Attracting people to your association is no easy task. Nowadays, when everyone’s attention is being pulled in so many different directions, an association might not be a professional’s first stop when looking for information and community.

“People have a seemingly endless array of groups to join and ways to discover new information,” says a recent post from Association Success. “From local clubs to volunteer organizations, Facebook groups to Reddit communities, there’s no shortage of options for finding community and knowledge.”

Associations can stand out by making member engagement a top priority, suggests the Association Success team. Start with a digital marketing strategy: Organizations can spread their good content to members through weekly newsletters, podcasts, and social media posts.

“The key is to make sure the public has ample opportunities to discover—and learn from—your association’s work.”

Once your audience is engaged, it will be easier to advance your association’s mission. The Association Success team points to the example of Sunny Knoll EcoFarm, an organization that uses free-range livestock to manage a sustainable farm.

“As more members of the general public become invested in Sunny Knoll EcoFarm’s journey, their attitudes toward commercial farming may begin to shift. With time, they may also start to prioritize purchasing groceries from sustainable farms, advancing Sunny Knoll EcoFarm’s overall core purpose.”

And once members are connected to your organization’s mission, they will become brand advocates who will share your good work and encourage people in their networks to become members.

Managing Your Unwieldy To-Do List

It's pointless to pressure yourself into getting a huge to-do list done every day. Try focusing on doing one thing well instead. https://t.co/mmytFpj79G

— Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz) August 12, 2020

Sure, jotting down a list of to-dos can help your productivity, but an extra-long list can be overwhelming. Instead of working with a long list, take a clean sheet of paper and write down the one thing from that long list that you want to accomplish, suggests Peter Bregman in the Harvard Business Review.

“The one-thing list reflects a strategic and intentional choice about what you will do next and continue to focus on until it’s done,” he says. “It might feel silly, but writing that one thing down on its own list is the key. It makes it a commitment that you are far more likely to follow through on.”

Other Links of Note

Hosting a virtual meeting? You might be making one of these common mistakes, suggests a recent post from Eventsforce.

iCloud storage is key to backing up important data. Make sure you have enough space in your accounts with these tips from Gizmodo’s David Nield.

Community moderation should go beyond banning spammers, argues Marjorie Anderson on the Community by Association blog. She breaks down the additional roles that moderators should fill.

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