Top Strategies for Member Engagement during COVID-19

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The COVID-19 health crisis has created some extraordinary circumstances, both personally and professionally.

Amid this uncertain and chaotic time, many people are now working from home with their spouses, kids and pets underfoot. Some are gravely worried about their finances. Others are feeling anxious and disconnected while they’re shuttered away amid stay-at-home orders and social distancing mandates. While there’s no denying the challenges, there are viable steps your membership organization can take to nurture and build relationships with your members. In fact, actively engaging and communicating with your constituents may be more important than ever.

We’ve compiled these tips and best practices to help you master the art of member engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Find out what they need from you.

You won’t know how the diverse segments of your membership base are doing or what kind of support they need unless you ask. Make an effort to understand things like:

  • How has COVID-19 affected your day-to-day job?
  • How do you foresee COVID-19 affecting our industry?
  • What resources can we provide to help you or your organization prepare for and deal with the long term impact of COVID-19?

Schedule small virtual meetups or larger town halls to discuss issues like these. By identifying your members’ critical concerns, you can determine what additional resources and information your members need the most and brainstorm ways to address them.

Share credible, accurate information.

At times like this, your association can offer a much needed sense of stability and calm. In fact, your role as an information steward has probably never been more valued. Some associations have even created dedicated pages for news and information related to COVID-19, such as Associations Now’s Coronavirus Tracker and
PCMA’s COVID-19: What Event Professionals Need to Know. Web pages, e-blasts, newsletters, webinars and more can all be used to disseminate helpful information to your members.

Make wellness resources accessible.

Operating in crisis mode is the order of the day in many industries right now. In the healthcare sector, your members may be dealing with extraordinary stress and fatigue. Those who are in education may have had to master online education on the fly and adjust to new ways of teaching. Never has there been more of a need for self-care and peer support. Make sure your members have access via your website to information about stress management, burnout, and mental health, as well as to resources for professionals who can assist them. You may even consider offering self-care and wellbeing programs through your organization.

Respond to the need for connection.

For now, the COVID-19 crisis has eliminated many of the typical opportunities your members have for in-person interaction and relationship building. As telework, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing become routine, the craving for social connection is bound to intensify. Help prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation by scheduling opportunities for members to see each other on web-conferencing platforms like Zoom or Skype. Encourage your board, committees, and other groups to take advantage of these online platforms to continue their work and socialize. Round table discussions, web conferences, and virtual happy hours all give people a chance to mingle and interact with one another.

During this challenging period, your organization has an opportunity to create rich experiences that can deepen its member connections. For nearly 20 years, IBC has been helping associations, unions and non-profits drive member engagement with state-of-the-art personalization strategies and innovative iMIS software solutions. Please contact our experts to learn more.

About Intuitive Business Concepts (IBC): Since 2001, IBC’s cutting-edge products, unparalleled responsiveness, and award-winning technology services have helped associations, non-profits and unions increase their operational and financial performance. Focused exclusively on and dedicated to delivering the most effective iMIS Engagement Management solutions, IBC is uniquely adept at identifying and applying the integration techniques that save membership organizations time and money. For more information about IBC, please visit the website at www.ibconcepts.com or call 443.603.0215.

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