Wes Sovis is MSAE's Digital Communications Manager, responsible for putting out the association's vibes online. He's a social media and digital media fanatic, and his main goal to to help MSAE do more to engage, inform, and promote its members across a variety of digital mediums. 

When it comes to membership marketing, it’s easy to assume you know the one value proposition that resonates with your membership the most. But as many marketers have discovered, the only way to confirm a value proposition’s effectiveness is to compare it with another. 

We recently had a conversation with Marketing General’s Tony Rossel, who discussed this very topic. Tony called it the 80-10-10 method, and it made such an impact with our group, we thought we’d share the method with everyone. 

 

For many associations, they strive to be the go-to source for news and information for their respective industry. When members, the media, or politicians think about any given industry, the statewide association is, ideally, the first entity that comes to mind. 

If you think of some highly reputable and visible associations in Michigan, you’ll see they’re the first to be asked for comment on important issues of the day. But how did they garner such clout with the press? One of the biggest factors in attaining such authority is the seemingly old-fashioned, yet highly-effective communications asset of yore; the mighty press release. 

People seem to fall into two categories when it comes to Coronavirus: those who are prepping for doomsday and those who are frustrated by the hype. In the very least, concerns of a possible pandemic can motivate us as association professionals to take a serious look at our preparedness for a crisis. 

Employee health - Sometimes, employees feel like they have to report to work even if they're not feeling well due to workload or a big project. Check-in on your association's illness policy to make sure it's flexible enough to allow for not only employee illness but also their need to provide care to children and loved ones who may need extra help. Communicate your expectations of employees to stay home if they are sick, practice proper handwashing, and be mindful of the personal space of others. Provide kleenex and hand sanitizer for employee workstations or request that employees bring in their own. Ask your cleaning service to be particularly attentive to public areas, water coolers, handrails, light switches, and doorknobs... 

 

Association IMPACT #4 Now Available

The latest issue of Association IMPACT covers the economic impact of associations, communication trends, millennials in the workplace, social media, strategic planning and life insurance. Read this issue online or request a printed a copy.