Wednesday, May 15, 2013

In their efforts to keep member attention - and wallet share - in the current market for online continuing education and professional development trade and professional associations must think and act more entrepreneurially. That was the message from adult education market expert Jeff Cobb to attendees at the 2013 User Group Meeting held by Web Courseworks.

"We're seeing a real entrepreneurial wave in the marketplace," said Cobb. "Even "solopreneur" subject matter experts are now able to put together some very compelling online offerings. Associations will need to adapt to keep pace."

Cobb outlined three key focus areas for association education providers:

Insight: Organizations must leverage a variety of data to "listen" to what is going on in their markets and detect trends and needs. This includes making use not only of data collected by traditional learning management systems, but also Web analytics, social media statistics, and activity within any communities hosted by an organization.

Agility: Associations need to be able to respond rapidly to any trends or needs the data reveal, but they also need to embrace testing and experimentation as a mindset. "Often customers can't tell you or show you exactly what they need," said Cobb. Organization need to be prepared to produce "minimum viable products" and then learn and update rapidly.

Impact: Educational providers of all types are finding themselves under increasing pressure to show that their offerings produce a return on investment. Associations will not be immune from this trend. Whether through formal means, like follow-up assessments and evaluations in the months following an event, or informal approaches like social media shares and conversations, organizations will need to be able to demonstrate value.

Cobb closed by noting that, given their existing connection to a membership base, associations have a natural advantage in the market for lifelong learning. By embracing a more entrepreneurial mindset, they have an opportunity to connect with and serve their customers like never before.