Almost every organization goes through an offseason, where business slows temporarily before ramping up again. And though a break can be beneficial and productive for your team, it can be dull for members. Callie Walker from the MemberClicks blog recommends the following strategies to keep members engaged during such a downtime:

Promote upcoming events or new benefits. “Your organization may not have a lot going on now, but that’s likely to change in due time,” Walker says. “Get your members (and prospects) excited by promoting what’s down the road: your upcoming events, a new member benefit, a new course you’re offering, etc.”

Reflect on past accomplishments. Take members on a trip down memory lane and remind them of the accomplishments you enjoyed together during busier times, for example, at your annual meeting. Try posting attendance stats or sharing fun pictures—anything that will ignite memories while also getting members excited for what’s to come.

Offer a special or a discount. Offseasons might be intentional (like the time before your annual conference), and other times they happen as a result of the season. For instance, it’s summer, and your members are on vacation. In that case, “try offering some type of time-sensitive special or discount,” Walker says. “A ‘summer steal’ on one of your webinars. Or a Valentine’s Day voucher, good the whole month of February. Get creative and give people an incentive to act.”

Diving Deeper with Existing Event Technologies

https://twitter.com/FrancisFriedman/status/1084498564728930305

Every year, the meetings industry braces itself for new technology to disrupt events. But in 2019, event tech will focus on honing the use of existing technologies, rather than new innovation, Marco Giberti, founder and CEO of technology and media investment firm Vesuvio Ventures, told BizBash.

For planners, this means getting to know current technologies better to achieve seamless integration, especially as they relate to augmented reality, behavior tracking, and portable, private meeting spaces.

Other Links of Note

Belief and mindset play a big role in a culture of learning, says Mission to Learn.

Video marketing often needs a push to get in front of the right audience. The HubSpot blog offers a distribution checklist to ensure maximum reach.

If money is tight, consider partnering with another organization for a sponsorship program. Nonprofit Hub explains how to do it successfully.

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