Reach, Recruit & Engage Association Members Online!

by | Jan 12, 2016 | Online Strategy, Content, Creatives

MYTH: There are very few ways to reach, recruit, and engage association members online; and you can reach only a tiny fraction of your stakeholders that way, compared to traditional avenues like a hard-copy newsletter, snail mail, etc.  FACT: The ability to reach, recruit, and engage association members online–or, in other words, through your connected online community–is becoming more efficient and effective every day, and the wide range of tools and tactics at your disposal means that you can radically improve your member engagement program. Resistance is futile. I began working with associations, advocacy groups, and member-based organizations during the very early days of the dramatic rise of Web-based marketing, advertising, and communications. And in my experience, the most painful—and most resisted!—transition that organizations like yours have gone through has been the transition from traditional member communications to digital member communications. But the bottom line is this: Traditional member communication is more expensive. And… Traditional member communication is less effective. AND… Traditional member communication is less likely to result in action. Worse still, traditional member communication appeals to yesterday’s stakeholders, activists, and leaders in your organization…and completely misses the boat when it comes to the stakeholders, activists, and leaders of tomorrow. And if you don’t start connecting with those folks soon, you may lose them. Intuitively, association leaders generally understand this, and yet time after time I have heard from clients and partners in this market space the following rejoinders to my pleas to move beyond these antiquated methods:           “But ALL our members open our mail automatically when they see it’s from us.”           “When our members get...