Bringing It All Together – How a Cohesive Community Strategy Creates a Stronger Association

Associations are communities. Whether people come together at live events, at chapter events, as part of their volunteer journey, or in some other way, the fact remains that they all gather together around a common interest or purpose. I’ve often heard members say that when they get together, no matter, the avenue, they always feel like they are among family. That they are all working toward something greater than themselves and that is what keeps them engaged and coming back. After all, that is what is at the heart of communities, right?If your focus is right, your online community strategy will seamlessly support the overall community aspect of your association, as well. Yes, because of the nature of online engagement you will focus on what support looks like for that method of engagement, but it would be naïve for one to think that the online space is the only way for members to obtain value. In other words, we can’t be so precious about our online communities that we can’t see past online engagement. The opportunity for online communities to take all of the magic that they know exists to bring people together within the online space and use it to enhance the experiences members have with an association is high and, as community managers, we shouldn’t look past it.There is a tendency to hold tightly to what we believe is the unique value that our online community provides to members. And the point is not to give that up. The point is to use it to help people connect to the information and resources they need to be more successful. As I’ve said before, the value that your online community provides doesn’t stop with the members you serve. It reaches into the association and can tie directly into the ROI you may (or may not) be asked to prove in the long run.Any good online community makes connections into the association as a whole. Whether that be through surfacing larger content that community members may find useful or providing them information about regional events that will provide them greater opportunities for connection. Your online community strategy shouldn’t just be about online interactions and, when done well, it creates untapped potential for your association.For example, if your association holds an annual conference, start a blog within your online community that gives a play by play by community members who will be in attendance about what they are learning and how they are interacting during the event. How do you know who’s attending? Throw the question out there in your forums and see who raises their hand. Now that you know who is going, tap some of them (ideally those who are super active) to contribute while they’re attending. This not only connects your community members to the live experience but creates potential attendees for future events. This is community mindset at work and all it took was an adjustment to your community’s content.Connecting the dots doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it shouldn’t be. When done right, it creates the perfect recipe for a stronger association, more connected membership, and more meaningful experiences that will not only bring your members closer to each other, but closer to the association they choose to spend their membership dollars with. Find out where the opportunities lie and go for them. Your members will thank you.How do you create a sense of community throughout your association? We’d love to hear from you. Tell us in the comments below!