It can be hard not to get swept away in the tide of seemingly infinite membership associations, and harder still to stand out from the crowd when trying to interact with and retain members. A simple way to start is by creating engaging content.
Associations act as centres for knowledge and information, so it’s vital for professional membership organisations to have something on offer to keep their members satisfied, interested, and focused on development. Providing the latest relevant updates and news is a key part of this.
Tailored content not only provides benefits for members, but also for the Association as a whole. For a start, it allows an association to show that it’s the place to be for industry experts, making it more appealing to potential future members.
Connecting with members like this is great for online networking too. Social media posts should encourage engagement and interaction. They can be a good way of starting a conversation which members can involve themselves in, thereby growing a community outside of stereotypical networking events.
It also contributes to the education of members. A key reason for professionals to join membership associations is to learn and improve or expand their skillset. When it comes to providing details on topics such as best practice and industry trends, blogs and newsletters are a fantastic way to spark interest and educate.
All of these efforts accumulate as incentives for professionals to renew their membership. If members feel that they benefit from the association through receiving valuable content, the likelihood of membership retention will increase.
Newsletters and blogs should be used as an effective way to promote and advertise the association, each differently targeting existing and prospective members.
Blogs
A blog works well as an outward-facing place for the public to see what a membership association is all about. It’s good for making information available to members and anyone else who finds it, but it’s also a great way to extend the reach of an association by making effective use of SEO.
For greater success rates, try to keep blog posting regular and ensure that it is promoted well to members to increase its viewership. As long as it’s relevant, a blog topic can be almost anything, such as current policy issues or new changes in the industry.
Newsletters
A newsletter is usually aimed at members of an association, rather than the general public. It’s good to take advantage of the exclusivity of this with newsletter content – is there a webinar intended only for members that needs promoting? Is there a meeting or conference coming up? Do members have any feedback about the association? All of this can be raised in a members-only newsletter.
It's also easier to curate, summarise, and personalise in a newsletter than in a blog post. For busy professionals, a newsletter allows a succinct summary of the information from the blog and the news which is most relevant to them without combing through a variety of articles. Useful links and current affairs are more easily accessible to those to whom an association caters, providing that all-important membership value.
Blogs and newsletters aren’t the only ways to engage and excite members, but they’re an excellent place to start. Make sure your content is what your target industry wants to know and watch your engagement increase!
About the Author - How We Can Help
At Cygnul we work in partnership with our clients and are seen as trusted advisors to the Board. We can undertake the full range of membership, secretarial and bookkeeping services as well as offering advice and support to associations around the UK. If you want to explore how these services could help your organisation, please get in touch with us.