The Tech Your Association Needs
The world is changing, your membership is changing and your association needs to make some changes too. Technology is not something limited to a single department anymore, it’s playing an important role in every member’s life. Tapping into the technology that members use will help you better connect, recruit and retain members.
The world is changing, your membership is changing and your association needs to make some changes too.
Technology is not something limited to a single department anymore, it’s playing an important role in every member’s life. Tapping into the technology that members use will help you better connect, recruit and retain members.
You’ve probably heard this before, but social media and mobile marketing are must-have association tools. These are low-hanging fruit that many associations still need to catch up on.
SOCIAL MEDIA
When 89% of 18-29 year olds are using social media, it’s time for your association to start using it too. Generations Y and Z aren’t the only ones on social networks either; social media is an excellent way to reach your members of all ages with information and get feedback.
While Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn are all free tools, having the staff and time to keep up on all these channels is problematic for associations. Associations are still treating social media as an afterthought. It’s time to start making social media a priority.
MOBILE MARKETING
Ninety-one percent of adults always have a mobile device within arm’s reach. Always. If you want to reach them, you can do it with mobile marketing. The world is mobile and your association needs to be too. Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about mobile marketing:
Mobile website – Allow members and prospective members to look you up on the go, get event information in real-time and easily interact with your site from a mobile device by creating a responsive or mobile website.
Apps – Include event information, event calendar, member directory, news and more in one place with an easy to access mobile app.
SMS campaigns – Send real-time event updates and reminders or share exciting news and offers quickly with texting campaigns.
While your association should be using these tech tools to promote, recruit and engage, just signing up for Facebook or creating a mobile app won’t guarantee success. Using these tools requires strategy. A good strategy requires understanding your members’ needs and tracking plans to your association goals. It requires an investment of time and energy.
No association has unlimited resources, but it’s past time to make social media and mobile marketing a priority.
If your association is struggling to get on board with these tech tools and make them work for you and your members, we’ve got a tech tool that can help! The Next Generation Association iPortal was created to help associations embrace change and get up-to-date on engaging members. The Next Generation Association iPortal can help you capitalize on technology as a must-have member benefit.