If webinars are a part of your association’s offerings, then you know that a big factor in success (i.e. registrations and attendance) is the topic you choose. So how do you go about picking a topic that’s going to attract your busy members (and prospects, for that matter)? Here are a few tips: Evaluate what you’ve done If you’ve hosted webinars before, view those as a baseline for moving forward. What were your most successful webinars? Would it be worth going back to those topics? You could either put a spin on that topic and approach it from a different angle, or you could host a “Part 2” version, going into more detail and taking that content to the next level. No need to always reinvent the wheel. Use the data you have to amplify your marketing efforts. Do some digging Whether you’re brand new to webinars or you’ve been hosting them for so long your pot of ideas is completely dry, take some time to do a little digging. Inspiration really is all around – you just have to find it. A few resources we recommend utilizing… Your blog – If your organization has a blog, go back through some of your old posts and see which ones have the most views. Views equate to interest, so those topics could translate nicely into a 30 – 60 minute webinar. Your online social community – If your organization has an online social community, go through and see what members are talking about. What do they need help with? What are they concerned about? Use that as a starting point. (Tip: You could even start a new discussion asking members what’d they’d like a webinar about. They’ll tell you!) Industry news sources – It’s always a best practice to stay on top of industry news, but it’s particularly helpful when it comes to developing content for your association. Remember, your members are relying on you to keep their skills sharp and relay the latest and greatest. That said, subscribe to industry blogs and follow key industry hashtags on social media and use that information as a compass for selecting valuable and relevant topics. Take a step back Hopefully the above resources will at least spark a few ideas. But before completely committing to a topic, take a step back and ask yourself the following questions: What will be the key takeaways from this topic? A “good” webinar is one your members will truly learn from. If you can identify the key takeaways (at least generally) before settling on a topic, then that’s a good sign that it’ll be well-received. If you were a member, would you be excited about attending this webinar? Be honest with yourself here. If the topic you’re considering sounds like a dud and something you wouldn’t really want to sit through, then chances are, your members won’t either. Sure, not every webinar is going to be fun, but it should be valuable, going back to the point above. If you can confidently give a topic that “value” stamp of approval, then it’s definitely something worth pursuing. Webinars are all about engaging your organization’s membership – which is why the topic truly matters! (Uninteresting topic = low engagement.) For more tips on creating highly engaging content for your association’s membership, check out our free guide, Membership Engagement for Small-Staff Associations, below!