November 29, 2018
Driving Engagement with Directories
Driving Engagement With Directories
Directories can be so much more than a way to store and present contact data.
Used strategically, they can:
- Turn your organization into a active hub of expert advice, valuable services, and important connections for your members.
- Enable your members to passively create and enjoy more value from your organization through member-to-member connections.
- Help drive new applications, and give existing members powerful incentive to enroll in higher memberships.
Here’s how:
Make Connection Convenient
Your members have skills and expertise that can offer significant value to other members. The challenge for your members (and therefore your organization) is creating those connections.
The easier your directories make?finding and connecting with quality contacts, the more likely your members (and anyone else using your directories) will do so. Standard directories make creating connections possible, but we wanted to make it?easy?by eliminating the drawbacks membership managers face when using directory tools not specifically designed for their needs.
For example:
Automatic contact data management makes directories easier to use and manage.
When directories require you to manually fill and update contact information, the quality of that information suffers.
Members are often forgetful when it comes to notifying you of changes to their emails, phone numbers, etc; making your directories less reliable and more frustrating to use.
Even when contacts?do notify you of changes to their information; managing email correspondence, editing your spreadsheets, and manually updating every directory your contact is listed in is a serious workload!
Member365 directories eliminate the need to spend time managing contact information and keep that information as current as possible by populating directory fields with contact data from Member365’s CRM. When applying or renewing membership, as well as when accessing your member portal – your members (and non-member contacts with portal access) can update and confirm their contact information. This data is immediately integrated into their contact record, which in turn automatically updates each and every directory a contact is listed in!
By making the process of updating contact info simple for members and managers alike, your directory data is more reliable, and easier to use!
Make contacts easier to find with Extended Fields.
Member365 directories can integrate field data from any of your forms to make finding specific contacts simple for directory users.
Drawing data from forms submitted during applications, renewals, event registrations, etc allows your users to search for contacts by whatever criteria you specify. Extended fields like ‘Location’, ‘Job Skills’, ‘Industry’, ‘Availability’, etc. lets a user specify exactly who they’re looking for, and allows Member365 to immediately find them!
Help Members Create Value for Each Other (And You!)
As a directory user, finding your desired contact is only half the battle. Once that’s out of the way, you’ve got to make a connection in order to enjoy value from your search!
Facilitate connections with directory messaging
Directory messaging is a convenient way to connect that provides value to both directory users and your organization!
Member365’s directory messaging makes doing so easy.
After finding a desired contact, Member365 displays not only standard contact information like phone numbers, email addresses, etc – but also a button enabling them to send a direct message a contact within Member365!
This option provides users the advantage of an additional communication channel to ensure a successful connection, but also offers your organization the added value of increased engagement!
Enjoy more engagement with increased eye-time on your Member Portal.
Conversations between contacts that take place within Member365 keeps a user’s attention on your Member Portal longer. Additionally, message notifications sent to a the inbox of logged-out users draw them to return time-and-again after logging out!
With more time spent on your Member Portal, directory messaging exposes users to more opportunities for engagement with your organization. After logging in to respond to a message, they might stumble across an event, workshop, course, or any other engagement opportunity!
Drive Applications and Up-Stream Memberships
Once you’re using tools to maximize the value your directories offer members, creating multiple and controlling access permissions based on membership category is a great way to both?drive new applications?and?enjoy more value from existing members!
Having access to valuable contact directories is a powerful reason for non-members to apply. Configure some of your directories to only be accessible to members of higher membership categories, and you give existing members an equally powerful reason to upgrade their membership!
Also consider creating a directory accessible to non-members, either through integrating your Member365 directory on your organizations website, or through non-member portal accounts! Doing so provides prospects direct experience with the value offered by your directories and organization-at-large, acting as a powerful boon for new applications!