It’s no secret that a well-thought-out and well-managed online community can contribute to your organization’s bottom line. But getting from Point A (developing a community) to Point B (reaping the benefits) can be a challenging journey.

“Much of that has to do with internal silos and a lack of understanding around the purpose of an online community and/or the ability to define it well within the overall strategy of the association,” says Marjorie Anderson on Community by Association.

How can you tell if your online community is making a contribution? Anderson says it starts when staff from other departments on the org chart start developing community-related objectives—which means your community has proven its value.

“When your association realizes the value of your community, you go from being an afterthought in strategic conversations to being essential to them,” Anderson says. “Conversations that used to leave you frustrated now leave you energized and excited for what’s ahead. Not only do your association leaders understand community value, but staff across the board understand where it connects into the business.”

Beat the Monday Blues

Our faces tend to hold a lot of tension – but luckily you can give yourself a #DeStressMonday face massage. All you need are your own fingertips and maybe a little moisturizer (almond and jojoba oil work well too): https://t.co/L7N8euxh6k pic.twitter.com/7vlEnTFNyD

— DeStress Monday (@DeStressMonday) March 18, 2019

Ah, yes, Monday. The start of a new work week—and, for many people, a cause of stress. Now, one nonprofit is hoping to change that.

Monday Campaigns, a public health organization, has started the DeStress Monday initiative, a project that shares mindfulness tools through newsletters and social media posts to encourage people to start the week on a positive note.

“The idea that we’re trying to do is introduce people to tools and practices at the beginning of the week, when they’re most open to trying new things, making positive changes,” said Peggy Neu, president of Monday Campaigns, in an interview with Mashable. “If you’re trying to start a practice and maybe you fall off, use Monday to kind of reset.”

Other Links of Note

Lapsed members leave for a reason. The key to getting them back is understanding why they left, says the Web Scribble blog.

Purchasing new software? Optimize the process with these six steps from CMSWire.

Learn to flex your work-life-balance muscle by starting small and creating a support system, says the HubSpot blog.

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