--- title: "The Membership Landscape: What History Can Teach Us About Progress" id: "18378" type: "post" slug: "the-membership-landscape-what-history-can-teach-us-about-progress" published_at: "2013-07-10T16:44:12+00:00" modified_at: "2013-07-10T16:44:12+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/07/10/the-membership-landscape-what-history-can-teach-us-about-progress/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/07/10/the-membership-landscape-what-history-can-teach-us-about-progress.md" excerpt: "How the association and membership landscape has changed in the past five years. Also: Why you should always double-check email messages before hitting the send button." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Member Engagement" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » The Membership Landscape: What History Can Teach Us About Progress A lot can change in five years, including your association. What these changes mean for you, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links: **Times, they are a-changin’:** From technology to education, the association landscape has undergone significant change in the past five years. Writing for the *Leadership Solutions International* blog, Holly Duckworth, CAE, says [it’s important for associations to study these changes as they move forward (opens in a new tab)](http://www.leadershipsolutionsintl.com/2013/07/five-changes-in-the-past-five-years-that-affect-your-association) . One big change: member loyalty and attendance has become harder to attain. “Association members used to participate out of loyalty to the organization or because it was mandatory as part of the organization bylaws or policies,” she writes. “This is simply not the case any more.” She adds, “As consumers have become more empowered by access to information, they want to know quicker what is the ROI for spending their time and money with you.” Has your association changed its membership offerings to meet these needs? **Take a second look:** If there’s one daunting reality about instant communication, and especially email communication, it’s that you cannot take a message back after it’s sent. Once you hit the “send” button, it’s out of your hands and there’s nothing you can do about those squirm-inducing grammar, coding, or autocorrect mistakes. That’s why [you should always double-check your email messages before hitting the send button (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/are-your-business-communications-up-to-snuff_1.html) , writes Janine Popick, CEO and founder of email- and event-marketing firm VerticalResponse, for Inc.com. “Step away from the email for a minute or two, then go back with a fresh set of eyes and read every single word one more time,” suggests Popick, who shares some hilarious—and mortifying—mistakes in her column. Have you made an embarrassing email mistake? Share your experiences in the comment section. **Twitter update:** If you use Twitter across multiple devices, you might be happy to learn that the user experience will soon become much more seamless. An article on Entrepreneur.com [details several new features (opens in a new tab)](http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227317?hootPostID=a9b47c1a38ee88925501c9d18b4a48a1) , including improved search capabilities, synced direct messages and a more accessible mobile platform. Use Twitter on iPad or iPhone? A new built-in tweet composer and people button should allow you to more easily find and interact with accounts you follow. The new features will be rolled out gradually, according to the article. What are you reading today? Share your links in the comment section. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock) [Anita Ferrer](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. 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