Happy Friday! I can hardly believe Christmas is next week … but somehow it is. Have you finished your holiday shopping yet?

It’s not only the holiday season, but also Technology Conference Season! Several of the posts in today’s Friday Top Five are reflecting on lessons learned at ASAE’s Technology Conference. (We’ll have our own posts here in the next few days.)

1. Jamie Notter discussed four tips for building trust. They may seem a bit obvious (be consistent and transparent), but I really do think they’re easier said than done. It’s easy to “talk to the talk,” to speak, but quite another thing to actually be consistent, all the time.

2. A question I think a lot of association professionals struggle with regarding online community is, if you build it will they come? Scott Briscoe at the Acronym blog had a great post with a few takeaways from the Technology Conference, and it’s crucial to be persistent and know your members’ favored communication channels.

3. I really enjoyed Lynn Morton’s post, Associations on the Go, about mobile. Mobile is something I think many association professionals struggle with – is it necessary? how much will it cost? will my members care? Her post is a great summary of one of the sessions at the Technology Conference.

4. David M. Patt also wrestled with the “if you build it, will they come” question this week at the Association Executive Management blog. He discusses the print vs. digital dilemma and why it’s so important to have a digital strategy if you’re going to explore that area.

5. Another post from the Acronym blog, this time from Joe Rominiecki – he writes about the necessity to create an emotional connection when using videos. I’ve discussed this a bit before, but if you want your videos to resonate with your members (and potential members!) you don’t want them to be bored while watching – you want them to be enthralled.

I’ll be back soon with some photos from our in-office festivities today. We’re hosting our annual gift exchange, and things could get interesting!

For part two of my UnTech10 reflections, I want to focus on Jeff De Cagna and Chris Bonney’s “Mobile Matters.” I think the information provided can be extremely valuable to small-staff association professionals.

As someone who’s attached to her BlackBerry and MacBook, I’ve come to accept that mobile is just a way of life. And I love when a Web site translates easily to my mobile device, and that’s what associations should be focusing on.

By 2016, smartphones will comprise 66 percent of the market share. Traditional flip phones are on their way out as people are communicating nonstop and sharing information they collect on their phones (photos, etc…).

Mobile is inherently social. So are associations. So it only makes sense that associations should start thinking about what their Web sites look like on a mobile device, be it BlackBerry, iPhone or Android. These platforms can help associations nurture social relationships.

I remember when Facebook first introduced the status update. It was around 2006, and I was pretty horrified. “Facebook stalking just reached a whole new level,” my friends and I thought. “Why would anyone care what I’m doing at all times?”

Of course, the beauty in the status update is that we can share photos, links, videos and more. Sure, some people abuse it and update eleventy million times a day. But many people use it for exactly its purpose — sharing information they find interesting, funny and/or relevant.

If members are accessing your organization’s Web site on their smartphone, it’s important to consider how it appears. Should you create an app? Perhaps. The three main platforms are the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.

If you choose not to create an app, be aware of how your actual site translates to a smaller screen. Not every aspect of your Web site needs to be available on the mobile platform. Create a user-friendly mobile version with larger text, fewer photos and only the most important parts.

Consider this: 25 percent of Facebook users access the site on a mobile device – whether it’s a mobile Web site or the Facebook application. That statistic will only grow as Facebook itself continues to grow. (The site recently announced it hit 400 million active users.)

This has moved past a trend for Gen-Y and Gen-X. Mobile devices are the future of communication.

How will your association get more people involved in mobile activities?

Image credit: Flickr

Last week’s UnTech10 Un-Conference was an amazing, real-life case study of what can happen when volunteers, vendors and attendees put their minds together and start acting rather than just talking.

I loved the virtual nature of the event and think it opened up a lot of possibilities and gave other organizations new ideas. No matter how small your association, there’s always the possibility that technology can enhance the experience.

The un-conference opened with a fishbowl-style discussion about social media, content curation and how to reach members on any device they may be using.

Some of my key takeaways:

• Social media doesn’t have rules; it has religions. Everyone has different belief systems when it comes to how much to share online and how much to blend his or her personal and professional lives online.
• Organizations need official policies for staff social media involvement.
• Information needs to be device-agnostic. Members need to be able to get to it via whatever they’re using.
• Boards and staff must change their culture to allow for innovation. Embrace change.
• Fail, but fail fast so you can move onto something that works faster.
• Innovation is only valuable if it solves a member’s problem. Ask, what are your members’ problems, and then solve them.
• Stop making members jump through a million hoops to do transactions – use “one click to pay” as a model.
• If you don’t get out and participate, your brand is now being defined for you.

There was also a great discussion about free or low-cost tools associations can use to enhance their membership experience. Google Analytics and Crazy Egg jumped out as the two highlights. Each will give you better insight into the behind-the-scenes of your Web site. (And MemberClicks just happens to offer Google Analytics within our solution!)

I think the most important takeaway from Thursday is that your members are already conversing, so the organization should help facilitate their conversations. Of course, most small-staff association executives already have a lot on their plate, so it can be difficult to devote extra time and resources to this. Start slowly – if you aim small, you’ll miss small, and have the opportunity to move on more quickly.

To keep the UnTech10 conversation going, head over to the community and start talking, or check out the Twitter transcript here.

Photo credit: Flickr (Reggie Henry)

Happy Friday! Of course, the major buzz this week in the association community was the cancellation of ASAE’s Technology Conference and Expo and the emergence of an un-conference, UnTech. Organized by a group of volunteers and supported by several vendors, UnTech was a virtual un-conference and had 500 total attendees — 75 in person and 425 on a Webcast.

MemberClicks is proud to be a sponsor, and although we wish we could have made it to D.C. to participate in the awesome-ness, it is quite a bit warmer in our Atlanta office.

However, UnTech wasn’t the only thing association bloggers wrote about this week. There were lots of other awesome topics covered, so, in no particular order, here’s my top five.

1. Aaron Woloweic wrote a fantastic post about tips for studying for the CAE exam. His five tips will help anyone who is already taking the exam, or thinking about sitting for it. There’s a lot of material covered, to be sure, but determining a schedule adn sticking to it can help you earn that CAE designation.

2. After the Super Bowl was over, Deirdre Reid wrote a thoughtful post about the National Association of the Deaf’s reaction to The Who’s “deaf, dumb and blind” lyric that was sung during the halftime show. NAD posted a message on Twitter saying they would take action against the offensive lyric, and Deirdre wants to know if the person behind the tweet was authorized or just acting under emotions. What would your association do?

3. What’s the best marketing and communication strategy, Scott Oser discussed this week. Does your association understand how to use market research and incorporate the results into its communications? Direct marketing is tricky, and it’s important to get a complete picture of your members, vendors and volunteers.

4. In the first of a five-part series, Shelly Alcorn tackles the economic uncertainty still facing the country (and world) and how it affects associations. Don’t fall prey to hubris and think that your association isn’t at risk. Success can be your own worst enemy and can lead to neglect of the members and programs that got you to where you are, Shelly writes.

5. Finally, after the first day of UnTech concluded, Peggy Hoffman shared some reflections about the power of volunteers and patience of attendees, as well as praising ASAE for recognizing the force that drove the community together. It’s pretty amazing to see the power of volunteers and social media at work.

I encourage you to participate in the second day of UnTech 10. Check out the schedule here, and be sure to follow the action on Twitter with the #UnTech10 hashtag.

Have a fantastic Presidents Day and Valentine’s Day weekend! Hopefully some of you have Monday off — enjoy it!

There’s been so much activity going on in the association world the last few days — ASAE‘s Technology Conference and Expo was canceled and a group of people stranded in Washington, D.C. organized the UnTech Conference, the unofficial alternative to the canceled one.

We’ll be participating virtually, so look for MemberClicks team members Shannon Otto, Kevin Patrick, Hannae Berhanu, Nicole Hanks and others! Follow us at @MemberClicks on Twitter, and be sure to follow the #Untech10 hashtag for the latest updates from all attendees.

We’re definitely bummed the Technology Conference was canceled, but this is a great opportunity to participate virtually with other association executives and learn tons of new information.

Here’s a list of our previous posts about the Technology Conference and UnTech:

• Announcing we’ll be exhibiting at the Technology Conference
• Meet the Technology Conference Team: Hannae Berhanu
• Meet the Technology Conference Team: Duncan McCreery
• How to follow the Technology Conference online if you won’t be attending
• Reflections on ASAE’s decision, and the UnTech announcement
• Friday Top Five: UnTech10 and more
• UnTech Reflections: Day One
  

UnTech will be heavily virtual, so no matter where you are, go register! This is a fantastic opportunity for small-staff executives to learn about mobile tools, Web site options, social networking, and video!