Recent changes are elevating the importance of brand differentiation and a strong website for member-based organizations.
The pandemic imposed tremendous upheaval upon member-based organizations.
Events, a traditional—and major—source of revenue and engagement suffered considerably. Competition for the attention of key audiences increased, negatively impacting education and training income. Online communities and connections became diffused.
These changes not only left many scrambling to find quick fixes, but also unveiled a deeper truth: organizations are struggling to provide value to members and prospects because they are using outdated strategies and technology.
So, if you’re one of these organizations—an association, nonprofit, or higher education—
How can you respond to these monumental changes?
How can you stave off further loss?
What proactive steps do you need to grow?
There are two major trends leading member-based organizations are adopting to redefine the relationship they have with their key audiences:
Telling a better story (organizational branding)
Building a better website (technology modernization)
By focusing on these two elements, organizations place a greater emphasis on value. As a result, they generate greater demand, converting new members while simultaneously delivering more value to existing ones.
If you need help with website development or marketing strategy, contact us. We can show you how we’ve helped clients similar to you realize business-changing results. You can also download our free eBook for associations, 3 Powerful Changes that Empower Opportunity, to learn how organizations like yours have differentiated their brand and enabled growth.
Strengthen Your Value-Based Storytelling
Even if you’ve built an incredible site, it can still falter if you’re not telling a good story to your members. And what makes a story great? Value.
To provide value, you must intimately understand your key audiences—their unique needs, challenges, and decision-making process. With this understanding, you can clarify your position and drive new opportunity and value for your members.
Often, organizations hide their most important messages surrounding the value they provide. When the value you offer isn’t immediately apparent, that leaves your audience guessing about the impact you’re having on the world and fellow members.
Revitalize your brand’s message around unique value
You intimately know your organization’s mission and offered value. But do your customers?
Gaining a deep understanding of your audience through persona-based research can surface important insights that will refocus your brand’s message around value.
Focus on better content
Once you’re equipped with persona insights and understand your user journey, you can create better content. You know what your audience cares about.
Use this understanding to:
Establish your brand as a thought leader
Create educational pieces that drive engagement
Develop targeted messages that resonate with prospects
Differentiate your organization through better brand messaging
Better content is key to driving sustainable online engagement. You’ll see visitors return to your site, increasing brand loyalty for existing members and converting new ones.
Build a Better Membership Site
Every business understands a website is paramount. A weakened events landscape has only made it more important to define your members’ relationship to your website (including event-specific websites). Building a great website experience is imperative if you want to facilitate greater engagement and conversion.
Below are a few key considerations to solve complex organizational problems and lower costs through technology.
Provide a better user experience
Establishing a cohesive feel across experiences and technologies is how you can elevate member experience. Often, organizations get lost in their technology stack and fail to holistically examine how solutions are related.
An integrative mindset can boost engagement by simplifying members’ online experiences, providing the clarity they need to take a desired action.
Adopt modern technology and architecture
Modern technology is enabling unprecedented accessibility, efficiency, and speed—but only if you embrace these tools. Look at what many B2B organizations are doing such as:
Moving to the cloud
Adopting a headless CMS
Leveraging APIs
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Learn how a headless CMS can simplify website management for your marketing and development team.
Choose best-of-breed instead of all-in-one tools
Many technology providers today try to be everything to everybody. But these ambitious all-in-one tools usually serve no one well. Instead of investing in solutions such as Digital Experience Management (DMX) tools, implement a Best-of-Breed solution specializing in what you need.
An API-driven, Best-of-Breed approach:
Enhances agility and adaptability
Minimizes risk
Reduces licensing costs
Accelerates deployment of new features
Need Help With Your Membership Site?
We can deliver the momentum and expertise you need to transform your website into a powerful engagement hub. Our strategy-first approach ensures you’ll save time, money, and experience lasting results.
Let’s talk about how we can partner with you to build the site—and systems—you need.