--- title: "Monday Buzz: Tell Your Members’ Stories" id: "31331" type: "post" slug: "monday-buzz-tell-your-members-stories" published_at: "2015-12-07T21:29:52+00:00" modified_at: "2015-12-07T21:29:52+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/12/07/monday-buzz-tell-your-members-stories/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/12/07/monday-buzz-tell-your-members-stories.md" excerpt: "Sharing your members' experiences can be more effective than telling your own. Plus: Five Ted Talks to motivate your week." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "community engagement" - "member growth" - "member stories" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Monday Buzz: Tell Your Members’ Stories When trying to bring in new members, it’s easy to deliver the same cookie-cutter narrative: You start with the history of your organization, explain where it is now, and share the benefits members receive when they join. That’s not a bad way to bring in new blood, but associations may be overlooking a much more compelling topic: the journeys of current members. While an association’s history can be interesting, individual members stories can help prospects connect with others on a more personal level, [according to chamber and membership expert Christina Green on Frank J. Kenny’s blog (opens in a new tab)](http://frankjkenny.com/uncovering-the-stories-of-your-chamber-members/) . According to Green, not only will sharing those narratives help bring more people in but hearing accounts from within your community can also strengthen the connection you have with current members. “This makes them feel good and improves your shares because people love to share a story about them,” she writes. While everyone’s tale is unique, Green spotlights a few popular themes, such as “the failure,” to help organizations get started. “We all know a business person who failed and then rose from the ashes,” Green explains. “Chances are your chamber has helped someone like that.” Through these narratives, your organization can show its dedication to having powerful relationships with its members. ### Tweet of the Day > Mondays are hard. Here are five TED Talks to inspire you – [https://t.co/41E0llrtOG (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/41E0llrtOG) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — MemberClicks (@MemberClicks) [December 7, 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/MemberClicks/status/673857075068461057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) With winter weather on its way and a new year in our sights, it’s reasonable to be feeling a little overwhelmed this Monday. But you can still set yourself up for an inspiring week with [these five TED Talks (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.memberclicks.com/5-must-watch-ted-talks-for-association-pros) that are perfect for association professionals. ### Other Good Reads **Truckers are driving the spread of holiday cheer,** and the American Trucking Associations is doing its part by participating in the 10th annual [Wreaths Across America (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/) event. **Useful tech is a tradeshow essential**, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult to deploy. [Read some new ideas from Event Manager Blog (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/how-to-make-event-technology-easier) on how to effectively plan a modern event. **The power of networking** is just as great for nursing as it is for other fields. In his latest story, Nurse.com advice columnist [Keith Carlson explores how membership (opens in a new tab)](https://news.nurse.com/2015/12/06/behold-the-networking-power-of-nursing-association-membership/) groups can help members reach new heights in their careers. (Devonyu/Thinkstock) [Eli Zimmerman](https://associationsnow.com/author/eli-zimmerman/) Eli is studying Journalism at the University of Maryland. When not studying, he likes to relax with a nice book or a couple rounds at the local boxing gym. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/eli-zimmerman/) Tags: [#community engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/community-engagement/) [#member growth](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-growth/) [#member stories](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-stories/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) **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 - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [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/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) ## 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%2F2015%2F12%2F07%2Fmonday-buzz-tell-your-members-stories%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !