Monday Buzz: Small Engagement, Large Impact

Building and maintaining a community can be hard work, especially when you’re expected to engage with your members on a daily basis.

While insightful stories and member interviews are great ideas, it’s unrealistic for members to expect you to write them daily, as well as unrealistic to expect members to read them daily. Luckily, MemberClicks’ Callie Walker has found ways associations can make an impactful connection  (opens in a new tab) with the community on even the busiest day.

When it comes to fast solutions for member engagement, the internet is your greatest ally. The flexibility of what to post means there is an endless array of creative “micro-engagements” at your disposal. For example, taking pictures in the office and posting to social media can be a fun, easy way to update members, according to Walker.

Not only is this solution quick and easy, but using pictures of daily life at your organization will give your association a more personal touch, which will only strengthen your connection with members.

Alternatively, you can invite members to share their own pictures with a contest or themed hashtag. Not only will you be free from spending time creating original content, but your members will feel more invested in the community.

Asking open-ended questions is another great solution for associations that are strapped for time.

Presenting interesting discussion questions to your community allows your members to drive their experience, which will be rewarding for them and time efficient for you. Try generating a survey or creating a list of potential questions to pull from on a particularly busy day.

Tweet of the Day

Discover secrets to SEO success: https://t.co/sNM05uQkUq  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/scqzykoP5A  (opens in a new tab)

— Association Studios (@AssnStudios) April 18, 2016  (opens in a new tab)

Attracting attention on the internet is a constant struggle that can sometimes seem overwhelming. While it may seem like a daunting challenge, associations do not have to go into this battle empty-handed. Association Studios‘s Angie Roberts explains how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be one of your greatest weapons  (opens in a new tab).

Other Good Reads

Ad revenue is still falling and publications aren’t sure where to turn. The New York Times‘ John Herrman shines a light  (opens in a new tab) on what this will mean for the future of media.

Associations need to drop clipart. Bright Nonprofit contributor Luke Miller has some alternatives for creative visual content  (opens in a new tab).

Is your networking just not working? It may be time to switch up your strategy. Fortune contributor Tricia Clarke-Stone has some suggestions to turn you into a networking star  (opens in a new tab).