There are impactful ways you can use your online resources to support your members and industry. Right now, everyone is craving connection, what’s better than being able to offer true connection through your association? Your association can provide support for your members virtually through your career center and other digital channels. The true value of virtual connections is being realized as in-person sessions, meetings, and events are canceled or postponed. Here are a few ways you can leverage your online resources to engage and continue your mission to support your members and industry.
Increase Engagement
Member engagement has grown, indicating that they rely on you as a vital source of information and connection. Members are participating more in online discussions and downloading more content than ever before. A thoughtful online engagement strategy can be advantageous in providing passive industry professionals with content and contact options.
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) completed digital integrations on LinkedIn for resume uploading and applied an RSS feed to their Twitter account to automatically tweet open jobs to their feed. They included a Careers tab on their Facebook page to seamlessly feed open positions from the Career Center to their Facebook page. These steps worked together to increase traffic to their career center and boost brand awareness, completing a strategic plan to engage more users.
Personal and Professional Connections
Your members crave contact with their peers on topics outside the standard industry issues. Consider increasing virtual roundtable sessions or threads for your members to share stories or ask questions. Those virtual “coffee break” conversations help your members feel less isolated.
Another idea is hosting a Virtual Networking Happy Hour, where your members can chat with others in their profession. Or help early-career professionals with online mentorships. These ideas will satisfy the need for connectivity and increase the value members put on your association.
Industry-wide Inclusion
Decide whether to shift from a member-only structure to a more inclusive membership model. Inviting all industry professionals at a reduced fee or providing a free trial membership to new recruits will increase enrollment and provide opportunities for new retention initiatives.
Some associations open certain benefits to industry professionals beyond members. For example, you could host a virtual career fair open to all industry professionals and not just members. Extending your reach will attract more employers with a higher volume of candidates registered. This, in turn, could also attract non-members to join your association.
Incorporating a multichannel approach is vital to your members. It provides many outlets where members can go for support and information while allowing the opportunity for your members to feel connected professionally and personally.
