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/.

In this episode of The Member Engagement Show, Kelly talks with Kunal Johar, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of OpenWater by ASI. Kunal shares how anyone can help their organization digitally transform. He also walks through the transformative impacts of using the latest addition to the Higher Logic Thrive suite: Higher Logic Thrive Submissions and Review. The result of a partnership between Higher Logic and OpenWater, Higher Logic Thrive Submissions and Review is an abstract software that integrates with Higher Logic Thrive Community enabling organizations to collect and manage award, abstract, scholarship, grant, and other submissions and applications.

Listen to the episode for more:

• Digital Transformation doesn't have to be a giant structural change; it can be one person deciding to improve a process (and you can iterate on that improvement).
• Member needs and day-to-day efficiency is what drives digital transformation. Associations should ask "what are our daily roadblocks?" and then consider "is there a simple way to fix this?"
• Associations should explore ways to use the tools they already have for digital transformation - avoiding additional budget approval.

Kunal will also be joining us for Super Forum 2024, April 10-12 - don't miss out!

Learn more about Higher Logic Thrive Submissions and Review, and check out other resources we've referenced on The Member Engagement Show at higherlogic.com/podcasts.

On this episode of The Member Engagement Show, Kelly talks with Higher Logic’s Sr. Sales Engineer Emily Stamm about association volunteer and mentorship programs. The episode covers:

• How mentorship programs benefit both seasoned experts and younger members.
• Why you should establish volunteer programs in your association.
• What makes for great volunteer opportunities.
• How to spot and foster the best potential volunteers.
• How use community to create member engagement in volunteer and mentoring programs.
• Showcasing volunteer efforts, programs, and results.
• Ways to show your appreciation for your volunteers.

Check out the resources and events mentioned during this episode at higherlogic.com/podcasts, including:

• Super Forum 2024, which takes place, April 10-12 - Emily Stamm will be teaching a session to help you improve your mentoring and volunteering programs!
• Our guide, Path to Renewal: Mentoring & Volunteering

Our guest on today’s episode is Higher Logic’s own Martha Jack. Martha is the Senior Director of Design Services, where she leads the Design Services team in helping customers build communities uniquely tailored to association needs. Martha has worked with countless clients to create community and website experiences that foster member engagement and support the objectives of associations. Topics covered on this episode include:

• Creating synergy between websites and communities.
• Why community design is so important for helping members stay engaged and find the information they need
• Creating sustainable communities with automation that saves staff time.
• Why your community homepage doesn't need to have everything, everywhere, all at once.
• How to create ongoing interest by launching new community features over time.
• Important design considerations that are unique to association websites.
• Website and community design trends.
• Why you should never consider your community “finished.”

Find links to our Higher Logic Thrive Community Lookbook, and more information about Higher Logic Design Services at higherlogic.com/podcasts.

Martha will also be teaching a session at Higher Logic's Super Forum 2024, April 10-12, on web accessibility to help you learn how to make your community better for everyone. Register to learn more from Martha and others!