Blogs are written by people, not committees. Some of the most successful blogs have the stamp of a human being’s personality, and those personalities are engaging, casual, even quirky. (I’ll get more into writing guidelines later.)

What better way to "humanize" your association’s programs or services than to have someone talk about them in her own voice, and show how a specific program really impacts her?

Here’s how most associations talk about a specific program or service:

"The National Widget Association provides the XYZ Program, which offers members A benefit, B benefit, C benefit, etc."

Then there’s a testimonial: "The XYZ Program really did provide me with A benefit, B benefit, and C benefit … I love it!"

Depending on the type of the program or service being offered, what if a member who uses it were to write a blog — telling his story — his experiences with using that program — and how it really impacted his life/business/community?

Here’s a more specific example: credentialing/certification. If your association has a credentialing program, consider having a member who undergoes the testing or training write a blog on his or her experience. (On his own, association manager Ben Martin is writing a blog about his experience preparing for the ASAE-sponsored CAE exam.)

Never underestimate the importance of narrative. People like to read about other people, no matter if they’re HR directors, small business owners, marketing executives, or CEOs. People are nosy! A story that puts a program in perspective — not just nuts-and-bolts info on "First I did this, then I did that," but offering real insight into the writer’s life — helps members and potential members not just understand a service, but relate to it.

Another example: through Google I found the University of North Dakota Alumni Association, which presents two blogs written by current students, but aimed at alumni readers. Since the primary goal of an alumni association is to build ongoing support for the host institution, I thought this was a great idea to help alumni reconnect with their alma mater and get a tangible view on how their support (money) is affecting the lives of students today.

This sort of thinking isn’t new to blogs, of course. My point is that using a blog in this manner can not only make a narrative easier to implement, but if done well will create an ongoing relationship that pays off in greater use of the program.

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