--- title: "Internet Association Uses Its Website to Expand Its Mission" id: "18456" type: "post" slug: "internet-association-uses-its-website-to-expand-its-mission" published_at: "2013-07-16T17:00:54+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T20:38:25+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/07/16/internet-association-uses-its-website-to-expand-its-mission/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/07/16/internet-association-uses-its-website-to-expand-its-mission.md" excerpt: "How the Internet Association uses its online presence to promote its goals. Also: why conference speakers should engage in peer-to-peer discussions." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "digital strategy" - "Leadership" - "member participation" - "Online Engagement" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Internet Association Uses Its Website to Expand Its Mission It’s important to listen to your members. They carry your association’s goals on their backs. So, why not give them a space where they can express their support for your mission? How the Internet Association uses its website to drive member engagement, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links: **Power to the people:** The Internet Association recently [expanded its web presence (opens in a new tab)](http://internetassociation.org/07152013-interactivwebsitelaunch/) , in an effort to advance its mission. One of its interactive initiatives includes a “Take Action” center, where users can vote for and comment on legislation affecting the Internet, [including Start-Up Act 3.0 (opens in a new tab)](http://madison.internetassociation.org) and [the I-Squared Act (opens in a new tab)](http://madison.internetassociation.org/Hi) . “Our new web resource is another leap forward in our mission to protect the freedom and innovation of the Internet,” Internet Association President and CEO Michael Beckerman said in a press release about the site. “The design is meant to be forward thinking, not only in aesthetics, but also in grassroots engagement. It helps empower the global community of Internet users to directly engage decision-makers on Internet policy issues.” How does your association’s website engage its members on policy issues? **Making the most of data:** After attending an event hosted by social CRM firm Avectra on the “Moneyball Effect,” association leadership consultant Jamie Notter found himself thinking about [the movie and how associations use data (opens in a new tab)](http://www.socialfish.org/2013/07/the-moneyball-effect-using-your-data.html) . *Moneyball*, based on the Michael Lewis book by the same name, focuses on the efforts of Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane, who, along with his staff, used data and statistics to assemble a winning Major League Baseball roster on a limited budget. Rather than focus on high-dollar, all-around stars, Beane and his colleagues used data to recruit a team of role players who together achieved uncommon success. Your association collects a lot of data. But is it using that information to inform its decisions? “Remember to look for correlations that surprise you, and then dig into those surprises, instead of writing them off as anomalies,” Notter writes for *SocialFish*. “The goal is not to use data to justify the conclusions you’ve already come to. The goal is to learn.” **Let’s talk about it:** Associations hold a lot of conferences—and host a lot of speakers. But how often do conference speakers engage with their audiences? Jeff Hurt, executive vice president of education and engagement at Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, suggests [attendees at association events could benefit from a chance to engage directly with conference speakers (opens in a new tab)](http://jeffhurtblog.com/2013/07/11/conference-peer-discussion-manifesto/) . “Our conferences should be like hives buzzing with chatter between participants,” Hurt writes on his blog. “Education sessions should not be silent venues with only monologues or panel dialogues. They should be alive with energy.” What are you reading today? Let us know in the comments. (internetassociation.org) [Anita Ferrer](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Tags: [#digital strategy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/digital-strategy/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#member participation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-participation/) [#Online Engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/online-engagement/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [VideoOnline and On Mission by David GammelJanuary 6, 2010](https://associationsnow.com/2010/01/06/online-and-on-mission-by-david-gammel/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F07%2F16%2Finternet-association-uses-its-website-to-expand-its-mission%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !