--- title: "Tuesday Buzz: Boost Membership With the Basics" id: "32207" type: "post" slug: "tuesday-buzz-boost-membership-with-the-basics" published_at: "2016-02-23T19:26:04+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:47:41+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/02/23/tuesday-buzz-boost-membership-with-the-basics/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/02/23/tuesday-buzz-boost-membership-with-the-basics.md" excerpt: "One state chapter of a national association found an unlikely path to improving its membership numbers: It ensured that the basic functions of the association were on-point. Also: Are 20 percent of your members doing 80 percent of the work?..." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "fan engagement" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Tuesday Buzz: Boost Membership With the Basics Over the years, *Associations Now* has covered dozens of ways to boost membership and engagement—[some covered by our own Joe Rominiecki](http://associationsnow.com/2016/02/buzz-worthy-advice-for-member-engagement-and-market-analysis/) not too long ago. None, however, have seemed quite so dead-simple as the one recently [highlighted by CQ Roll Call’s Connectivity blog (opens in a new tab)](http://connectivity.cqrollcall.com/this-association-grew-membership-by-30-in-9-months/) : Make it easy for members to reach you. Surprising as that is, that was one of the elements behind the improved performance of the Colorado chapter of the National Speakers Association, which saw its membership jump by 30 percent in a twelve-month period. Leslie Shivers, the chapter’s manager, said that the organization’s website had a big problem previously—reaching the organization itself was difficult. “Membership was declining because the only way to contact the association was to complete a contact form on the website, which went to a virtual assistant, but did not result in timely responses,” Shivers stated. She solved this problem by putting her personal contact information—name, phone number, and email address—right on the front page. And that simple change helped set the stage for a bunch of larger strategic changes that have put the organization on a path for long-term growth. “We just went back to the basics,” Shivers explained. ### The 80-20 Rule > Light a fire within your [#Membership (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Membership?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > : [https://t.co/hLqYsmzVFM (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/hLqYsmzVFM) > by [@johnricco (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/johnricco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > CAE [#AssocBlog (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssocBlog?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#AssnChat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssnChat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — PartnersInAssocMgt (@Partners_AMC) [February 23, 2016 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Partners_AMC/status/702135418301640704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **The [Pareto principle (opens in a new tab)](http://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/Pareto081202.htm)**—the idea that 80 percent of effects come from 20 percent of the causes—is something that many in the association world are already pretty familiar with, even if they don’t know it yet. The reason? Quite often, they see it in their membership. A handful of super-engaged members will do much of the lifting—volunteering, taking part in sessions, sharing online feedback—for the benefit of the remainder of the membership, who is often just there for the ride. As you can imagine, this can feel a little frustrating for those who are taking on the bulk of the load. [In a blog post on Partners Preceptors (opens in a new tab)](http://partnerspreceptors.com/2016/02/16/ignite-that-spark-in-your-members/) , longtime association executive John Ricco, CAE argues that improving the balance between active and inactive members comes down to engagement. “Why focus on engagement? It works,” he writes. “Research shows that increased communication and interaction among peers creates better outcomes.” ### Other Links of Note **Tech consultancy Delcor** has some thoughts on how association execs can grapple with all that crazy technology out there. [Click on this link (opens in a new tab)](http://www.delcor.com/Blog.aspx?id=1692&blogid=154) and see if their lessons provide any fresh sparks. **Rely on Google search ads** to drive new member interest? The company is making a big change to how paid ads are displayed in search results. [CMS Wire has the scoop (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/google-says-goodbye-to-right-side-ads/) . **Writing an invitation on LinkedIn** is something of an art form—which is [why this MemberClicks post (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.memberclicks.com/4-tips-for-writing-a-great-linkedin-invitation) is a good starting point for learning how to do it right. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#fan engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/fan-engagement/) [#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%2F2016%2F02%2F23%2Ftuesday-buzz-boost-membership-with-the-basics%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !