2022 Association Communications Trends To Help You Better Connect With Members

I recently had the opportunity to present at the Association Forum SIG Summit on how we can better connect with our members. When it comes to this topic, there will always be something new and exciting to talk about. Member expectations, communication trends, and tools are all changing rapidly, with new technology and changing member mindsets impacted by the demands of the world. 

Here are a few key takeaways from my presentation. 

Changing Communication Needs Based on Member Attitudes and Beliefs

Members’ attitudes and beliefs have changed significantly in the past few years. Here are just a few key areas where we’ve seen the most impact on association communication. 

• Obviously, COVID-19 has played a critical role in the needs and attitudes of association members. They’re seeking different ways to connect with other association members, value different tools and resources, and have changing opinions about their profession. 
• Based on Willow’s 2021 Association Attitudinal Research Study, we learned that:
  • • A little more than one-third of members feel supported.
    • Nearly one-third are frustrated, they feel disillusioned with their career, employer, or industry, and may even be actively looking for a career change.
    • 34.6% are diversity seeking, they long for greater diversity and inclusivity in their organization, but feel isolated from peers and colleagues. They feel that association support and leadership are lacking, on a personal and organizational level. 
    • 64% of respondents say they find their association “absolutely essential” or “always helpful.” 
    • However, 35% indicate their organization is only “sometimes” or “not very” helpful, revealing a huge opportunity to speak to these members before they drop off.
    • Individual annual memberships are no longer the preference. 38% said they were more interested in an a la carte model, where benefits and services could be added as needed, and 36% preferred a multi-year or lifetime membership model.
    • Continuing education and professional development continue to be the most valuable benefit, with 70% saying it is what influences them to renew.
    • Supported members also ranked research/resources, industry trends, and opportunities to connect with peers very highly. 
• Members are using apps and tools in their daily lives to make things easier, more efficient, and streamlined. They have expectations about how businesses should communicate and be a resource for them. 
  • • Tools like Amazon, Uber, and Alexa are all staples in your members’ lives, and are setting expectations in their minds about how businesses should support them. 
    • These tools are search-driven and create a customized experience based on past behaviors and interactions. Think about your Amazon homepage and how customized that experience is to you. 

Emerging Communications Trends

As a marketing and communications agency, it’s our job to be on top of the latest trends and understand what makes sense for each of our clients. Here are some of the trends worth noting.

• According to the 2021 Association Advisor- Communications Benchmarking Survey, communication frequency from associations to members is at a 10-year high. Associations communicate with members nearly 33 times per month (via print, digital, social media, and video).
• First-party and zero-party data must be a focus for every association. We’ve all heard that third-party data is going away soon. It’s more critical than ever to be collecting your own relevant data on your members, prospective members, certified candidates, and prospective candidates. What data are you collecting and do you have a strategy for getting more that will be helpful in the near future? Read more about this topic here. 
• We’re seeing a lot of organizations go through brand “evolutions.” Every brand has been changed by the pandemic. A brand evolution ensures that you’ve aligned your brand voice, messaging, and values with who you are now vs. two years ago. Check out my blog post here to learn how to know if you need a brand evolution. A brand evolution is a great opportunity to communicate with your members about member benefits in a new and refreshing way!
• Automation and customization in communication are an expectation now, as I mentioned earlier. This is not just about putting a member’s name in the subject line. It’s about providing personalized, relevant content based on behaviors and actions.
• More and more associations are complaining about email spam concerns. Make sure your members are whitelisting your email. Consider alternate ways to communicate, such as SMS. Or even better, set your website up to allow for push notifications for new content you publish, like News websites do.
• More organizations are moving their communication and content publishing model to a “News Room” approach. Your team, volunteers, and members are resources for thought leadership in your particular area of specialty. How are you generating new content that is relevant, timely, and helpful? If you can be the first to publish content related to a trending topic in your space, that can be a true differentiator for your association. Members will know they can rely on you to provide the information they need first. 
• With the move to so much being virtual, the dynamics of member-to-member communication have changed dramatically. Associations are creating spaces for members to engage, share ideas, etc. 
• Print publications and mailers are a great way to break through the digital clutter. More of your members are at home more regularly. And you can create some very creative pieces that will make you stand out. 
• Social media continues to be a focus for associations. However, it’s not always strategic to try to be present on every single new platform that pops up! Focus on 1-2 platforms where your audience is engaged, and do those really well before you expand to others. Remember, they call it “social” media for a reason, it’s not intended to just be a one-way communication platform. Engage in dialogue on posts, hashtags, etc that are related to your area. Engaging with “influencers” in your industry who are already talking about the types of things you want to talk about is a great way to produce more user-generated content. 

 

Willow is constantly evaluating the latest in association communication trends. We’ll be sure to share more in future blog posts!