Increase engagement with an app
An engaged member is an association’s most prized asset.
The more engaged and active your members are the more likely they are to donate time, their talent and help your association move forward.
A well developed and marketed app can be a fantastic tool to drive member engagement.
Here is a guide to how an app can help increase your membership:
Target
Decide on your target audience. Are your members open to the idea of an app?
It isn’t just the younger members that would be easy adopters.
Creative and marketing software and solutions company, Adobe, suggest an alternate target demographic not defined solely by age, but by behaviours – the Mobile Elite.
Adobe describes them as “tech and culturally savvy individuals that make up approximately 20 per cent of the general population and are farther along in the mobile adoption curve than the rest of the population.”
Define
How does your association differentiate itself from the competition? For example, if you provide publications, blogs and various media then your app should be an additional stream for your channels.
Separate
Mobile Elites are primarily focused on their smart phones, so resist the temptation to develop your app as simply a copy of your web site.
Simplify
Design your app for ease of use. Make it easy to log in and transfer member data throughout the app. Keep the interface simple to use, keep the word count down and provide short videos for in-depth content.
Personalise
The association might be the only thing that your members have in common. Create the app so that it provides personalised interaction based on a member’s individual profile.
Gamify
Gamifying your app means using game mechanics and reward systems such as points, levels, challenges, goods and leaderboards to influence behaviour within your non-game app.
Market
Make sure your members are aware that the app is available and market it accordingly.
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