Mind the (Knowledge) Gap

Every online community has content. It’s how you share knowledge, surface trends, and uncover hidden gems of information that you may not have found otherwise. A lot of online communities take on the responsibility of developing that content. Whether it’s a white paper, research, or a template that helps users perform a task. And as an association, why wouldn’t you want to be responsible for developing that content? It helps you position yourself as a leader in your given industry, which brings people to you, which increases your membership numbers, which contributes to your retention, and so on and so forth. But that doesn’t necessarily make you the expert in that industry.Some associations don’t depend on their members to develop content for their online communities. They either use what they have, or they develop the content from outside resources. Those outside resources can be firms or highly paid contributors. Many times, those content resources are internal, based on market research. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but is it capturing the experiences of Carl Community Member who has worked as an engineer for 20 years, for 4 different companies, 2 of them being Fortune 500, and has seen his fair share of information and changes that have shifted how engineers do their work in the oil and gas industry? Yes, I am aware that was super specific. But this is the insight you’re missing when you don’t consider what your members know. From those who have been practicing for years to those who have just entered the field, there is a wealth of knowledge inside your member’s heads. It can only serve the organization to find ways to allow them to contribute.Content strategies generally account for curation. How will we get content from outside resources and what price are we willing to pay for it? It should also include how you can get people who have a wealth of knowledge to want to contribute on their own. Consider what it provides them:

1. A vehicle for providing their expertise where they may not have had the opportunity to do so before
2. A way surface subject matter experts
3. A way to surface conversations that would have been missed otherwise
4. A way to earn credibility and learn more about their craft
5. An opportunity for them to sharpen their skills

Members who belong to professional associations continue to pay their dues for the tangible benefits. This is one of many ways that online communities enhance what you print on your membership brochure. Yes, templates are great. Yes, discounted prices on conferences and certifications are fantastic. You know what else is great? Having an opportunity to share your knowledge and gain credibility in your field. Members see that as a huge win because they can share what they know and feel like their making a considerable contribution to their profession. And guess what? You helped make it happen.But wait, what about our association content? Isn’t it just as valuable?Yes, and here’s where the two marry. There are associations who have online communities that have a UGC strategy. Sweet. There are associations that have separate content strategies where innovative thought leadership and market research is gathered and paid contributors are providing insight into the profession at large. Amazing. How many of those associations are creating a content ecosystem where that information is being shared across platforms, seamlessly? I don’t have specific statistics on that, but I would guess not many.If your association has an online community, contribute to creating a content ecosystem that allows your members to, not only find your association content, but find content from their peers that will help them in their profession. Surface content on their profile page when they log in. Create personalization that serves up content that they want to view, how they want to view it. Repurpose content from a live event or recent association publication that can be expanded upon. The key is to provide an opportunity for content to be created and surface across channels, lending to the entire member knowledge experience helping to eliminate the “one and done” interaction.We often talk about ways to engage members more. To get them to read our content or purchase membership or go to an event. Content is a really strategic way to make that all happen. If you do it right, it not only gives your members one more reason to come back, but it positions your association and online community to the go-to resource for those that you serve.How have you used content in your online community to create a knowledge experience within your association? What opportunities are you pursuing now? I’d love to hear your ideas!