Resources for Community Success

You’d be hard-pressed to find a member who doesn’t cite “community” as a driving force behind their decision to join and engage with a professional association.

Leverage innovation, create everyday value, and use advanced analytics to drive action.

In 2020, 15 percent of professionals said their organization had a dedicated community department, according to Community Leaders magazine. By 2021, that figure jumped to 22 percent, with 35 percent of respondents reporting that their organization had at least one full-time position dedicated to community operations.

At their core, communities have always been about bringing together like-minded people for a common purpose. And because of that, it’s clear to see why professional associations are primed for building active, flourishing communities that members want to flock to.

When it comes to your online professional community, “if you build it, they will come” may not be the best mantra.

The environment we’re working in today is complex and constantly changing. We’re faced with an accelerating need for digital transformation. We’re trying to keep pace with evolving member and consumer expectations. We’re uncovering what the new “world of work” looks like.

The concept of community in professional associations has significantly evolved in recent years, with organizations investing in building online environments that foster more meaningful member connections. And as their communities continue to grow and change, they’re eagerly anticipating the future.  

Finding ways to reach new people has been a happy advantage of many associations shifting to a digital-first approach. Reacting to a rapidly changing environment, many association leaders have increased their reliance on virtual events and other opportunities for online engagement.

As people seek new and better ways to link with like-minded peers and learn from industry experts, many see professional associations and their member communities as the best way to forge those connections.

Sponsorship has long been a big driver of associations' non-dues revenue, and the need for solid sponsor partnerships is only getting stronger. Recent studies have indicated virtual events are increasingly more reliant on sponsorship as their primary source of revenue.

In the past, association professionals have depended on less-than-reliable figures for event measurement, and all too often, the data collected sat untouched and untapped.