Associations are having trouble retaining young professionals because of their outdated technology and other reasons. One of those reasons is that associations need to communicate to different segments of their members differently than older members. They have to segment the different, younger members into different groups and communicate directly with each group. Younger professionals are having problems finding the right company to work with due to so much clutter. They need mobile-friendly apps, mentors and customized communications to recruit them. There is a tremendous competition for these young professionals but communicating with them has been difficult. Even though associations know that they could communicate better with these young professionals by segmenting the clients, very few actually do it. 63% of associations surveyed said that segmenting their clients will be a challenge to do. Most associations feel that they need to have better demographics, needs and goals of their clients. 32% believe that they aren’t customizing their clients communications and they don’t have a way to measure their results. 47% still use a one-size-fits-all content to communicate with their clients. Most of the associations would increase their communication efforts if they had enough money.
Key Takeaways:
- Reaching your community effectively often means competing with an information bombardment. Members already report too much information.
- Reaching younger audiences means adapting to a tech-savvy culture that uses customization, mobile apps, and hands on experiences.
- Research is key to effective communication. Often leaders cannot engage with their community because they don’t know what they want or need.
“While it may seem like there’s a lot of work to be done, there’s also a lot of valuable resources out there to support associations like yours in improving your communications strategy and effectively reaching younger members and other subgroups.”
Read more: 10 Association Communications Stats with Tips to Reach Younger Members More Effectively
