We all know that lots of associations are headquartered in Washington DC, Chicago, and other major metropolises, but you don’t have to live in a big city to be an effective leader and have a flourishing association career.

A recent article from Association Success shares a few of the obstacles that come from working outside of industry centers and how to overcome them. Take networking, for instance. You can get a lot of work done anywhere you have an internet connection, but meeting a wide variety of fellow association pros is going to be difficult.

To develop your professional network, “maximize the utility of existing work travel by cutting out for an hour or so to attend local meet-ups of association professionals in the city you are visiting,” writes Tracy Vanneman.

Also consider having a contractor in DC or local capitals to advocate for your group’s interests. You can still influence governments without living near government agencies year-round.

Trickle of Traffic

NEW Post: The Powerhouses of the Internet are Turning Hostile to Websites (and some thoughts on what marketers can do): https://t.co/FqzHxG5PHa pic.twitter.com/TTMMYHK9Ar

— Rand Fishkin (follow @randderuiter on Threads) (@randfish) September 25, 2018

Some of the biggest traffic drivers on the internet are driving less and less traffic.

In a new SparkToro post, Rand Fishkin details how internet giants like Facebook, Google, and Reddit are actually working to keep people from leaving their platforms, resulting in less clicks for the rest of us.

“In the last five years, there has not been a single major website or dominant web property that has embraced, rewarded, or significantly grown their outlinking,” says Fishkin. “We’ve reached an era of a less-connected web, a web focused on retaining users rather than sharing content.”

Other Links of Note

Organizational change can’t happen without a lot of work. In a recent Velvet Chainsaw Consulting blog post, Jeff Hurt reveals what it takes to be effective.

Leverage the news to your benefit. The Nonprofit Marketing Blog delves into the act of “newsjacking.”

What can nonprofit leaders learn from the basketball court? A former pro player turned organization leader shares a few lessons with Blue Avocado.