In addition to a good design, it is important to fill your website with information that is not only relevant but interesting and easy to navigate. If you ask yourself these three questions before creating or updating your content, you’re off to a good start. Who’s reading my website? It is important to configure your website content to your target audience. First, you need establish who these people are. Are you targeting members, the public, the media or all of the above... [More]

I’ve been asked often why I am such a strong supporter of streamed video for your websites. I’ve done a pretty good job of feeling comfortable with my recommendations based on ease of implementation and security of the video. I’ve almost always had trouble with the part about “because your users expect good performance” bit. I know from my own preferences that video loading and beginning to play can cause me to abandon sites when it doesn’t happen fast e... [More]

Last week we were fortunate enough to have Anders Ourom, a lawyer specializing in non-profits, as a presenter at one of our Association Nights. It was apparent that the tips and updates provided were of great use to those in attendance, so we thought why not write a blog on it! Here are some key takeaways from the event. Bylaws Schedule B of the Society Act offers societies the option to adopt a set of pre-written bylaws; these are generally only useful to very small societies. ... [More]

Support Services Unlimited is proud to announce a new regular guest column by top executive speech coach Narges Nirumvala. After filing your taxes and going to the dentist, the most dreaded activity must be going to meetings. Regardless of your title or type of association we all have to go to meetings. Sometimes you’re the organizer; sometimes you’re the chair or one of the speakers. If you’re really lucky you don’t have to do anything except stay awake through the... [More]

That’s kind of a scary question for many organizations.  They talk about being socially transparent, dream of a lofty Klout score, and can only imagine the number of followers they’d attract.  Then they imagine the horrible though of that hashtag trending because of some really bad situation – one for which they were caught totally unprepared.  Then what? We started pondering this question a while back and have finally started to put enough frame work around the issues ... [More]

In the last couple of months we’ve hosted several Association Nights on the topic of SEO. Much like ROI & social media mentioned in last week’s blog, SEO techniques and skills are constantly changing. If you’re not evolving with the advancements, you risk being left behind – and your website becoming undiscoverable. Here are a couple of tips we’ve picked up to keep you moving in the right direction: You can’t spam your way to the top With the release o... [More]

There’s been a lot of talk about measuring ROI (return on investment) in relation to social media; and it’s a conversation we’ve been actively following. Unfortunately, it seems that there are few concrete metrics which allow for accurate reporting. The world of social media changes so rapidly affecting the ability to maintain consistent forms of measurement. Additionally, it’s difficult to measure a conversation’s impact on the dollars and cents – how far d... [More]

This blog was contributed by Carol J. Sutton, Cert. ConRes. a professional mediator and Principal at CJS Communications Inc. She helps clients improve interpersonal relationships among people in order to increase collaboration and productivity. Methods include facilitation, organizational planning, team building, training and coaching activities - with a particular focus on workplace conflict management - designed to improve business results. Leadership. Drive. Achievement. Excellence. Today, a... [More]

After assisting with a recent planning session, I was thrilled to hear from my client that recommendations had resulted in a positive attitude change from the membership. So what were the keys to success? Kickin’ Ye Ol’ Membership Survey up a Notch Most non-profit membership-based associations will run some form of a survey during the course of the year. Surveys can be a waste of your time and the participants’ – that is if you don’t properly utilize the feedba... [More]

You’ve booked TED calibre speakers and best caterers in town; aside from having a holographic famous person beam into your event, you’re pretty sure this will be a memorable one. The event market is a competitive one, so its value to the membership needs to be highlighted in order to maximize attendance. With all the time and dedication that it takes to plan an event, it’s integral to ensure that it leaves a lasting memory on the association & membership – a sort of... [More]