Public Relations Society of America- Austin Chapter
How a local association used their website and AMS to connect with their members
Shelly Gupta, the President-Elect for Public Relations Society of America, Austin Chapter, has been using MemberClicks Association Management Software for her association for over a year. When it was implemented in 2010, the website went through a major update with their implementation process. Since then, it’s been managed by the administration of PRSA Austin; specifically, their communications officers.
The website content is fine-tuned and tailored to the PRSA Austin members and PR professionals from all over. They take pride in updating the home page regularly with industry news and a membership spotlight, as well as a prominent place for the next association event.
Through MemberClicks, PRSA Austin is able to schedule and coordinate events, charge and collect attendance fees in coordination with a payment processor, and keep track of membership on the back end. One of their most recent events was a regional annual meeting of PRSA, hosted and coordinated by the Austin Chapter. “Being able to have different user groups was amazing for the conference,” said Gupta, while explaining that she couldn’t imagine trying to coordinate all of the different attendees by hand. MemberClicks software allowed her and her fellow organizers to classify attendees based on their regional chapter, their membership type, and many other useful sub-classifications. For example, PRSA Austin was able to send an email blast looking for volunteers to their Austin attendees without E-mailing the attendees from out of town, who were paying to attend and likely wouldn’t have the time to volunteer.
PRSA Austin uses regular email blasts to communicate with its members, all coordinated through MemberClicks.
PRSA Austin uses regular email blasts to communicate with its members, all coordinated through MemberClicks. There are classifications for current members, both national and local, student members, sponsors, and the all-important one-time attendees who might need an extra nudge to join.
For current members, PRSA Austin regularly shares chapter news and updates, often featuring local job openings, which is a huge sigh of relief to new grads and professionals of all levels in an uncertain economy. For one-time members who may have let their dues lapse, the communications officers are able to communicate membership promotions and upcoming events, as well as perks of the membership they’re missing out on.
Another notable perk to MemberClicks software is the ability to maintain continuity with email address for the board, which changes annually. President@PRSA.austin.org always goes to the standing President, for example. That avoids confusion when it comes to board turnover with annual sponsors and other interested parties.
Although PRSA Austin started with MemberClicks because the national PRSA association used that AMS, there are big plans for the future of the PRSA Austin and MemberClicks relationship. The primary focus is to make sure the monthly programming is on point and members and potential members are regularly attending events they love. The next step? “We need to focus on a members-only website, ideally in the long term,” according to President-Elect Gupta. Their goals are set on login controlled websites and social communities, where the members of PRSA Austin can collaborate and share. MemberClicks will help them get there!
