One of the most important parts of managing an association is meeting members where they are. When it comes to communicating with members, social media can be one of the best ways to share updates, engage with members, and strengthen an association’s community. But utilizing social media as an association requires more than writing captions and hitting “post” from time to time. Below, I highlight six tips on how to elevate an association’s online presence and make those posts count!
1. Plan Ahead with a Content Calendar
Consistency is one of the keys to social media success. Creating a content calendar ensures organization and can help align content with upcoming events. A monthly or quarterly calendar can help map out recurring posts. For example, call for volunteers, member highlights, deadlines, holiday posts, etc.
2. Use Scheduling Tools to Streamline Posting
Managing multiple platforms can be overwhelming for small teams. Social media platforms like LinkedIn have built-in tools to schedule posts in advance, but they can be clunky and hard to use for an association. Posts can be scheduled in advance using tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social. They can also track engagement and manage conversations from a single dashboard. These tools can even help with recommended posting days/times.
3. Use High-Quality Visuals
Visuals consistently outperform text-only posts. When possible, include photos from events (especially with people in them!), short clips, or even a simple branded graphic made using a tool like Canva.
4. Engage, Don’t Just Post
It’s easy to create and schedule a post in advance and move on to the next thing without giving engagement a second thought. But successful social media is engaging. Social media accounts that respond to comments, reshare member achievements, and thank sponsors or volunteers perform much better than unengaged ones. Engagement builds community and signals that the association is member-focused.
5. Track Performance and Adjust
Most platforms (including some mentioned in point 2) provide analytics to track reach, clicks, and engagement numbers. It’s easy to look at the stats and move on without any action, but it is worth taking some time to interpret these stats and adjust accordingly. Ask what kinds of posts get the most attention? Are certain days/times more effective? What platforms get the most attention?
Small actions like changing the time of a post can make a big difference!
6. Keep Accessibility in Mind
It is important to make all members feel welcome, and we can help create that environment by keeping accessibility in mind. Before posting, be sure to add alt text to images, use CamelCase for hashtags, check color contrast in images to ensure readability, and consider adding closed captions for videos. Adding these simple things broadens reach and supports a more inclusive communication framework.
Associations thrive when members feel connected. Email, while effective, is a much more “tunnel-vision” vehicle for communications. Social media is one of the best tools to nurture a more “community” kind of connection between members and the association. With intentional planning, the help of scheduling tools, an engagement-focused mindset, and care for accessibility, associations can build a strong, consistent, and meaningful online presence.
Andrew de Bie
Andrew de Bie joined RGI in 2023 as Senior Membership and Communications Coordinator. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with concentrations in Marketing and Finance/Economics and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University, Kokomo.
Before joining RGI, Andrew worked as an Advising Assistant and a Testing Support Specialist for Indiana University Kokomo, gaining extensive experience in higher education.
When he isn’t working, he is an avid swimmer, rock climber, photographer, graphic designer, and camper.