Let’s say your association just held a Q&A webinar with an expert about a trending topic in your industry. After the webinar, members feel energized and want to keep the conversation going. But do you have a place for those conversations to take place? And what about a space for members to ask for advice, share content, or network?

Your association probably already has a membership directory and social media accounts where members can connect. While these are valuable resources, they are just small pieces of a successful, thriving member community. To deeply engage members and build a community that adds value to your association’s offerings, you’ll need to commit to tailored communications and careful planning.

This guide highlights four tips your association can use to elevate its online community, whether you’re just launching it or want to upgrade your current offerings.

1. Promote the community with tailored recommendations.

If members don’t know your online community exists, they won’t participate in it. Spread awareness early on by including information about how to get involved in the community in your new member onboarding process.

Then, keep the community at the forefront of members’ minds by consistently sharing tailored recommendations, including:

• Connections with new members based on each member’s field, experience level, location, mutual connections, etc.
• Community-focused events, such as networking events in their area or roundtable discussions about a topic aligned with their interests.
• Member-created or shared content and resources that align with their interests and professional goals.
• Discussion or advice threads that focus on challenges they are currently facing (interview advice) or are relevant to their career development goals.

Remember that you’ll need to properly manage and maintain your data to gain the insights you need to personalize communications. Follow data management best practices like prioritizing data hygiene, integrating your various tech solutions, and actively leveraging data to avoid missing opportunities. Relevant, tailored communications are more likely to draw members in and show that you understand and value their interests, objectives, and preferences.

2. Pinpoint internal influencers or ambassadors.

For associations like yours, ambassadors or internal influencers are highly engaged members who already participate in and contribute to your online community. To identify potential ambassadors for your online community, use data stored in your constituent relationship management system (CRM) and association management software (AMS). 

As Protech explains, this data can take your relationships with members to the next level and allow you to send personalized communications. When analyzing member data, look for individuals who:

• Log in to your member portal and/or community engagement platform consistently (daily or weekly)
• Create or reply to posts or discussion threads often, at least once per month
• Maintain complete, up-to-date member profiles (e.g., updating their title when they earn a promotion)
• Regularly attend association events
• Have a history of volunteering, joining committees, or taking on other roles apart from simply being a member

Once you’ve identified these members, send prospective ambassadors an email asking them if they would be willing to help you promote your online community to their peers. Make sure to outline the expectations and time commitment of the ambassador role while still allowing each ambassador to engage in their preferred way. In other words, not every ambassador needs to be involved in the same way or to the same extent. 

Some of these individuals’ responsibilities might include:

• Providing written or verbal testimonials
• Submitting content for promotional materials (e.g., a quick video where they share their experience with the community)
• Posting about community events and opportunities on their professional social media accounts
• Inviting specific members to participate in community events 

In exchange, be sure to show your appreciation to these members for going above and beyond. eCardWidget recommends strategies like sending eCards, gifts, discounts, or exclusive resources to express gratitude.

3. Encourage user-generated content.

User-generated content (UGC) includes any content that members create and share, including images, videos, presentation decks, social media posts, and blogs. UGC, particularly in video form, establishes a sense of authentic connection that can motivate more members to participate in your community—and go on to create their own content. 

To motivate members to contribute UGC, start by sharing simple, low-lift video prompts. For example, you might ask members, “What is one tool you can't live without?" or "What was your biggest takeaway from our annual conference?" Or, have them share quick introductions once a year to give new and tenured members a chance to get to know one another.

Once members are a little more comfortable with UGC, challenge them to become educators or thought leaders. Ask them to share a quick video with a pro tip or two related to their niche—for example, maybe they know all kinds of useful keyboard shortcuts for a specific software. For any especially helpful or creative content, ask members for permission to repurpose the videos in your marketing or social media content. This is a great way to show prospective members the vibrant, intelligent network that they could become a part of.

4. Develop a long-term roadmap.

To boost participation in your community, you need to have an ever-evolving offering of activities, events, and networking opportunities that add value to your membership. This agenda should align with your association’s strategic, long-term planning.

Aim to plan at least one quarter ahead at a time, although it doesn’t hurt to craft a rough plan for the entire year. To make this process more manageable, break it down into the following phases: 

1. Internal audit. Reference data from the last quarter or year. What content, topics, or activities are doing well? Look for ways to expand or iterate on those. On the other hand, what isn’t performing well that you could archive or reimagine? It’s also a good idea to revisit your member data to see if there are any new candidates for your ambassador program at this stage.
2. Plot out and align with major events or initiatives. Pinpoint major upcoming dates for your association and design discussion threads, virtual events, and other activities that complement them. For example, create a general “Annual Conference” discussion thread for your spring conference, along with more targeted threads or small groups (e.g., a “Conference First-Timers” group).
3. Innovate and refine. Look for opportunities to pilot something different. For example, you might test a new format by launching an “Ask Me Anything” video series. Or, choose an emerging technology, like AI, to focus on for a quarter.  Experiment with AI-driven content, teach members how to leverage AI tools, or collect the best AI hacks.
4. Member recognition and retention. You should be thanking members throughout the year, especially your ambassadors. Consider finding fun ways to recognize top contributors with titles like “Most Helpful Member” or “Best Thread of the Year.” Additionally, share an annual survey asking members what they liked, what needed improvement, and what they want to see from your community in the future.

Collect and manage the feedback you receive from members in your AMS platform, making sure to note suggestions and points of feedback that come up multiple times. Implement members’ suggestions whenever you can, and follow up with communications detailing how you took their input into consideration.

A thriving online community allows members to get more from your association. They’ll network, lean on each other for advice and tips, and get the chance to build their own reputations as thought leaders in their industry. Use these tips to grow your community and offer truly valuable opportunities for members to build connections and explore new perspectives.