While this is true, sometimes associations don’t take full advantage of the digital resources available to them and their membership rates suffer as a result. For that reason, we’ve outlined several ways you can use technology to keep your association members engaged and involved. These tactics include:
When you take full advantage of the resources available to you, you can achieve a lot within your association and among your members. Are you ready to take a closer look at these strategies? Let’s get started.
When it comes to keeping your association members engaged, the first step you should take is optimizing your website. Your website should not only be professional in appearance, but it should also allow your members and staff to engage with other people in the association’s community.
When building or revamping your association’s website, look for the following features:
Keeping your website up-to-date, professional in appearance, and fully functional will keep your members engaged, keep your information accurate, and continue this healthy cycle of uses for your website. If you’re looking for additional features you can use to keep your members engaged, check out Novi AMS’s guide to association website builders.
In addition to being easy to build and kept up-to-date, your association’s website should serve as a digital homebase for your members and tell your organization’s story.
Personalization goes a long way toward engaging your members, so be sure that your CMS allows you to do the following:
When your website is personalized to your members’ needs and allows them to view and modify their own information, you’ll keep them engaged for longer and set up your website as their literal home base. Communicate the information you need to tell your association’s story and give members a reason to keep coming back.
Personalization is key to engaging your association members, and targeted communication goes right along with it. Associations should target their communications to smaller groups and use membership management software to help segment their membership. This way, you can create subsets (groups) of members so your staff can send communications to only those members who would be interested in it.
You can target communication based on:
Select association management software that integrates with your current email automation software and lets you communicate with select groups so everyone receives the information they both need and want.
Part of keeping your members engaged and interested in your association means hosting events from which they can benefit. But these events need to be accessible, meaning that they’re easy to find on your website and register for.
Give your members the tools and resources they need to grow within their profession with conferences, seminars, and other educational events that they can easily find through your association.
That’s why choosing an AMS with functional tools like an event management system can help you keep track of all of this. When searching for an AMS with event management capabilities, look for these features:
Keeping your event management process streamlined and easy for those on both ends (your staff and attendees) will give members a reason to attend your events and stay involved with your association.
Social media gives your association additional ways to market and boost the number of ways you can communicate with your members. When it comes to member engagement, this is essential.
Your AMS can help you with this, too. It’s important to choose an AMS that offers social media integrations and allows you to meet your members on the platforms they already use. Choose a system that:
Social media is a great way to get involved with your members and keep them updated on events and other activities within your association. Having direct interaction with your members is always a positive thing and shouldn’t be overlooked. For more information about the types of integrations that can benefit your association, check out Novi AMS’s list of connections your association needs.
Of course, one of the most effective digital tools you can use to grow your association is online event services. Part of running an association means acknowledging that you no longer need physical attendance at all events and learning sessions to be successful. You can engage your members virtually. Through virtual events and learning opportunities, you can boost your member engagement and help them excel in their field.
These virtual events include:
Keep your members growing their skill sets through any of these virtual events. When choosing an LMS, for example, look for something that offers a positive user experience and integrates with other platforms, like your AMS, so that you can easily have information flow from one source to the other, and keep your members engaged in the courses they’re taking.
Offering virtual events and learning opportunities is a surefire way to keep your members motivated and connected to your association. Give them the tools they need to grow within their professions, and you’ll establish your association as a necessary resource among its members.
Finding ways to keep your association members engaged can seem like a daunting task, but if you approach this from a digital standpoint, there’s a lot you can do to ensure your members are as invested as you are. Try out these tactics and see how your association grows!
If you’re looking for the right AMS for your association, check out this list of top solutions.
About the Author
Pete Zimek is the founder and CEO of Novi AMS. He has been an active participant in over a dozen associations, volunteering in roles ranging from committee chair through President.
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