From personalized Netflix recommendations to suggested Spotify playlists, users have come to expect a certain amount of customization when it comes to services and subscriptions. Association audiences are no exception.

Organizations spend a great deal of time making assumptions about their members' interests. And there are a number of tools out there to support the collection of behavioral data so that associations can get better and better at getting to know their members.

But sometimes, it's not enough just to build off algorithms that indicate a person's interests. Sometimes the simple solution is to ask. 

That's the intention of the modernized Email Preference Center (EPC). To give your members control of the remote.

Thanks to the hit Netflix series, “Tidying Up,” people across the world have been “Marie-Kondo-ing” their homes and offices in order to start fresh. For those not privy to the show, here’s the gist: Marie Kondo, the show’s host, encourages participants to evaluate each item in their home (or, more specifically, in their closet) and identify whether it “sparks joy" in their life.

Anything not "sparking joy" is ceremoniously discarded or donated. Those having gone through the process are afforded a cleaner, more streamlined space that inspires productivity and healthier living.

Your data is no different. And here's why.

Most associations don’t have a traditional sales department, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a sales team. Throughout your organization, there are people who work hard on recruitment, engagement, and event attendance.

Association sales teams may be diverse and diffuse, but they still work like a team in a for-profit business. Unfortunately, this means associations will often run into one of the most common issues for all organizations: lack of alignment between sales and marketing.

Bringing marketing and sales teams together takes effort and communication, but it can be done. First, let’s talk about why it matters.

Here’s perhaps the understatement of the century—sometimes email templates can be fussy. Who's with me on this?

I think it's fair to say that, regardless of the platform, as marketers we've all peeled back the HTML veil to try and retrofit and/or augment our templates.  We know what we want for our organization and our brand. We also know that sometimes technology just doesn't bend that way.

Understanding that time spent on marketing strategy versus template rewiring is always a better bet, we've created what we call the "Template Pak" for one of the leading email automation platforms we offer, Adestra.

In the era of Big Data, there’s a tendency to think that more data equals more value. Organizations hang onto every scrap of information in case it holds the key to some future success.

Actually, Big Data isn’t about size but about detail. Accurate detail helps you understand your members and can anticipate their needs. Low-quality data doesn’t offer this kind of insight, and in some cases, it can even make things harder.

The beginning of a new year always brings an air of excitement, and we’re not sure there’s ever been a year we’re more anxious to welcome in than 2021. We’ve taken a look back at lessons learned from 2020 and compiled six hot takes for you to consider prioritizing in the new year so that you're making the most of new opportunities.