The Five Top Digital Trends for Boosting Association Engagement

The digital marketing landscape is changing at its usual lightning speed, shaped by technological advancements and consumer behaviour. How can associations leverage these trends to create a more engaging and rewarding experience for their community?

Let’s dive into some of 2024’s vital digital trends so that you’re prepared and excited about what this year has in store for your association.

Goodbye Cookies, Hello SEO

2024 marks a pivotal shift in digital marketing with Google phasing out third-party cookies, forcing organizations to adapt to new tracking and targeting technologies already available. What does this mean for associations? To prevent your traffic from being impacted, make your website easy to find—through SEO. Pack your website with great content, making it the go-to spot for everything your members need.

Mastering Your Channels, Taking Ownership

Since we’re seeing less of those third-party cookies, your website and social media are super important now. Associations must also engage directly with their audience and get to know them through proprietary channels on top of social media. It means powering up your CRM, CMS, tracking and other technologies directly involved in collecting and managing data while ensuring a great user experience.

AI-Induced Anxiety

While AI offers powerful tools for data analysis, content creation and personalized marketing, it also brings a sense of anxiety about keeping pace with technological advancements. You’re not alone in feeling this way. On a positive note, the use of AI tools to analyze member behavior, predict trends and tailor communication elements can help make your members feel more understood and valued. It’s a highly useful tool. Utilize it to create things that people love, experiment with it, and stay ahead of the competition.

E-commerce and Digital Sales for Associations

Associations are now venturing into the world of online selling and digital solutions. Offering infoproducts and event tickets, conducting online workshops, and employing growth hacking techniques help boost membership demand. The promised tomorrow has arrived. Digital revenue models are reshaping financial capabilities and resourcing advocacy activities with additional funding.

Privacy, Transparency, and Accessibility

With all the discussions about online privacy, make sure you’re transparent and honest about your privacy policy (hopefully, you have one). If people trust you with their information, they’ll also trust you with their time. Show them that you care about safeguarding their details, and they’ll place their trust in you. This includes complying with GDPR and WCAG standards and ensuring that websites are safe, accessible and user-friendly.

A new and thrilling era is upon us, with cost-effective access to advanced technology available to all. However, simply having access to it will not build a competitive advantage by itself. Remember, the key to a successful digital strategy lies in its ability to trigger brand and performance indicators, but software does not tell stories. People do. Explore the unique storytelling of your association.