Online Community Tips

As a community manager for a professional organization, you know that one of your core missions is to foster growth and development among your members. Traditional training methods—think static resource libraries, one-off webinars, and endless email chains—often fall short. They're disconnected, difficult to manage, and fail to capture the collaborative spirit that makes a community truly valuable.

Building a vibrant and engaged member community is crucial for many organizations, from associations and non-profits to professional groups and corporations looking to foster customer loyalty. Higher Logic has long been a prominent player in this space, offering robust community management solutions. However, the market is rich with innovative platforms that provide diverse features, pricing structures, and approaches to community engagement.

The annual conference is over. The energy was palpable, the networking was invaluable, and your members left feeling inspired. But now, the silence is setting in. The connections made over coffee are fading into LinkedIn requests, and the vibrant community spirit is dissipating into the ether.

What is Tagging?

In a world where information is being pumped out every moment, the ability to keep this information organized for future learning is key to success. Tagging is A simple yet powerful feature a method of categorizing and organizing information, making it easier for users to find what they need and for community managers to maintain a structured platform.

At its core, a tag is a keyword or term assigned to a piece of content (like an article, post, or video) to describe its subject matter. Think of it as a label that helps to identify and group related items. When you click on a tag, you're instantly taken to a collection of all content that shares that same label. This transforms a chaotic stream of information into a well-organized library, where users can effortlessly navigate to topics that interest them.

Building a thriving online community is about more than just a place to post. It's about creating a dynamic space where members feel connected and engaged. The key to unlocking that potential lies in live communication features. While asynchronous tools like forums and comments are great, they don't capture the spontaneous, real-time interactions that make a community feel alive.

Let's get real. The "AI revolution" isn't about robots taking your job; it's about getting an intern who's a total machine, works 24/7, and never complains. As a community manager for an association or membership organization, your plate is overflowing with things that are important but not always strategic. AI is the tool that can take those routine tasks off your hands so you can focus on what actually matters: building relationships and driving member value.

As a community manager scaling engagement is one of the toughest parts of our job. But the secret to a thriving community is already inside it - those brimming bundles of energy, eager to contribute and impress - the volunteers! Also, fact, people are a little more forgiving of volunteers' actions as they seem them as one of their own. 

In today's dynamic landscape, associations face the constant challenge of engaging members, streamlining operations, and proving their value. While the benefits of a strong community are widely acknowledged, the tangible return on investment (ROI), numbers that community managers can point at to justify the investment – often remains a hazy concept. This blog post aims to offer you some concrete ways in which you can measure ROI.

Association community platforms are no longer just digital bulletin boards; they're dynamic hubs essential for member engagement, retention, and the overall health of an organization. As we look to 2025-2026, these platforms are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by technological advancements and shifting member expectations.

In the dynamic landscape of modern associations, retaining members is not merely a goal; it is the bedrock of sustainability, growth, and influence. While the value proposition of an association is paramount, the operational efficiency and member experience facilitated by technology play an increasingly critical role. At the heart of this technological enablement lies robust association membership software – a sophisticated platform that moves far beyond simple record-keeping to become a strategic tool for lasting member loyalty.