Are you giving your members the professional education experience they expect? 
Here’s how to take your learning program to the next level and deliver greater member value.
Your association is a trusted source for professional education and training. In the 2021 Association Trends Study by Community Brands, two thirds of members in the study’s survey say they’re required to take professional education and training courses to comply with industry standards. Of those members, most turn to their employer or their professional organization for education and training.
But are you doing all you can to provide member value in this area?
Here are four things you can do to step up your professional education program and deliver more of what members want:
1. Offer a wider variety of learning options.
Findings from the 2021 Association Trends Study show that members are interested in more learning modalities than their professional organization currently offers. This suggests an opportunity to provide more learning options for your members.
For example, members say they are interested in a wide variety of professional education and training opportunities, including:
- On-demand learning
- Mobile learning
- Just-in-time learning
- Short videos
- Social learning
The takeaway: Your annual conference and in-person events should no longer be the only sources of continuing education and training. Deliver greater member value by offering a wide variety of year-round learning opportunities to address members’ budgets, schedules, educational and certification needs, and learning preferences.
2. Invest in a modern learning management system (LMS).
Delivering on-demand content to learners can be a challenge – especially without the right technology to support a robust professional education program. Consider investing in online learning software that allows you to provide an engaging learning experience through a single platform. This type of investment can deliver multiple benefits to your organization, including:
- Improving member value – You can provide more value by helping your members to achieve their career goals.
- Efficiently manage content – You can manage, track, organize, store, and deliver on-demand content more efficiently.
- Driving non-dues revenue – You can increase revenue by turning your content into a year-round revenue generator.
TIP: You can integrate the association management software (AMS), Nimble AMS, with Crowd Wisdom LMS by Community Brands to help you deliver an elevated learning experience for your members.
3. Target your learning opportunities.
You can increase participation (and revenue!) for your professional education program using artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics technology. For example, use this functionality to predict which members are most likely to register for a specific course or certificate program based on their past engagement with your organization, and then send them targeted marketing messages for those learning activities.
TIP: Nimble AMS Predictions in Nimble AMS uses the AI technology Salesforce Einstein to make it easy for associations to get started with AI and predictive analytics
4. Make it easy to enroll.
Your members are used to utilizing your member portal to complete member activities. Whether renewing their membership, registering for an event, or purchasing learning courses, these experiences should be consistent. Remove any barriers to enrollment in courses by integrating your LMS and AMS.
TIP: Nimble AMS integrates with Crowd Wisdom LMS for an easy, familiar enrollment/purchase experience. Integrated shopping allows members to purchase multiple items, including learning purchases, from the AMS and immediately take the course in the LMS, for one seamless experience.
Take your organization to the next level.
Nimble AMS is part of a suite of association solutions through Community Brands. Contact us today for a consultation on what the right approach is for your association. We have the technology solutions so you can deliver more of what your members want. Find out more about how Nimble AMS by Community Brands can help: Request a demo today and start Living the Nimble Life.
