3 Easy Ways Associations can Build Member Trust and Gain Credibility

Becoming a credible source for all industry news and updates is important if you want members to keep coming back to your association for more. But how can you build up member trust over time?

As an association, building up trust with your members is essential if you want to maintain an overall healthy relationship. In fact, in a report from the Millennial Impact Project, 90% of respondents ages 20 – 35 claimed they would stop giving to an organization if they did not trust them.

However, building up that trust can take practice, work, and open communication. Your association needs to work on creating that interpersonal connection with all of your members and being that nonprofit organizations are in the business of dealing with people, it should be no surprise that your member satisfaction and credibility needs to start with personal communication. So, you want to be a source that members trust to keep them happy and give them the information they’re looking for. ‍

Luckily for you, we’re going to give you 3 easy ways your association can build up member trust and increase credibility. With our tips, you’ll be on your way to becoming your membership’s top source for industry news.

1. Showcase your advocacy

Members want to know that the organization they’re supporting is doing its best to fight for the causes they believe in. Whether it’s on a national scale or a local community building level, showcasing all of the advocacy work you do is essential to the growth of your credibility. Whatever your association’s cause may be, the work you do towards it should be showcased to members on a constant basis. After all, your association’s mission should be placed as a top priority to both your team and your members. If you aren’t showing off the steps you’re taking, members may feel that their donations and dues aren’t going towards the causes they’re passionate about.

In order to do this, your association can take a lot of different routes. If you’re based on a more local level, consider going out and interacting with the community, making time to meet with community leaders, and interact with those who may donate to your association in the future. However, if you’re based on a more national level and deal with larger scale items, creating an email update or advocacy newsletter could be the best approach for you. By sending out updates, you’re keeping members in the loop on the work they care about the most.

2. Promote your online content

If you’re an association that pushes itself to be a fount of industry-specific knowledge, your members are going to want to see some proof. This is where the importance of having and promoting online content comes into play. With downloadable content offers in place, you can deliver educational materials to those members looking to learn more about the industry they’re in. It’s also a great way to drive the value up on membership, too. Work on getting the word out about the educational resources and online content you provide. Whether it’s through an effective email campaign, advertising on sites your members frequent, or social media messages, there are many ways to get the word out about the information you have to offer. You can also use word of mouth marketing to push your online content.

‍According to Marketing General Incorporated (MGI)’s 2016 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, one of the top methods for attracting and acquiring new members is word of mouth marketing. Using your members as a prime resource for spreading the word could be your ticket to increased credibility. If you can get members on board with your content, you can prove to them that you’re in the business of being an industry expert.

3. Strengthen your brand

Branding has more of an influence over potential and current members than you may think. According to CrowdSpring, it only takes consumers 10 seconds to form an opinion on a brand’s logo. On top of that, 77% of consumers make a purchase based on brand name alone. With just seconds to make a lasting impression on whether your members can trust you or not, you need to put in the work to make your brand as strong as possible. Being confident in the brand you present can give your members reassurance that they’re with the right organization.

Your brand should proudly represent your mission, goals, and how you want to progress forward. In order to achieve this, pay attention to your association’s online branding, logo, name, and everything you put out that is a representation of what you stand for. Are your social media posts up to par with what you want members to see? What about your website’s presence? If there are changes you feel need to be made, take the proper steps to make that happen.

Don’t let your association miss out on creating a trusting bond with members. Working smarter instead of harder and using our 3 tips can help you become a credible source for members to catch up on industry information.