Custom Publishing | Custom Media | Imagination Publishing

Halfway through my roster of speeches and two themes are emerging:

1. We still don’t have any money but we’re not contemplating a leap off the roof anymore.
2. We have a long list of what we’d like to do next but everything is vying to be first.

The economic recovery is slowly making its way to associations. They can feel it coming and are breathing a little easier, even though revenues are still down. Problem is, all the things that had to be put on hold or temporarily suspended are fighting to be first in line for implementation. And the list is long, maybe too long:

• A new website
• A social media strategy with resource allocation
• Better database management leading to micro targeting to members
• An acquisition strategy for young members
• Making publications compatible with e-readers
• Global membership
• Global standards and/or credentials
• Partnerships with or outright acquisition of other associations
• Sustainable research sets that people will pay for
• Advocacy, lobbying, public affairs—increased clout

I’m sure there’s more. Obviously, no one can do this all at once but it all feels urgent and there are good reasons behind every one of them. There is, however, a way to achieve the top half of the list with only one thing.

Build a new website that gives a full 360-degree picture of every piece of content, market the hell out of that every time anything is updated (which needs to be done consistently and frequently) and then be ruthless about collecting, analyzing and acting on the metrics. If you go from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 (instead of 1.25), have a good content plan and use all of the social media features, you will have the data and micro-targeting abilities and a better than even chance of attracting interest from younger prospects. You can incorporate a digimag and test the waters for e-readers. And you can get in front of global audiences with something that portrays who you are and the value you can provide to non-domestic members.

As I’ve researched these speeches, I’ve looked at a lot of association and member websites. Forget for a moment that they need updating—I can be patient with that. My question is: who are you? There is something special, something different about belonging to your association, something unique to you—or there better be. If I came to your website, would I say to myself, “This is great. I have to join. These people really get it.” If the answer to that is no, you know what to do first.