In this episode of The Member Engagement Show, we cover Higher Logic's recently released 2024 Association Community Benchmark Report, which collects community performance and engagement data specifically for associations and non-profits.

Not only do we discuss key metrics from the report, but expert community advisors Tiffany Moule and Kimmie Harrington share tips for improving your community performance and member engagement. Topics include:

• What the report is and how associations can best use it.
• Highlights from the report including:
  • Which months have the highest community engagement.
  • Average open rates for community digests.
  • Average discussion activity.
  • The impact of size and age on community engagement.
• How to engage different types of community users.
• The positive impact of tying mentoring, volunteering, and job board opportunities to your online community to increase engagement with your programs and community.
• Just how big a difference personalization makes.
• Why onboarding is a critical time for community engagement.
• The percentage of community members you can expect to contribute content.
• The impact of having resource libraries in a community.

Helpful Links:

Register and join us for our free upcoming webinar on the 2024 Association Community Benchmark Report, taking place September 25 at 2 PM ET.

Download the 2024 Community Benchmark Report

Explore the Community Manager Toolkit

More Higher Logic podcast episodes and resources

Our guests on this week’s episode are Higher Logic Senior Advisor of Customer Success, Kristen Parody, and Higher Logic Customer Success Manager, Cate Sauer. Kristen and Cate are both regulars on the Higher Logic Users Group (HUG) and former association management professionals. Their work at Higher Logic revolves around helping associations succeed by sharing high-level strategies, best practices, and support.

During the episode, we share tips for how associations can manage and engage groups, chapters, and events by using dedicated microsites.

• Hear about some common association use-cases for microsites.
• Learn why microsites are great for offering personalized branding and experiences for different member segments or events.
• Learn how chapter and other microsites can be used to empower volunteers and chapter leaders.
• Understand the best practices for setting up microsites, including the benefits of testing and starting small.
• Learn what Higher Logic's Component Management add-on is and how it can help.

Helpful Links:

Kristen Parody on LinkedIn Cate Sauer on LinkedIn

• FloridaMakes Webinar on how they use microsites.
• Microsite Resources in the HUG Education Library
• Info on Higher Logic's Component Management Add-On

Higher Logic Success Team Contacts: successteam@higherlogic.com realmagnetsuccessteam@higherlogic.com informzsuccessteam@higherlogic.com

Our guest this episode is Heather McNair, CEO of Cloud Generation. Heather has had a long career working on association communities and credentialing programs. Heather also shares how Higher Logic Thrive Credentialing can help associations administer their certification, certificate, and credential programs. In one example. Heather shares how an association more than doubled the number of new certificate participants in just one year, while cutting staff time spent on the program in half.

Throughout the episode, we discuss:

• The different types of credentialing programs: certifications, certificates, micro-credentials, and stacked credentials.
• How Higher Logic Thrive Credentialing makes managing complex certification programs.
• Opportunities associations are missing when it comes to certification and credentialing.
• How to ensure members understand the importance of certification, the process of getting their credentials, and how to approach re-certification.
• Strategies for nurturing members toward certification.
• How to revitalize a certification program that may be stalling out.
• Repurposing existing content for certification programs.
• Using technology to scale and improve certification programs.

Helpful Links:

Higher Logic Thrive Credentialing

Heather McNair on LinkedIn

higherlogic.com/podcasts

Our guest this episode is Higher Logic's Chief Technology Officer, Conor Sibley, who has spent three decades at influential companies designing and managing Internet scale platforms. He has intimate knowledge of emerging technologies and is part of the team leading the development of Higher Logic’s own AI toolset.

We talk about the ways AI applications for associations are evolving, and Conor highlights Higher Logic's new AI tools. Topics covered include:

• The types of AI that go way beyond just generative AI.
• How associations can use AI for highly personalized experiences.
• The power of AI in automated marketing.
• Definitions for Multi-Modal Large Language Model, AI hallucinations, and results augmented generation (RAG).
• AI applications that can help associations externally and internally.
• The ways AI can be applied to improve translation and multi-lingual experiences

Helpful Links: June 11 Webinar: Available Now - See Higher Logic's New AI Tools In Action Additional resources at higherlogic.com/podcasts.

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Diana Mertz, Sr. Director of Membership and Engagement with the American Staffing Association. Diana has over 15 years' experience in association management, primarily on the membership side. Topics covered include:

• Building and maintaining special interest groups in communities.
• Nurturing volunteers as leaders.
• Tips for communities keeping long-time communities fresh and engaged.
• How members’ perception and use of communities changes over time.
• Learning what YOUR members want and how to tap into that for success.
• Teaching members how to use and get the most out of the community.
• Recognition for your most valuable contributors.

Helpful Links

Visit higherlogic.com/podcasts for resources.

Learn more about ASA's Women in Leadership program (video).

Diana Mertz on LinkedIn

American Staffing Association

In this episode, we talk with Amber Worthen, CEO of Email Maven, which provides comprehensive email platform support primarily for associations. Email Maven helps staff get the email work done, pitching in on both projects and overall strategy. Prior to Email Maven, Amber was in the trade association space for seven years. The episode explores:

• How to accomplish a lot with a small email marketing team.
• How to effectively introduce automation into the email marketing picture.
• Why email benchmarks are important and how they can help associations.
• What kind of email metrics you should be tracking.
• How to provide a better, more targeted experience for your members through automation.
• How to spot helpful vs. unhelpful email data.
• The most underestimated Higher Logic email tool: web tracking.
• Emerging trends in email marketing

Links:

• Visit higherlogic.com/podcasts to download the Association Email Benchmark Report and check out other resources referenced on the show.
• Register for our April 30 webinar, Benchmarks for Success, to learn more about association marketing, community, and experience benchmarks.
• Learn more about Email Maven.

In this episode, we talk to Higher Logic’s Sr. Product Marketing Manager Sarah Spinosa about how to effectively use association job boards to assist members in their career growth, sustain industries, and increase the value of your association community; all part of effective association management. Topics include:

• Job Boards reinforce your association as the “professional home” for members.
• A job board’s role in member recruitment, engagement, and retention.
• A job board's role in generating non-dues revenue.
• Using job boards to spot skills demands and gaps, and education opportunities.
• How job boards add value to your community and drive logins.
• How job boards can keep the industry healthy.
• Effective job board tech tools and management tips.

Useful Links:

Visit higherlogic.com/podcasts to learn more about Higher Logic Thrive Jobs and explore our guide to the ideal association tech stack.

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Higher Logic's Sales Enablement Manager Devin Timbrook, who has 7 years’ experience working with associations and nonprofits. Devin specializes in scalable ways to engage members, and in this episode she focuses on how associations can use automation to save time and create personalized member experiences. Kelly and Devin cover:

• Trends in automation for associations
• Some ideas for using automation to better your member experience
• Automation opportunities in marketing and online communities
• How Higher Logic's Advanced Starter Kits can help you get started
• Responses to some common concerns about automating

Devin will explore automation in more depth during her session at Super Forum 2024, April 10-12 in National Harbor, MD. Hope to see you there!

And check out other episodes of the show, and association resources at higherlogic.com/podcasts/.