Connecting Content to Member Personas: How to Make Impactful Content

Creating exciting and fun content is great for associations, but how can you make sure the content you’re putting out has an impact on members? Aiming your content right at the core of member concerns is something that every association should strive towards. While speaking broadly about your membership within your content may seem like a good way to encompass all member problems, you could be missing the mark and overgeneralizing.

‍So, if you want to make sure the content you create is connecting to each and every type of member you have, you’ll have to figure out how to match your member personas up to your newsletters, blog posts, and whatever other content you choose to make. Take control of the way you communicate and connect with members through content with these 3 key factors from us here at Web Scribble. If you want to impact your members in more ways than just entertaining them, we’ve got some answers.

1. Focus

One of the main problems many associations have is that they aren’t focusing their content in on specific members. Throwing a plethora of topics into your content and seeing what sticks with members isn’t exactly the best method for reaching members in a way that works best. Instead of grasping at straws, go deeper into your member interests to find something specific that you can focus on within your content.

‍Knowing who your members are as individuals can help this process run smoothly. By looking at your member data, you can learn more about who your members really are- their occupations, needs, struggles, demographic information, and anything else you’re curious about.

If you can find an issue that a few of your members are going through, you can then put your effort into focusing on creating content around this. For example, time management may be something that many members struggle with. Taking your member data and looking at your member personas, you can then brainstorm up content to tackle this problem. Perhaps an infographic on how time is spent, a helpful blog post on how to save time on tasks, or anything else you may want to provide.

2. Get everyone on board

Having all hands on deck is going to take your association’s content to the next level, so you have to make sure your content creation is a team sport. Sourcing your content from other areas of your association could be the perspective shift you need to get through content. If you aren’t feeling the same level of connection with your members through your content as you have before, it could have to do with not having a different point of view from other helpful association members.

‍So, your association should reach out to those staff members and/or volunteers on your team and see if they have anything to contribute in terms of content. Getting everyone that you can on board is a great way to not only diversify your content, but to get a good stockpile going for times when things get too hectic (or you just happen to have a brain block). Outsource your content ideas and creation to those in your association that have a great understanding of your members and their needs, and you’re on your way to creating more impactful content.

3. Conversations

Aren’t sure if you have enough information on your members to properly form a member persona? It’s time to start talking to your members. Getting conversations going within your membership is always a great idea, but definitely if you want to learn more about what really makes members tick in order to enhance your content. If you want to make sure your content is really connecting with members, and focus less on the quantity of traffic you bring into your content, then you’ll want to shift your focus on properly getting communication going. Start reaching out to your members on a more regular basis. Check up with them with a simple phone call, survey them in your emails, and really pose interesting topics that they can engage with on social media. Getting down to the bottom of their core values can help you develop those member personas more and more over time.

Similarly, you’ll want members to communicate with one another. Having helpful platforms for members, such as an online member community, can help facilitate these conversations. This way, you can not only get members talking, but you can be apart of the communication - thus learning more about members in the process. Impacting members through the content you create will in turn provide you with a closer, better connected membership.