There are many challenges member organisations are facing today, from engagement and member retention to monetisation and data protection, to name just a few. However, regardless of the specific issue at hand, there is a consideration that must always remain front of mind; what are your member’s needs and how will we meet them.
Technology can and should be playing a critical role in supporting your journey and meeting your objectives but there isn’t a one-size fits all solution. There are numerous technologies available and many solutions offering exceptional functionality to assist a member organisation in reaching its goals. The question you should be asking is, how can your member organisation leverage the latest tech opportunities to provide a valuable and enjoyable digital experience for your specific audiences?
An all-encompassing online digital solution
One potential option is Kontent.ai. It is a sophisticated digital platform which offers more than just a brochure-style website experience which goes beyond being a place to provide information. Kontent.ai. can allow membership organisations to offer an interactive experience and an exciting user journey for its audiences that incentivises people to return time and time again. A rich example of the cabability of this technology is the digital transformation project we embarked on alongside our client England Hockey. If like England Hockey, your organisation is looking for a solution that keep its members actively engaged, offering an interactive and comprehensive online experience for a variety of audiences, then read on.
England Hockey’s new digital presence encompasses the latest fixtures and results through to news and updates, ticketing and merchandise, as well as updates surrounding rules and regulations. The key words are relevant and interesting – an all-encompassing digital solution like Kontent.ai. that offers interactivity for a variety of audiences could be the best option for your organisation of you share similar objectives.
Advanced personalisation capability
If heightened personalisation and specificity is a goal of yours, then the above Kontent system enhanced using some powerful headless tools could be a great option. Many consumers now expect relevant content to be delivered to them at the right time when using online platforms. For example, MTM client TSSA, the transport union, is able to provide an excellent digital experience for its members using this technology. With information that is easy to find, users can drill down into the site to find specific content and resources that relate to them, the company they work for and their location. It’s an intuitive digital tool that goes further than just being a website for informational purposes. Users can interact with the site, and the union can manage all union activities, updates and messaging in one place. As well as providing an excellent headless solution, Kontent offers advanced personalisation solutions – making it easy to tailor content to a specific audience and to deliver important information to the relevant members at the right time.
Rewarding members for their engagement and participation
Member retention is a key challenge faced by membership organisations and as such, it is increasingly important to provide those members with incentives. This is a priority for home warranty provider, NHBC, which has the role of providing the most up-to-date and relevant information to both builders and homeowners – fulfilling a thought leadership role for the industry. Favouring Bloomreach as their system of choice, its digital solution provides a place for people to access information about the latest building regulations, warranty information, industry news and more. As part of its strategy in rewarding members for their engagement and participation, NHBC has an awards and recognition programme, in which it hosts a ticketed event annually, to celebrate the winners. To keep members enthusiastically engaged, NHBC consistently offers new and valuable resources, making it an attractive organisation to be a part of and one many people are proud to be associated with.
Integration is key for security
Another common challenge that membership organisations face is data protection and security. The Daily Mile handles this expertly with its bespoke WordPress set-up, supported by a custom API that handles the large amount of data that the charity holds. Whilst the API makes it possible for the organisation to report accurate statistics based on the data collected, it protects the data that the initiative holds. As The Daily Mile members are schools that are signed up to the initiative, it’s integral that the data is processed safely using GDPR protocols. Integrated with MailChimp for email marketing purposes, there are specific opt-in and opt-out clauses on the site that make it easy to know what information is being shared by members when signing up to the initiative.
The trick to tackling challenges is in meticulous planning
The solution to tackling these and many other digital challenges for membership-based organisations is the same. It comes down to meticulous planning, combined with a comprehensive understanding of the best tools available, specific for what an organisation is looking to achieve. Evaluating and selecting the right tools to develop the best digital solution is an important step in rising to the challenges that impact user experience and it offers the opportunity to create a step change in how your members interact with your brands.
It is recommended that member organisations review the technologies they have in place regularly to ensure they’re still fit for purpose and meet the needs of both the organisation and its members. The good news is that there are plenty of effective and exciting tools and technologies available to meet the current and future needs of your members and with the right partner you can leverage these opportunities and delight your audiences.
Data should be at the heart of your decision making
Unlike many companies, membership organisations can boast a mature level of data intelligence. The need to understand members and ensure that an organisation’s purpose in serving their members is central to their strategy relies on data understanding. This is equally true when it comes to your digital systems. End to end user understanding is essential to keep pace with the market and increasingly heightened levels of service from members. There are two key points when working with data that membership organisations should understand: what they are tracking, and why they are tracking it. Once those two things are understood, it becomes much easier to plan your digital strategy and progress your organisation.
The MTM Agency help membership organisations transform, grow and support their members by creating intelligent strategies to help them have a greater understanding of member needs, which translates into improved retention and adoption.
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