We’ve all been there. You finish a season of your favorite show and Netflix recommends the next one before you’ve even finished the credits. Suddenly it’s 2am and you’re crying through an episode of a show you didn’t know existed five hours ago.
While I don’t think your association’s recent webinar on “Topic X” is going to bring members to tears (at least not on purpose), there’s a lesson here in how you can guide members through a content journey.
What if your webinar wrap-up email highlighted two pieces of content you recommend your member engage with next? How would that shift their view of what your association can provide? And how much of that increased engagement comes from tools and resources you already have?
If that sounds worth trying, here’s where to start.
Categorize Your Programs
The first hurdle is figuring out what programming you actually have. Start by sorting it into buckets. Categories might include:
- Industry trends
- Operational efficiency
- Marketing and SEO techniques
- Staff and professional development
It’s fine if these buckets stay broad at first. You can always split one later. Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress with this. The goal right now is just an intentional system, whether that’s tagging or some other categorization tool, not a perfect one.
Link Program Outcomes
Say you just hosted a webinar on workforce development. You already know the outcomes and learning objectives behind it. The next step is to look through your categorized programs for anything else that shares those outcomes.
This is where you’ll find content you forgot you had. That workforce development webinar might connect to an article about creating a leadership pipeline or to a podcase episode on succession planning. Or even a toolkit you published two years ago but has been sitting untouched since. The content already exists, it just has never been connected.
Diversify the Offerings
Once your programs are categorized and linked, it’s time to put this into your marketing toolkit. Using the workforce development example, the next step is offering a range of formats members can choose from. In your post-event email, give options like:
- Blog posts
- Case studies
- Podcast episodes
- Webinars
- Recordings
- Community forum discussions
Make sure at least one option is free to engage with, but don’t shy away from promoting something like a paid webinar alongside it. Giving members a mix of formats lets them pick how they want to keep learning, all within the same set of outcomes.
Track What's Actually Working
Once you’re including these recommendations in your post-event emails, add tracking links to each one. Over time, you’ll see exactly what members click, by topic and by format. Maybe your workforce development audience loves the podcast option but skips the toolkit every time. Or your marketing techniques bucket does fine in the community forum, but nobody opens the recordings.
You’re not guessing any more about what your members want next. They are telling you, click by click, where to put your next piece of content or your next non-dues revenue approach. This is the part that turns a full content calendar and library into an actual content strategy.
I recognize this isn’t a new idea. Streaming platforms have been doing it for years, and a few associations are dipping their toes in. But most associations are sitting on more content than they realize, scattered across webinars, articles, and recordings that never talk to each other. Connecting them isn’t a heavy lift. It just takes someone deciding to do it.
Grant Carpenter, CAE
As a Director of Membership and Executive Director for his clients, Grant uses his expertise in serving members to build strong relationships and provide members with an experience that shows the value of being part of the organization. He has been serving membership-based organizations for over 12 years, and is adept at problem solving and overseeing operations.
Outside of work, Grant enjoys staying active as an avid runner. He also enjoys traveling and is a passionate cook.