The Dallas Bar Association (DBA) serves and supports its 11,000 plus members by providing connection, building legal skills, and presenting opportunities to serve the community. In doing so they present continuing legal education programs, public forums, and offer thirty sections, which cover a variety of legal practice areas, and thirty committees, covering everything from peer assistance to law-related education. To streamline section and committee meetings, communications, and events, the DBA built its own branded member mobile app using the GoEngage platform from MobileUp.
Section and committee members can now use mobile peer-to-peer messaging, calendaring, and document libraries that keep everyone up to date and informed about the latest content, events, and programming.
“MobileUp had everything we needed, and the annual licensing fee was only one third the investment of the others we’d looked at. That was a huge savings.”
Jessica Smith
Communications Coordinator,
Dallas Bar Association (DBA)
Challenge: Make Section & Committee Communications Easier and Create Non-Dues Revenue Opportunities
The Dallas Bar Association supports the legal profession in Dallas by promoting good relations among lawyers, the judiciary, and the community. With more than 11,000 members, the association provides advocacy, events, continuing legal education (CLE), and professional networkingopportunities for attorneys, judges, and other professionals in the legal industry.
Jessica Smith, Communications/Media Director at the DBA, said members had wanted peer-to-peer messaging and group organizing capabilities to better manage busy sections and committees and the constant stream of events. The DBA leadership commissioned a project to find and implement the right mobile app for enhanced collaboration tools, scheduling, and workflows.
Solution: Agility, Intuitive Design – And Value – Combined
The DBA was already looking into another mobile app company when it first learned about MobileUp. Smith said the price, along with the required features and functionality, got the attention of her and her colleagues immediately.
“The MobileUp platform was attractive and easy, and very similar to others, however, the price was what clinched it,” Smith said. “MobileUp had everything we needed, and the annual licensing fee was only one third the investment of the others we’d looked at. That was a huge savings.”
In addition to cost, other buying criteria were communication productivity and convenience, group management, and sponsor promotion opportunities.
“The primary reason we wanted a mobile app to begin with was to facilitate the management and maintenance of our 60 sections and committees,” Smith said. “MobileUp showed us that not only could they do that, but they had everything else we needed including event management, calendars, notifications, and the ability to feature select sponsors and drive non-dues revenue.”
Benefits: Single Sign-On, Section & Committee Management and In-App Sponsorships Seal the Deal
Like most associations, the DBA has limited IT expertise on staff, and little appetite for complicated technology integrations.
“MobileUp enables single sign-on so our members can use the same login and password they use for our member portal,” Smith said. “MobileUp managed all that for us, in addition to the integration with our AMS, MemberCentral.”
Providing members with better collaboration tools for sections and committees has been another important benefit gained.
The DBA mobile app allows sections and committee members to:
- Send new event or information notifications
- Message peers within the app
- Facilitate product sales and payments
To expand its non-dues revenues and cover mobile app licensing fees, the DBA will soon be offering in-app sponsorships.
“Our sponsors want to be in front of our members and our mobile app is one more way for us to enable that and monetize that,” Smith said. “We can offer them multiple high-profile spots withdifferent price points, and even rotate them within the app formaximum visibility and activation. That type of non- dues revenue is an important new offering for us which we expect to pay off nicely in the long term.”
Results: Modernizing the DBA for Easier Renewals and a Better Future
Smith said members of all ages have been excited to download and try the new app.
“The app is tangible proof to our members that we’re listening and looking to make their lives easier,” Smith said. “The Groups option, in particular, makes it easy for sections and committees to post reminders, discuss hot legaltopics, and share CLE opportunities.”
Smith also expects annual membership renewal rates to improvesince reminders and payment links will also be in the app.
“Renewals are a big KPI for us and the app is one more way toensure good results in this area,” Smith said. “We’re able to send app messages, reminders, and even provide a link for renewal payment. These features speed up the process for our members,and cash flow for the association.”
Smith said the app is simply one more way to add member valueand maintain the modern standards of a vibrant professional community.
“Our members are driven, focused, and always looking for ways to improve their skills and productivity, and our mobile app helps on both fronts,” Smith said. “It’s another tool that helps us fulfill our mission of supporting our members,advancing the profession, and strengthening our community.”
