A recent benchmark survey found that increasing member engagement was both the top goal and concern among membership organizations. However, in a digital world full of notifications, pop-ups, and other distractions, it can be challenging to keep your association’s members continually engaged.
So, what’s the key to keeping their attention? The solution is simple, but it requires thought to execute: Create timely, insightful, and enriching content that aligns with members’ goals and reminds them of how exciting it is to be a part of your community.
Let’s explore four compelling types of content that your association should include in its website, social media, and email strategies.
67% of members join an association to network with other industry professionals, and 42% join to obtain continuing education. To deliver the value these members seek, your association should provide professional development resources that appeal to a variety of learning preferences and goals.
According to TopClass, with a learning management system (LMS) designed for associations, you can create and manage all sorts of content on one central platform. For example, you could engage members with customized learning pathways that include:
Plus, you should be able to gamify the learning experience with digital badges and leaderboards that reinforce participation. Survey your members to identify which types of learning content to prioritize. From there, use your LMS to track course purchases, completion rates, test results, certifications earned, and the number of active participants to measure engagement and refine your content over time.
Your association’s events are powerful opportunities to bring current members together, entice new members to join, and generate more revenue to fund your mission. Whether you’re hosting an in-person, virtual, or hybrid event, you need a strong marketing plan to maximize attendance and interest.
Here are some popular content ideas for engaging members before and after your event:
The National Education Association (NEA) provides a strong example of association event content through its Conference on Racial & Social Justice page, which includes images of the venue, YouTube clips from past conferences, and a testimonial from a past attendee.
By showcasing your members and their accomplishments, your association can reinforce the benefits of membership and inspire others to explore all that you have to offer.
Enhance your membership marketing strategy and celebrate your members by creating:
Maximize engagement with your content by combining written and visual storytelling when possible. For example, you might break up paragraphs in your blog articles with images of members volunteering in their community or leading a project they launched in their field.
Look for opportunities to represent your entire association, from new members rising in their profession to long-standing influences within your industry. However, before you start sharing their stories, remember to ask members for permission to use their names, images, and other personal details in your content. Doing so demonstrates that you respect your members and their preferences.
By incorporating member-generated content into your association’s engagement strategy, you can turn members from passive consumers into active contributors. As they share their experiences and perspectives, they’ll unlock new opportunities to connect with one another and build lasting ties within their industry.
Use these tips to lighten the load on your team and encourage members to create content for your association:
Plus, according to iMIS’s member engagement guide, you can maximize participation by allowing members to post and interact with content on the go. Using a mobile app that integrates with your membership software, you can create your association’s own social network to facilitate connections in your community and spark even more engagement.
As you implement new content ideas at your association, assess your performance using metrics such as page views, social media engagement, and click-through rates. Use these insights to hone your strategy and focus on the types of content that resonate most with your members.
Stay on the lookout for opportunities to improve your workflow, such as adopting tools that streamline your team’s content creation process. Whether you’re interested in implementing an LMS or upgrading your content management system, check whether the technology integrates with popular association software—such as Salesforce—to ensure it connects seamlessly with your existing tools. Doing so allows you to consolidate and act on all your data insights in one place.
