Happy Monday, everyone! It was a whirlwind weekend for me and I’m back in the office, fully caffeinated and ready to rock. What’s your biggest goal for the week, and how will you accomplish it?

To kick off the week, I wanted to share some new slideshows I’ve found that do a great job of going through some social media best practices. Things are always changing (especially with the launch of Google+ Brand Pages!) so it’s important to stay updated.

How does your organization help new employees transition into the organization?

Even in smaller associations, it’s crucial to welcome the new staffer well and have a smooth onboarding process.

Some tips:

• After an offer has been accepted, send the new employee reading materials such as the marketing plan, membership programs or anything else pertinent
• Additionally, include a FAQ on the organization in the welcome e-mail so you can eliminate some common questions and let the new hire start off on the right foot
• If possible, include a “who’s who” area on your organization’s internal website with names, photos and titles. (This is especially important if the organization is a bit larger.)
• Send out a welcome e-mail to the entire organization, and include some background information on the new employee. Highlight his or her’s past work accomplishments.
• Host a welcome breakfast or lunch with the new employee.
• Have an employee handbook — either online or offline. Keep in mind that an online version will be easier to update and change.
• Provide a list of people to meet with within the organization, as well as key members and volunteers
• Provide technical training for whatever technology your organization utilizes
• Be clear about objectives — especially during the first week — and review them periodically. The first three or four months at a new job are all about finding your footing and making sure priorities are clear.

I think it’s important to not make a new employee’s first day all about paperwork. Encourage them to start developing relationships with colleagues and learn more about the organization, including cultural practices. If your organization engages in Casual Fridays, be sure to tell the new guy before he shows up in a suit. Invite them to social outings. There’s much more to working than just knowing how the office functions and where the printer is.

How does your organization welcome new employees?

Happy Friday! Who can believe we’re already just about through February? I know it’s a short month, but it really seemed to fly by this year. It was definitely an exciting month in the association community, and to round it out, here are my five favorite posts from this week.

1. Peggy Hoffman wrote a great piece stemming from an association exec’s confession on an ASAE listserv. The association wasn’t sure what to do with a standing PR committee. Peggy focused on three lessons from this confession, and the ensuing discussion. There’s no clear conclusion, but many of the committee’s tasks could become ad hoc tasks for volunteers.

2. At Association Subculture, Shelly Alcorn has started a new series focusing on Jim Collins’ “How the Mighty Fall” and applying it to associations. In part two, she writes about the pursuit of more — more mergers, more chapters, more members, more more more. It’s not always better, and can lead to an organization’s downfall.

3. I’ve been loving Jeffrey Cufaude’s “Wednesday What-If” series. This week, he drew some inspiration from the men’s figure skating in the Winter Olympics and wondered what would happen if associations focused more on consistent, high-quality work rather than tricky, big breakthroughs. One single effort or initiative can use up a lot of resources, so perhaps we should consider how to make every single element of your efforts richer and more valuable.

4. It’s no secret the association community is enthralled with “best practices,” but, as Jamie Notter wrote this week, those practices can be inherently flawed if they don’t change with time. There’s a great discussion in the comments here about how best practices have to be allowed to evolve to stay up-to-date. Does your organization blindly rely on “best practices?”

5. Thinking of incorporating video into your nonprofit’s communication plan? Be sure to check out this awesome post. One organization tried out video, and shared its successes and mistakes so others can learn from them. Some takeaways: keep it short, have a mission and keep your resources in mind.

If you’re getting hit with snow again, stay warm this weekend! Wherever you are, have a great one!

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This is part two of an ongoing series entitled “Tech Tips.” We’ll be sharing valuable tips and information about the importance and benefits of technology, as well as what to look for when selecting a vendor. The first post can be found here.

One of the greatest things about using an Association Management System (AMS) is the built-in support system. Most vendors offer training webinars, videos, documentation and even on-site visits to help you become more familiar with their technology. Your organization’s staff  should make it a priority to be as knowledgeable about your chosen Web solution as possible. Devote a specific amount of time to initial training, and down the road, you may not need as much support.

We think it’s vital to choose a Web solution that includes as much support and training as possible. We’ve got free webinars, an IDEAS forum, training videos and on-site training options to help your organization make the most of your membership management software.

No matter which AMS is right for your association, though, take into account the amount of included support when making your selection. It’s true that many AMS vendors have “best practices” for associations (such as recurring events or a career center) already build into the product, but it can be tricky to sort out exactly which ones are best suited for your organization. A dedicated support staff can help you during the early stages, and it’s wise to take advantage of the help.

A great Web presence can make your members more engaged and your organization more competitive. And the right technology choice can help you save time and money in the long run, allow you to put the focus back where it belongs — on your members.

The Membership Marketing Benchmark Survey results were released this past weekend at ASAE and The Center’s Annual Meeting. The white paper, which is available as a 40-page PDF here (registering to get access to the PDF is easy), is the result of a nearly month-long survey conducted this spring. My first post concerning the results deals with the best marketing tool for associations.

“What do you believe is the TOP REASON members join your organization?”

Page 17 of the white paper deals with this question, and I found the results intriguing. The top response was Access to Specialized Information (23%), which makes sense. Coming in at numbers two and three were Network with others in the field (22%) and Connect with others in the field (12%).

The fifth most popular response seemed significant to me. Learn best practices in their profession received 8% of the vote. I understand that an association’s main purpose should be to connect people (hence the popular responses given above), but shouldn’t an association provide valuable resources as well? It’s interesting that the top response was Access to specialized information — and maybe it’s so closely tied to Learn best practices in their profession that this doesn’t matter.

However, coming in with 10% of the vote was the response, Other. Other? What does this mean? The fact that Other received more votes than Learn best practices in their field completely mystifies me. There are many reasons to join an organization, but their foremost purpose should be to connect people with similar interests, goals and professions. Not just to network with others (anyone can do that on LinkedIn), but to create lasting relationships. Offering great professional resources will only get your association so far — if members aren’t engaged with each other, then what’s the point?