement.comPhone: 301-725-2508Website: www.marinermanagement.comTwitter: @peggyhoffmanLinkedIn: Peggy Hoffman