27 Sep 2024 Leverage Mobile Technology to Enhance Association Operations
Nearly 100 percent of Americans (97 percent, to be exact) own cell phones. Smartphone use is growing, and a large portion of the population use only their phones for everything from internet searches to streaming content.
It makes sense then that associations and nonprofits take advantage of this technology for all aspects of operation. Here are four key ways your organization may be able to leverage the power of mobile devices.
Proprietary and Custom Apps
These days everyone has their own mobile application, including banks, retail brands, and even popular food trucks. For associations, having an app can be a convenient way for members to instantly access everything they need, such as:
● Membership renewal
● Donations
● Volunteer sign-up
● Conference registration
● Training and certification
● Board member activities
An app can also facilitate sharing news on social media. And as technology improves, apps will be essential for experiences like virtual reality used in training, fundraising, and events.
While there are tools for building a basic app in-house, it’s probably worth investing in having a third party build your group a custom app. Having a custom- made app can make it much easier to integrate databases and financial connections. Most associations and nonprofits don’t have the IT and coding resources to do this themselves.
Push Notifications
You can use push notifications to send instant messages to your staff, members, volunteers, and board of directors. If you have an app, your association can utilize that as the origin of the notification; but even without an app, you can use web push notifications from a browser.
These notifications pop up on the recipient’s mobile device screen even when they’re not using your app or signed into your website. You’ve probably received a few yourself reminding you to take advantage of a holiday sale or make a monthly credit card payment. Push notifications are known for boosting engagement, which every association craves.
How can your group make the most of this technology? You can reach members instantly to help remind them that time is running out on a fundraising or membership drive. Send quick memos about professional certification deadlines. Or reach attendees at an event to invite them to your hospitality suite or trade show booth.
Location-Based Services
Another place where mobile technology can aid associations during events is with location-based services. Your group can use this to assist with giving directions, marketing, and time-sensitive notifications within your proprietary app.
Location-based services use a combination of different technologies to ascertain where a cell phone user is located. The user has to opt in (give permission) for this for privacy reasons. They can usually control location information with a toggle switch in their app settings.
Many people find it worth opting in for organizations they trust in order to get real- time information and help. And your association can avoid targeting everyone on the membership list, choosing instead to focus on only people in a specific geographic area.
Collaboration Tools
Many of the tools you need for staff and board members to communicate and collaborate are now available for mobile devices too. This is especially important as more associations and nonprofits are moving towards remote events and hybrid offices.
While the big names like Slack, Dropbox, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365 are worth exploring, there are smaller cloud-driven platforms and apps that may be perfect for your organization. Lucidspark, for example, offers a virtual whiteboard. SpiraTeam provides a document management system with meta- tagging.
A few final tips when working with mobile technology:
● Make sure your association website is responsive, so it works on mobile devices as well as desktops and laptops.
● Decide on your association goals before investing in any technology, particularly building an app.
● When assessing potential apps, platforms, or custom builds, don’t forget to think about emergency response scenarios for situations like power outages or extreme weather events.
● Consider surveying members to uncover what they would find most helpful with mobile technology.
● Look for the sweet spot — the overlap between your organization’s needs and what members would like.
● Evaluate if there is older tech that’s no longer working for you. Can you cut it to free up time and funding for something newer and more effective?
● Get everyone on board with new mobile technology. Be certain everyone is trained in how to use it, and be open to constructive feedback during the roll-out process.
Jaffe Management is here to help with all your association needs, including offering advice on new technology. We offer a range of services, including membership administration and event planning. Call us at 212-496-3155 or email at info@jaffemanagement.com to learn more.