Member engagement can be harder to measure in trade associations than in professional societies. But that doesn’t mean it’s not vitally important.

Why do some members leave an association while others go on to become board members? Why are some people passionate, vocal advocates for association membership, while others don’t even bother to open emails?

It all comes down to one thing: member engagement.

If you’re not familiar with the phrase “tech stack”, it might conjure up an image of something like a Jenga tower.

Actually, this isn’t a bad comparison. Your tech stack is the sum total of all the systems in your IT infrastructure – everything that is regularly used in-house, from Association Management Software (AMS) to marketing automation tools

Associations exist because we know that we’re stronger when we’re part of a team. Good things happen when talented people come together to share knowledge, compare best practices and make connections, which is why associations work so hard to acquire members.

Every association website has a public section and a members-only section.

The public section of the site is essentially a marketing tool. It exists so that passers-by can get a flavor of what the association has to offer, and hopefully it will tempt people into taking a closer look.

The Association Management Software (AMS) can be found at the heart of every organization. It manages your member database, it handles subscriptions and member dues, it supports your website.

The AMS does a lot. But it doesn’t do everything.