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3 New Content Ideas Your Association Should Experiment With in 2019 | Updated for 2020

Try adding new content ideas into your current strategy to spruce things up and increase your online member engagement. We've got 3 new content ideas to add to your "must-try" list!

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While creating content for members is an easy way to add more value to their membership, cycling through the same types of content can actually have adverse effects over time. As we know, content is an amazing source of member engagement and can even attract new members to your association. It’s every content marketer’s dream- a low-cost way to seriously skyrocket web traffic and online engagement if done the right way. It’s also the reason why 70% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing.

But if you want to keep things from getting stale in terms of content creation, your association is going to have to switch things up. Of course, having some staples in your content strategy is great- blogs, articles, and social media posts will always have a place at the member engagement strategy “table”. However, if you don’t start trying out new forms of content to excite members, you may find yourself losing their attention altogether. So, if you’re looking to invite change into your content “wardrobe”, we’ve got a few new ideas you may just want to try on for size. Say hello to a brand new way to market content to members and keep things innovative in the modern age!

1. Custom-fit content

Imagine if you could create content for your members that was personalized to fit their every need- the custom-fit jeans of the content world if you will. By focusing your attention on creating relevant content, you almost can. Content personalization and interactive content is on the rise with B2B marketers simply because consumers are looking for this type of personalization.

Marketing Insider Group claims that 78% of consumers state personally-relevant content is an absolute must when they weigh in their purchasing decision. Customizing your content to fit member needs is a must for any association. Whether your association is smaller in size or a national organization, anyone can do their part to make content a little bit more personal. If you have a larger membership, consider customizing your content based on your member segments. This is a great way to personalize things without creating an immense amount of work for your staff. However, if you’re a smaller association with a tight knit group of members, custom-fitting your content to each person should be relatively easy.

2. Collaboration content

Working together with brands and companies that members trust can not only help a beautiful new relationship blossom - it can also create some amazing content in the process. Brand collaboration has become quite the craze with many larger companies out there (think big wigs like Red Bull and GoPro), but that doesn’t mean your association can’t try something similar with the brands your members like. In fact, working with organizations that you feel best represent your association can work in your favor in so many ways than just content creation.

Work with your association’s staff and come up with a list of brands you’d like to work with on content. You can call back on companies that have been sponsors at past events, or even ones that you’ve been hoping to work with in the future. You want these brands to mesh well with your association’s own brand and mission, so keep this in mind when organizing your contacts. Then, you’ll want to decide on a few different types of collaborations to host. You can do a social media takeover and switch accounts with your collaborator. Or, you can both work together to write a new blog post for your blog subscribers. You can even host a webinar together and bring your audiences into one big learning session. The possibilities for collaboration are endless, so give it a shot and see how it works out for you!

3. Advice posts

Want a way to answer all of your members questions and give them advice to further their own personal growth? Take old advice columns as an example and host a Q&A of your own. Having your members send in their questions or problems that they need help with is a great way to let them know you’re here to listen. Nothing feels better than knowing the community you’re apart of gives you space to express your concerns, so providing this for members will only add more value to what they already experience.

Ask your members to send in any pressing questions they have either via email, through a submission box on your website, or even through social media. Then, sift through these questions and turn your favorites into an advice column that you can share with your membership (just be sure to allow those who ask questions to have some anonymity).

With 3 new ways to produce and present content to your association’s members, there’s no way you’ll lose their interest throughout the year. Try adding new content ideas into your current strategy to spruce things up and increase your online member engagement.