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03/01/2022

Create More Personalized Connections With Your Members

Associations are personal

If we have learned anything over the past two years, it’s that the need for human connection (even if it’s virtual) is strong. This is good news for associations: People join them to find connections with like-minded peers and to grow professional and personal networks. They come to annual meetings to have those hallway conversations that we are having difficulty replicating online, and they volunteer for committees, task forces, working groups and boards because someone asked them to or recommended them for the role. The conclusion is clear. Associations are personal. They always were and always will be.

While the need for nondues revenue and diversified revenue sources has been all the rage as association professionals continue to develop new ways of working and providing relevant services and information to members and nonmembers alike, the core of what we do every day is in service to the members. Without them, the association would cease to exist. Staff can keep operations going, but the members provide the experience and expertise to make the association relevant. Members direct the programs, sign up for the events, and are the network. In short, members drive membership.

While we need to consider the disruption of the traditional association business model and new revenue streams, we must also focus on the personal connections that keep members involved and coming back to the association.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE's Center for Association Leadership.

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