Why effective use of Social Media is vital for Membership Associations
By now, it’s universally understood that Social Media is an important tool for Membership Associations. However, the how and why of that can remain a mystery to many. It’s one thing to say ‘We need a Twitter account!’ It’s quite another to understand why your association needs to be active on Social Media and what to do once there. Here are 6 reasons you need to make sure you are making effective use of social media.
1. Go where your members are
The simplest explanation of why Membership Associations need to be on Social Media is because that’s where your members are. A 2017 study, found that 99% of people who belong to a Membership Association are active users of at least one Social Media platform. Facebook remains the most popular platform, with 86% of members using it. Twitter has now drawn even, also with 86%. Other top performing platforms are LinkedIn (67%), YouTube 55% and Instagram (32%).
2. What do your members really think?
There are many ways to gain feedback from your members to better understand what you are doing well and where you might need to improve. However, there are few spaces as casual and candid as on Social Media. By tracking Social Media you’ll learn the hard truths about what you’re doing right and wrong and in a way that members might be reluctant to say directly to you. It’s here where a CRM platform like Dynamics 365 can really help Membership Associations through its Social Listening capabilities.
3. Put a face on your Membership Association
By engaging directly with your members you humanize your organization – members no longer see you as faceless and distant, but rather as someone that sends them useful links, helpful content, fun event invites and maybe even the occasional .gif of cute puppies doing cute puppy things
4. Find new members
The more you use Social Media the greater your reach and the more likely current members will share your content with other users that follow them. Since people tend to associate with those who share similar interests and experiences. It’s likely that at least some of the people that the content is being shared with will be potential new members
5 . Keep your members happy – and paying their dues!
By fostering a relationship with existing members and through having real-time conversations with them you make your members feel valued by the Membership Association and, in turn, happy with their association. Ultimately, happy members remain members for the long haul.
6. Call to action!
Being active and engaging on social media inspires people to take action. That may take the form of a donation, a decision to renew a membership or to take the plunge as a first-time member. Through your Social Media channels and the ability to track your Social Media footprint with Dynamics 365 Social Media Listening you can better present your association in a positive light to your members and to potential members.
Now that you know the why, we will tell you how to make effective use of social media in part two tomorrow.
CRM Dynamics an HSO Company is comminuted to working with Membership Associations to help them find the blueprint for success. If you would like to learn about our exciting new developments, give us a shout!
We are also looking for Membership Association professionals to take part in a two-hour focus group in the Toronto-area. If you are interested in helping us help you, more information can be found here.