Membership Marketing & Technology

A communications professional with strengths in data management, business/member intelligence, brand strategy, corporate communications, advertising, electronic marketing and graphic design, Curt formerly worked at the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, where he managed the chamber’s website, print communications, advertising and branding efforts. 

Curt frequently presents sessions at state, regional and national chamber of commerce conferences on the topics of technology, marketing and communications.  He is also a faculty member of the Western Association of Chamber Executive's Academy.

WebLink recently launched a brand new iPad app designed for associations and chambers of commerce using the WebLink Connect membership management system to conduct mobile commerce by accepting credit card payments for new memberships, current member invoices and event registrations when away from your office. The WebLink iPad app has only been out a few days, but the feedback has been amazing!

By streamlining the interface and workflow, we've created a intuitive tool for sales teams, events staff...

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Recently, my son was helping me with his homework (yes, you read that correctly!) and it made me think about ways that business associations and chambers of commerce can solve problems with their data.

His 5th grade class is learning pre-algebra using tokens and dice to represent the Xs and the Ys to help them "break down" the equations into manageable chunks and ultimately lead to the solution.  Being in my mid 40s, it took me a while to grasp the concepts, but once I did, it made understanding...

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Business associations and chambers of commerce spend precious time and money recruiting new members and trying to retain existing members.

But some members are naturally more inclined to renew based on how they feel about your association BEFORE they join.  You'll create greater chances for success at renewing these members if you can identify them before they join so you can:

1. Capture details needed to demonstrate value in your membership management database
2. Try to "convert" them to a type of...

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Each year, the WebLink Summit brings together business association and chamber of commerce executives from around the country to discuss ways they can use technology to improve their organizations.

This year's WebLink Summit will be May 30-June 1 at the brand-new JW Marriott in Indianapolis. The WebLink Summit is far more than a software user’s meeting – it’s a unique marketing, technology and social media conference designed to help associations and chambers of commerce use technology to market...

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If you're like most business associations and chambers of commerce, you're using a Facebook page to broaden your communications and engage your audience where they already are - on social media.

The average user in the U.S. spends about 8 hours/month on Facebook. As Facebook continues to become THE place where people learn about news and find information about companies, it is reasonable to think that your audience may someday visit your Facebook page to learn more about your association - maybe...

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Your association database is the single most important asset your organization owns.

Many associations and chambers of commerce don't hold patents, produce products or create proprietary information, such as extensive research projects or detailed industry reports.  However, the collection of data in your membership database IS a propriety asset.

This data is unique and extremely valuable to your organization.

Your membership database software should contain everything you need to manage your...

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In May, WebLink will host the WebLink Summit, our annual marketing, technology and social media conference for member-based organizations.

For more than 10 years, this conference has attracted forward-thinking executives from some of the best business associations and chambers of commerce in North America.

What makes this conference so special?  Simple:  Our focus and our attendees.

There is no other conference dedicated to providing the technology information shared at the WebLink Summit -...

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Technology surrounds us everyday.  Most of it is even beneficial. :-)

It seems like just about everything is now being hosted in "the cloud" or turned into "as a service."  

There is even a company called Dollar Shave Club that recently began delivering razors to your door each month - for a low monthly fee, of course.  Razors As A Service - what's next?

Over the last 10 years or so, association management software and membership database software have followed this trend so association executives...

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You've heard of the book "Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers," right?  What things are you doing today that seem a "must do" that you can stop doing to help you serve your members more effectively?   Or, what changes can you make that will help your organization adapt and thrive? 

Social media – and technology in general - has made it easier than ever for business associations, chambers of commerce and membership organizations to reach more of your audience more often AND when and where they...

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I read an article today on Business Insider that QR Codes are dead.  Many chambers of commerce and business associations haven't even started using them yet. 

The article does have some good points about QR codes sometimes being awkward to use.  And as a call to action in an advertisement, they may not be as effective as hoped.

However, there are many more uses for QR codes than in advertising.   Ticket confirmations, contact information on business cards, product information, mobile optimized...Read More » »

In a blog post last week, I shared part of my presentation from the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals 90th Annual Meeting, titled "Social Media Strategy for Impacting Member Sales & Retention."

In that post I discussed how tools like the Facebook Like button and others can help make your chamber's website content more "sharable" to encourage your members, fans and followers to post your content on other networks.

How can you get them to share your content, though?  Well...let's give... Read More » »

Last week, I presented a session at the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP) 90th Annual Meeting called, "Social Media Strategy for Impacting Member Sales & Retention."   It was great to see how many chambers of commerce have implemented social media into their communications efforts!

I follow around 700-800 chambers of commerce and their staff on Twitter and Facebook and I see several chambers doing a great job of engaging their members and finding ways to demonstrate the...Read More » »

If your chamber of commerce or business association moved to a new location, you'd probably let your members know, right?   You'd send them some emails - maybe even send some "snail mail."  You might even hang a sign on your old office letting visitors know that you've moved to a new location.

So, when you change your website, do you let your members know about all the changes? 

Most chambers of commerce and business assocations launch new websites by telling members in their print newsletters...Read More » »

We know that one of the main reasons companies join chambers of commerce is to increase their business.  And the exposure your members gain via your website is the single largest way you can promote them and drive traffic to their business.

The value that members receive from exposure on - and traffic from - your chamber’s website often justifies their membership renewal each year.  And, that value can be used to acquire new members, plus generate non-dues revenue through website advertising.

With...Read More » »

I saw a post on Twitter today about how someone thought that texting was a useless form of communications.  It made me think about a story that a chamber of commerce president told me recently.

The chamber was having their regular board meeting and one board member was offering his opinion on a certain position he thought the organization should take.

He was getting some initial pushback from other board members and retreating slightly in his position. While other board members were discussing...Read More » »

Recently, the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce changed is name to the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce to create broader appeal for the region it serves.  Read a brief article about this change here.

While the new name is certainly a bit easier to type and say, I was curious as to how those various place names could potentially drive traffic to the chamber's website.

Using Google's Keyword Tool, I looked for the monthly search volume for each of the areas...Read More » »

In the past year, I've seen dozens of chambers of commerce dramatically increase their use of social media, especially Twitter and Facebook.   I've noticed a few chambers of commerce that have truly created their own community of followers on Twitter, too. 

These chambers not only promote their own events and news, but they highlight their members (using their Twitter IDs) and they engage them with conversations.   And, their members even end up promoting each other in addition to recommending...Read More » »

There's a story making its way around the internet right now about a woman in Minnesota who tried to pay for tickets at a local movie theatre with a credit card.  After learning that the theatre only accepted cash, she left the theatre to get some cash and returned, only to continue the unpleasant experience.

Upon returning home, she sent an email to the company that runs the theatre.  While her email could be considered mildly inflamatory, the resulting reply is profanity-laden and offensive.

Rea...Read More » »

The Zionsville IN Chamber of Commerce (just northwest of Indianapolis) recently announced a new marketing initiative using technology to promote their community.   However, several of the community's business owners are not exactly enamored with the plan.   Read the full article here.

The Chamber has purchased advertising on electronic billboards at the baggage claim area of Indianapolis International Airport.  While this is a technology used by many companies to reach their target audience, I...Read More » »