Association members are using social media, regardless of the membership type, and believe it or not it is a way for them to engage. Baby boomers engaged with their association by volunteering and becoming very active in the membership. However the new generation, is engaging by sitting at their computers and updating their friends one status at a time. If associations aren't at least listening to the conversation then they are missing out in engaging their future generation of members.
One of the associations that I worked for is just getting in the social media mix, and when I spoke with my old supervisor over there, I told him that he was very late in the game. He agreed and knew that the organization needed to supply a full time staff member to engage with their members in the social media stratosphere. They have done as most associations do, hire a consultant to tell them what they don't know. I offered my free advice, which was, get into the mix and don't do it "half-hearted."
In order to be successful in the social media realm you must keep up your engagement. With so many tools out there to engage members, what are you waiting for?
