How One Magazine’s Makeover Might Provide a Road Map to Building a Community
Much has been made of Rookie Magazine‘s decision to revamp its website. Most notably, the publication for (and largely created by) teenage girls has aimed its sights firmly on community building and audience engagement as a means of boosting both traffic and ad revenues. Let’s look at Rookie’s tactics — and how they might help […]
BEEP BOOP BOOP! Could Robots Sit in at Your Next Association Meeting?
Robots are all around you, whether you realize it or not. As defined by Reference.com, a robot is “a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.” This can be anything from a microwave to a modern car, and keep in mind that, although a robot […]
How to Combat a Cyber Attack on Your Association
The Internet has undoubtedly made the world a more connected and productive place, but it has also made the world more dangerous. Tech-savvy individuals who possess ill intent are often referred to as hackers, and these people can sometimes cripple even the largest companies and government institutions in the world. In fact, just recently, the […]
Uncover What Your Job Board Could Be With RealMatch [INFOGRAPHIC]
There are all kinds of reasons why many publishers are choosing RealMatch as their recruitment advertising platform. In this infographic, we explore some of the key differences between RealMatch and some of our competitors. Uncover what your job board could be with RealMatch and see what those purple guys aren’t delivering: 1 of a kind: […]
4 Ways to Keep Your Association’s Website Fresh and Relevant
Do you feel like your association’s website is not generating enough attention? If so, you aren’t alone. Currently, there are so many website and ads and marketing gimmicks and so on floating around the Internet that it can seem impossible to get ahead. Thankfully, there are some tried, true, and necessary tips that you can […]
Here’s A Secret: A Green Screen Can Transform Your Next Event
If you’re not technologically savvy, you may not know what a green screen is or how it works. Basically, a green screen is exactly what it sounds like: a green screen. The key to what a green screen does, however, is in the actual tone of the green used. When processed through a camera and […]
4 Tips for Combating Member Attrition
Attrition is bound to happen among associations and organizations. Everything from business influences to social and perception change can affect attrition. The key, however, is to know when to change or implement a strategy to combat attrition. During down cycles, what is your association or organization doing on its own to fight against a downward […]
Impact Study: Is Your Association Using Social Media The Right Way?
Social media isn’t just for wasting time online anymore. These days, social technologies, including video and other media, are being used by professional associations and organizations to reach out to potential members and retain current members. In fact, a recent study, conducted and published by association management company Kellen, has revealed some surprising news about […]
Why Personalization is So Vital to Your Association
Running an association is all about personal relationships. After all, the entire point of your association, likely, is to provide members with a personal inroad to network with other members, industry leaders, and various professionals who share the same passion for their selected industry. As a result, doesn’t it make sense to provide personalized services […]
Polls, Yes, Polls(!) Can Increase Audience Engagement
Posting new content to your trade publication’s website can sometimes make you feel like you’re shouting into a void — after all, asking for interactive responses isn’t the same thing as inspiring them. That’s why the announcement of instant-polling site Wedgie’s integration with cross-channel posting site Embed.ly should make digital publishers sit up and take […]
How to Use Revenue Per Visitor Metrics for Your Association
When calculating success for a website, there are many metrics that can be analyzed, including bounce rate, conversion rate, and referrals. These metrics tell you what’s working, where it’s working, and how it’s working. Along with that, key metrics can determine where something is not working, allowing you to easily spot a fix. For trade […]
Our Favorites for June
If you are not already subscribed to Recruitment ADvisor, make sure you subscribe now so you do not miss any key articles that can help you improve your job board and recruitment advertising strategies. Here is a second look at some of our favorite recent articles. 5 Job Board Trends in 2015 – If you […]
Stop Postponing An Audience Development Strategy
When you think of marketing your trade association or professional organization, does the term “audience development” come to mind? If not, you may be missing out on plenty of potential new paying members. Audience development has always played a large part in the marketing process, but today, thanks to the Internet and social media, it’s […]
What is Responsive Web Design and Why Does Your Website Need It
In the past, websites were often relatively primitive and were only meant to be viewed on square CRT desktop monitors that offered a 4:3 aspect ratio. As time and the Internet evolved, computer monitors and desktop monitors became thinner and more rectangular, eventually taking on the current 16:9 aspect ratio that virtually all monitors employ […]
3 Ways to Make Your Association’s Elevator Pitch Sizzle
When selling membership in your professional trade association or organization, it’s important to remember the “elevator pitch.” An elevator pitch is essentially a 10-to-30-second pitch that you could give to generate interest during the entirety of a basic elevator ride. The phrase harkens back to when salesmen would meet executives in an unexpected elevator trip […]
4 Tips for Making Your Association Content ‘Upworthy’
You’ve worked hard to help your trade publications’ reputation for depth of thought and editorial integrity, but at the same time you’d like to take full advantage of social media so the mass market can discover your association content. Well, you’re in luck, because you absolutely can “go viral” without watering down your content – […]
Get Social: 3 Benefits of a Robust Social Media Presence
Social media is a fact of life for businesses of all types, and as a result, it’s also a fact of life for professional associations that want to get ahead. Your members expect to be able to connect with your association through social media, but they also expect to be able to share their […]
What Do Successful Associations Have In Common?
Whether you’re starting up a professional association or you’ve been running one for years, there are a number of traits that the most successful organizations have in common, and knowing these traits can help you to improve upon your association. If you’re feeling as though you have no direction in running, promoting, and building upon […]
ASAE MM&C Conference 2015
At RealMatch, we are very excited to attend the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference in Washington D.C. on June 1-2, 2015. Conferences and trade shows are always so much fun, especially when so much business today is conducted over the phone or internet. Meeting and speaking with people face […]
4 Ways a Conference Blog Can Benefit Your Association
Planning and executing a conference for your professional association can be a great way to not only engage current members, but also to attract new members. Although there are a number of tools available to help promote your upcoming conference, one of the most important, yet underused, is a dedicated blog. Creating a dedicated blog […]
4 Content Strategy Tips for Member Communication
Communication is one of the key elements in running any successful relationship, whether it be personal, professional, or otherwise. If you are seeking to engage, attract, or retain members, then you’ll note how communication can make or break your mission. Although communicating via the Internet may come across as awkward at first, especially since so […]
4 Great Design Ideas for Your Association Newsletter
Your association’s newsletter is one of its greatest assets when it comes to acquiring new members, as well as retaining current members. Whether sent out daily, weekly, monthly, or beyond, a newsletter is a fantastic tool that keeps current members engaged while providing potential members with pertinent information regarding what your association or professional organization […]
3 Features You Need in Your Association’s Newsletter
Offering a newsletter in 2015 is one of the best ways to disseminate information, but how you go about doing so may be the key. The fact is that people largely ignore most newsletters, and the remainder of readers who haven’t blocked your newsletters often find them in the Spam folder, meaning your updates may […]
5 Best Ways Your Association Can Boost Non-Dues Revenue
For professional associations, member acquisitions and the resulting dues are a major source of sustainable income. But executive directors are quickly realizing that they’re not enough. Instead, it’s critical to develop new sources of income. While continuing to grow your membership base is a good strategy, it’s also important to find creative ways to generate […]
Should You Let Members Vote on Their Dues?
Any membership group has to, at some point, raise dues in order to stay operational. Whether it is increased costs associated with taking on new initiatives or just trying to keep up with the increases in the costs of doing business, every association has to re-examine its dues structure at some point to determine when […]
How Conferences Generate Revenue. No Dues Needed!
Virtually every trade association is trying to find ways to generate non-dues revenue in the current sluggish economy, and thankfully, there are many ways to do this. From offering professional certification courses to providing subscription-based content, the methods used today to generate non-dues revenue are quite easy to implement, but there’s one method that is […]
How to Harness the Power of Instagram for Your Trade Publication
Trade association members are increasingly looking for new ways to connect with their colleagues. The traditional approaches of bulletin boards, monthly publications, and conferences remain essential — but they’re not enough. It’s also important to have a social media strategy. As social media has evolved to include more than Facebook and Twitter, many trade publishers […]
Improving Infrastructure, Improving Membership
Trade associations play a critical role for professionals that are seeking to network, make a new career move, or just keep up on the latest trends in their industry. Yet many associations struggle to deliver the value that’s needed to keep members coming back year after year, paying dues and attending paid events. As a […]
The Importance of a Digital Community for Trade Associations
Virtually any type of group can benefit from harnessing the power of the Internet to communicate, and trade associations are no different. These days, digital communities can provide trade associations with the ability to provide useful information to members, offer updates on the latest in industry news, and also organize meetings, both online and off. […]