Resources for Community Success

Members are seeking places to connect with their peers and doing so on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. But those public platforms aren’t necessarily fit for asking questions, having respectful dialog, and engaging in social learning. Your professional associations is uniquely equipped to build community that fosters safer and more meaningful connections.  

“If you can drive people to your community, that’s where the magic happens,” said Terri. “Most of our members are looking to learn from each other, so we’ve built a community where social learning is at the core.”

Flex your imagination and design your community around the value of human connection.

Since medieval times, communities have banded together to enhance mutual strengths and slay their respective dragons. In the European Middle Ages, towns developed around trade routes and castles, and townspeople formed communes—or defense alliances—to protect their people, liberties, and commodities.

It comes as no surprise that attention spans - and content consumption habits - have changed. And through this shift, association leaders have struggled to maximize members' engagement with and the monetization of their rich libraries of content.

Forj, a leading member experience and virtual events platform for associations and professional community organizations, launched its MX Maturity Model, a comprehensive framework to help leaders identify where their association lies on the continuum of excellence in member experience.

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.  

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.

If you’re like most Industry Associations, you have stepped up the volume of virtual events you are offering and it’s time to consider how to increase the revenue they provide for you and your sponsors. For many organizations like yours, events are a primary source of income, so it’s critically important to elevate your event value proposition to increase attendance, sponsorships, lead generation strategies and pre- and post-event marketing opportunities. Here are a few tips from our experts: