Why Content Matters

High-quality content is essential for a successful membership organisation. It’s what sets you apart, connects you to your members and helps you build a loyal following. When you create high-quality content, you’re not just providing value, you’re saying “We’re like you, we’re working for you and we’re in this together’. You’re giving them something they can’t get anywhere else. This helps to establish you as an authority and builds trust with your members. 

However, in a world of artificial intelligence and fake news, your content needs to be well-researched, well-written, and offer value to the reader. Think of it as an honest conversation between you and your members: trustworthy, accurate, informative, engaging, and easy to understand.

There are several types of content that you can use to reach out to your members, each of these has its strengths and weaknesses, and it’s important to choose the right type of content for your audience and the message you want to convey.

Types of Content 

1. Magazines: whether it’s digital only, print or a mixture of the two, a membership magazine is a great way to provide a range of information to members. Depending on your audience you can share research findings, case studies, news, events, member experiences and other information that provides value to your members.
2. Videos: Videos are a great way to engage your audience and provide visual content. You can create product demos, how-to videos, and other types of videos that provide value to your members.
3. Events: Whether in person or online, events are a great way to provide in-depth information to your members. You can invite industry experts to speak on a topic or provide training on a specific skill.
4. Blog Posts: Blogging is a great way to provide valuable information to your members. You can share industry news, tips and tricks, and other helpful information.

Making an Emotional Connection

Regardless of the type of content you create, it’s important to make an emotional connection with your members. This means creating content that resonates with them on a personal level. One way to do this is to share stories.

People are drawn to stories because they help us understand our role in life and connect with others on a deeper level. You can share stories about your organisation, your members, your successes, and your challenges.

Finally, to create memorable experiences for your members, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity. Don’t create content just for the sake of creating content. Instead, focus on creating content that provides real value to your members. This means taking time to create a content strategy.

Takeaway: Your content strategy

A successful content strategy for a membership organisation should have the following key elements:

1. Audience Analysis: The first step in a content strategy is to understand your target audience. Understand their needs, interests, and preferences, and create content that is relevant and valuable to them.
2. Goals and Objectives: Clearly define your goals and objectives for your content strategy. This will help you measure the success of your content and adjust as needed.
3. Content Types: Think about which content types will reach your members. This may include blog posts, magazines, videos, social or events.
4. Content Calendar: Create a content calendar to plan and organize your content. This will help you ensure that you are publishing content regularly and staying consistent with your messaging. And don’t forget, a good strategy should incorporate the ‘write once, reuse many times’ concept.
5. Branding and tone of voice: Ensure that your content reflects your organization’s branding and messaging. This will help you establish a consistent voice and tone across all your content.
6. Distribution Channels: Determine the distribution channels for your content. This may include email newsletters, social media, your website, or other channels that your audience uses.
7. Metrics and Analysis: Track and analyse your content’s performance using metrics such as engagement, traffic, and conversion rates. Use this data to refine your content strategy and make improvements over time.