Wednesday Buzz: What Tech M&A Means for Associations

Several high-profile mergers and acquisitions among association technology vendors have made the headlines in recent years, and many association leaders are concerned about what tech consolidation could mean for them.

It may just be a good thing. “M&A activity in the association tech sector will ultimately make the vendor ecosystem more healthy,” Rick Bawcum, the CEO of Cimatri, argues in a recent blog post  (opens in a new tab). “The overlap in basic functionality between solution providers motivates them to consolidate in order to efficiently apply capital in their product development activities.”

If vendors can operate more efficiently, they may be able to create better products and deliver them faster to associations, he says.

Bawcum goes on to share a few ways associations can mitigate their risks in the midst of all these mergers. He recommends prioritizing the security of your data, using service-oriented architecture for integrating systems, and keeping customizations of vendor products to a minimum.

Facebook Decline

https://twitter.com/maggielmcg/status/902916747782754305  (opens in a new tab)

Is your association frustrated by a lack of organic Facebook reach lately? You’re not alone.

BuzzSumo, a social insights company, analyzed over 880 million posts from brands and publisher Facebook Pages and saw a 20 percent drop in engagement starting in January of this year, reports Social Media Today  (opens in a new tab).

While no one outside of Facebook knows the exact reasons behind the decrease, we do know that Facebook has made a lot of News Feed algorithm changes recently. Social Media Today puts some of the blame on a News Feed update in June 2016, “which put increased emphasis on content posted by friends and family over Page posts.”

Other Links of Note

A wellness program can make for happier employees. Beth’s Blog takes a look at how the United Way of Central Ohio implements its program  (opens in a new tab).

There isn’t one sure solution to the association engagement problem, says Amanda Kaiser of Smooth the Path. But she reveals what associations with the most engaged members get right  (opens in a new tab).

Spoiler alert. Ragan’s PR Daily shares content marketing tips  (opens in a new tab) from the women of Game of Thrones.

(Martin Barraud/OJO Images/Getty Images Plus)