Author: Debbie Willis
Gen Z is more connected, tech-savvy, and driven by purpose than generations before theirs. As they enter the workforce, they’re looking for organizations that reflect their values, offer flexibility, and create opportunities for growth. These individuals have high expectations for their memberships. They want meaningful engagement opportunities and a sense of belonging within the communities they join.
Associations like yours are constantly challenged to be relevant to the next generation of potential members. By embracing modern trends, you can create a membership experience that resonates with younger demographics and encourages them to join your program. Let’s explore key strategies for connecting with young professionals.
Focus on Professional Development
LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report found that 8 in 10 people believe learning adds purpose to their work. Today’s employees are seeking out and spending more time on learning and development (L&D) opportunities that:
- Help make progress towards career goals
- Keep them up-to-date in their fields
- Are personalized for their interests and career goals
Gen Z is particularly interested in learning opportunities that fuel professional progress. 53% of Gen Z agreed that learning allows them to explore potential career paths at their companies. That’s 16 percentage points higher than the Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers who were surveyed!
L&D is one of the primary reasons people join associations, especially for individuals who are just starting out in the field. It brings them up to speed by offering training that their employers might not provide.
Creating Your Professional Development Opportunities
Learning comes in many forms! You might provide workshops, mentorship programs, industry reports, or interactive courses that fuel growth. Consider offering a variety of opportunities to cater to different learning styles.
One of the best emerging opportunities is online courses. This form of eLearning combines the power of effective professional development with the convenience of the online space.
Using an association LMS, you can create tailored learning pathways that allow members to chart their own development journeys and choose opportunities that align with their professional goals. You’ll create a structured sequence of courses that guide learners through a specific topic or skill development process. Members can complete courses at their own pace, earn relevant certifications, and ultimately fuel their own development.
Let’s say you’re creating a professional development pathway for marketing professionals. You might offer these modules:
- Module 1: Introduction to Digital Marketing – A course that covers the fundamentals of digital marketing with the goal of understanding key marketing concepts and tools
- Module 2: Social Media Marketing – A course focusing on social media content creation, paid social ads, and audience engagement strategies
- Module 3: SEM Strategies – A deeper dive into search engine marketing (SEM) that explores topics like keyword research, on-page SEO, and PPC campaigns
- Module 4: Data-Driven Marketing – Insights into collecting, analyzing, and using marketing data, covering topics like Google Analytics, data visualization, customer segmentation, and A/B testing
- Assessment: Marketing Professional Certification – An exam that tests knowledge and skills gained through the pathway in order to earn an official certification
Learning pathways are effective for personalizing engagement opportunities at scale. Depending on your LMS, you might be able to create your own courses or use prebuilt content and resources. You can even offer industry-recognized certifications that appeal to younger members who are looking to improve their resumes.
TopClass recommends choosing an LMS that integrates with other technologies, like your online community platform and member management system. You’ll be able to provide easy access to L&D opportunities, create more tailored learning paths for each user, track progress, and create collaborative learning experiences.
Embrace Digital Transformation
Younger generations prioritize convenience, flexibility, and accessibility, which makes embracing digital tools crucial for associations.
Digital engagement opportunities break down geographical barriers and offer instant access to content, making it easier for members to participate on their terms. By adopting these tools, associations can better reach younger members who value efficiency and on-demand access.
Digital transformation doesn’t stop with eLearning, so let’s explore some additional digital engagement opportunities for connecting with younger generations.
Online Events
Virtual events and webinars provide an accessible way to engage members without the barriers of location or travel costs. These events can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, offering a convenient option for busy, tech-savvy members.
If you have an online community, you can create a dedicated space where members can register for upcoming events, join live sessions, and view recorded content. Consider hosting different types of online events that provide value to members, such as industry-specific webinars, career development workshops, networking events, or panel discussions.
Make these events interactive by offering opportunities like:
- Breakout rooms for smaller, focused discussions that allow attendees to network or dive deeper into specific topics in an intimate setting.
- Chat functionality to allow participants to share thoughts, ask questions, and interact with speakers and fellow attendees.
- Live polling to encourage members to voice opinions or participate in fun quizzes during sessions.
Virtual event tools like Zoom offer these interactive features, helping you create more engaging event experiences.
Mobile App
Younger generations value the flexibility that their mobile devices offer. A mobile app for your association allows members to engage in discussions, browse events, and access learning materials anytime, anywhere on their smartphones.
With a mobile app, members can take courses, track their progress, or complete certifications on the go, so they can integrate learning into their daily routines. For younger, tech-savvy members, this flexibility is a key draw.
Clowder highlights several mobile app features for associations that draw engagement, such as:
- A newsfeed to keep members updated with the latest announcements and content related to their interests
- A resource library to access whitepapers, case studies, courses, and other educational materials
- Member forums that allow members to discuss topics, share knowledge, and solve problems together
- One-to-one messaging that enables members to connect with others directly, share opportunities, and seek advice
- Group and chapter segmentation to organize members based on geographic area and professional interests, which is great for fostering micro-communities within your association
- Event and conference management so members can discover, register, and plan out their participation in your association’s events.
You’ll also be able to send push notifications to keep members informed about new courses, upcoming events, or other important updates. With timely reminders and updates, they’ll never be out of the loop!
Offer Flexible Membership Options
Younger members often have different needs when joining associations, such as affordability, flexibility, and the opportunity to explore membership benefits before committing. To make a membership offer that younger generations can’t refuse, you’ll need to consider these needs and preferences.
You might implement tiered membership options, allowing members to choose the level of benefits that best suit their preferences and budget. For example, a basic tier could offer access to essential resources, while a premium tier could provide additional perks like exclusive content or networking opportunities. Additionally, offering discounts to students or early-career professionals can make membership more accessible to younger members who may be on a tighter budget.
To take flexibility one step further, consider offering shorter commitment periods, such as a six-month trial membership. This gives newer members the chance to determine your association’s value before committing to a longer-term membership.
Younger members often have different needs when joining associations, such as affordability, flexibility, and the opportunity to explore membership benefits before committing. To make a membership offer that younger generations can’t refuse, you’ll need to consider these needs and preferences.
You might implement tiered membership options, allowing members to choose the level of benefits that best suit their preferences and budget. For example, a basic tier could offer access to essential resources, while a premium tier could provide additional perks like exclusive content or networking opportunities. Additionally, offering discounts to students or early-career professionals can make membership more accessible to younger members who may be on a tighter budget.
To take flexibility one step further, consider offering shorter commitment periods, such as a six-month trial membership. This gives newer members the chance to determine your association’s value before committing to a longer-term membership.
Foster a Sense of Community
For many younger professionals who are just entering the field, forming connections and building a network is a major benefit of association membership. A strong sense of community provides a support system and helps them navigate their careers with greater confidence.
An online community is an invaluable tool for fostering this sense of belonging. It serves as a one-stop shop for association activities, including events, networking, membership management, and learning opportunities. By centralizing these opportunities into one platform, you make engaging with your association’s community a breeze!
When implementing your LMS, check whether it offers social learning features, such as discussion forums or group collaboration. This enables members to connect over shared learning experiences and helps build a supportive community that keeps younger members engaged in your association.
In addition to online opportunities, you might offer social events, such as informal meetups, networking events, and community volunteer opportunities. Forming interest-based groups or committees also gives members a chance to collaborate on shared goals and passions.
Start Improving Your Membership Program!
The future of your association lies in the hands of the next generation of leaders. Younger professionals have different preferences, values, and expectations from older generations. To remain relevant and grow, your association should evolve its strategies to meet these needs.
By focusing on the elements we suggested, you’ll create unique value that younger professionals won’t want to pass up.
Get started by evaluating your current opportunities. Do you provide plenty of online opportunities, particularly for learning? Are your membership options flexible? Can you do more to create a vibrant community? Focus on improving one of these areas to start and watch as your members become more active!
