A tech stack may sound “techy” but it’s really quite simple: it’s all the software and tools your association uses to fulfill your mission and deliver member value. Now, for some organizations, the stack is lean and close to the ground. For larger associations, it may be a tall tower that helps you accomplish countless tasks.
As part of your digital transformation, you may be looking to:
Regardless of your objectives, there are two important factors to keep in mind:
In this blog post, we’ll review specific tips your association should consider to ensure you’re delivering a great digital experience for your members.
If you start with the right association software, you can easily integrate the particular specialty functionality that’s important to your organization. There are many best-of-breed solutions that can:
We’ve identified 5 areas you’ll want to focus on as you build a unique tech stack that is highly tailored to your needs — without customization that can lead to data silos and higher a total cost of ownership. You probably won’t need all of them, but these insights will help you navigate the selection process for those you do.
It all stems from the core — you need to choose a robust association software platform — such as an Engagement Management System (EMS) — that can support the way your organization works both now and well into the future. A cloud-based system is no longer an option, it’s required to ensure you and your staff can continue to support your members remotely. Look for a system designed for the unique complexities that membership organizations face every day and add the leading-edge capabilities that can take your association to the next level. The ultimate goal is a powerful system that can help your association become a learning organization to achieve continuous performance improvement.
Member data is your lifeblood, and you need a core platform that has the capacity to manage it in real-time. Your system needs to support your efforts to boost member engagement and satisfaction, thereby leading to greater retention rates.
The system should be purpose-built for associations and have the ability to:
You need a cloud-based system that can unify all of your data from every interaction with your members, supporters, and other stakeholders to provide one source of truth. It needs to be flexible to support your changing needs, scalable to grow with you, and extensible to the best new solutions to meet your association’s specific needs.
Your system should:
Your website and database should be one and the same. You need a web platform that is robust enough to manage your entire public-facing web presence, member portals, event sites, and special-purpose microsites. Your purpose-built system should help you:
Your association may also raise funds, so your association software should be capable of managing any of your fundraising needs, including:
Finally, your core platform needs to be able to integrate with the latest solutions on the market to provide the specific support you need in key areas. There’s no sense in trying to do things manually or in trying to reinvent the wheel. Your particular needs may vary but for the greatest power and flexibility, look for tools that can:
In their article, “Why Your AMS Is Only One Piece of the Digital Member Experience Puzzle”, ASAE gives some good insights you may want to check out.
To best serve your members, you need to fully understand them. You may have lots of data but it’s not helpful if you can’t easily access, monitor, analyze, and use it to make critical decisions. The best member management systems should:
The purpose of any advanced member management system is to increase your organization’s efficiency/efficacy and free up your staff to focus on member satisfaction. The latest association software platforms can help you:
A formal engagement plan can make a huge difference in getting members more involved and has a significant impact on member retention. (This is one of the findings from our 2022 Membership Performance Benchmark Report — download your complimentary copy here.)
But you must have association software that will help you baseline your current levels, monitor them, and report on your progress. The most effective member management systems on the market will help you:
While forms may not sound exciting, they are. So much of your data comes to you through online forms; it’s critical to get these right to ensure you capture what you need while providing a great experience for your members. Your system should offer a drag-and-drop form builder that will help you:
Integrating your accounting with your member database is a huge advantage that informs every decision you make going forward. Your system should provide a comprehensive view of your association’s finances and allow you to:
The latest platforms can help you increase member convenience and boost revenue by allowing you to offer promotions and discounts across all payment areas. You can easily manage online product sales with tax and shipping calculations and provide unified carts that allow members to register for an event, pay dues, or even donate — all at the same time!
Print and online advertising can be a real value to both you and your members. It provides an important source of non-dues/non-membership fee revenue and it helps your members learn about new products and services on the market. But advertising can be time-consuming. You’ll need a solution that can track and manage everything from the sale to the insertion. The leading solutions will help you:
Done right, events can energize your members and keep them connected to you. But planning and execution must be top-notch, and you need a lot of control and flexibility to deliver quality in-person, online, or hybrid events. At a minimum, your member management system must allow you to:
If your association plans to offer large, sophisticated online conferences, you’ll need a powerful, proven application to help you deliver a dynamic, engaging experience for your members. Look for a solution that can help you live-stream sessions to your audience and:
Your association’s continuing education and certification offerings are critical for your members’ professional development. These programs can be varied and intensive, so you’ll need a system that can support your needs from the most basic to the most sophisticated initiatives, including:
Awards & Abstract Management: Whether managing awards, scholarships, fellowships, abstracts, or grants programs, the system should help you:
Learning Management: Look for a Learning Management System (LMS) that will allow you to offer different types of options to your members, including instructor-led, video, and blended learning. The LMS should:
Certification Management: You’ll need a system that’s capable of automating your entire credentialing, licensing, and certification processes. It should offer the flexibility to:
Career Center: Job boards are a vital resource for members that can help ensure engagement and retention. They can also generate significant non-dues/non-membership fee revenue for your association. To optimize revenue potential, you’ll need a self-service solution with the flexibility to provide:
How much time does your staff spend on email and other member communications? Your association software should be able to significantly reduce this burden and help you:
Text Messaging: Automate and personalize your communications to members based on queries/personas, schedule texts in advance or on a recurring basis, and ensure your texting follows regulatory guidelines.
Online Communities: Build an engaging presence where members feel welcome and motivated to come back. Your community app should enable you to:
Year-Round Mobile App: Many associations have event apps, but a year-round mobile app can be a huge advantage. (See our 7 Mobile Tactics Every Association Professional Should Know blog post for more tips.) With your mobile app, you can:
The beauty of a powerful core platform means that you can add the functionality you need. You may also want to explore other value-add solutions, including:
Your tech stack is your own — build one that works for you. As you’re exploring your options, focus on these 5 areas: