Community Management Software for Associations: 10 Options

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Your association’s community is one of its greatest strengths, but are you making the most of it? When it comes to association software, there are several types of platforms to consider, including tools designed to manage your community.

Community management software equips associations with the tools to engage members, encourage connections among one another, and foster a lively community.

To help you find the right platform for your association, we’ll explore 10 tools with community management features. But first, let’s explain exactly what community management software is.

What is community management software?

Community management software for associations enables organizations to bring their members together online. These software solutions usually create an online interface similar to a social media platform like Facebook or LinkedIn. While exact features vary from platform to platform, members usually have the ability to post content, comment on each other’s posts, and message one another directly.

Community management software differs from association management software (AMS) in that it focuses on the frontend user experience and is ultimately a tool for members to engage with. In contrast, AMSs include many backend features, such as dues management, event planning, and association-to-member communication.

In truth, there are actually very few platforms dedicated specifically to community management. As such, this guide will call out which tools are AMSs with community management features and which are true, dedicated community engagement software.

Best Community Software for Associations: Tradewing

Tradewing is one of the few community management software solutions on the market dedicated specifically to community engagement. Built for trade and professional associations, Tradewing provides an intuitive, out-of-the-box community engagement platform for fostering member engagement, maintaining active communication, and building your association’s community.

Pros

  • User-friendly. Tradewing is built so that members can pick it up quickly and start engaging with one another and your association’s team. If they’ve used social media before, using Tradewing should come second nature. Additionally, after just a few guided onboarding sessions, your association’s staff should be able to leverage the platform with ease, saving time and creating an association community that runs itself.
  • Member-focused. As mentioned, Tradewing is one of only a handful of community engagement-focused tools available. Tradewing’s platform gives members the tools to ask questions, share content, and make the industry connections they joined your association to secure.
  • Flexible. Outside of community engagement tools, Tradewing can also double as your virtual event platform. Host events through Tradewing’s conferencing software and promote upcoming activities through your new community social feed.
  • Cost-effective. When compared to other community management solutions, Tradewing is the cost-friendly option. With its focus on streamlined efficiency and additional event and email management tools, many trade and professional associations find Tradewing provides a greater return on investment than subscribing to several separate software solutions.
  • Integrations. Tradewing has AMS features, but if your association already has a dedicated AMS, Tradewing can integrate with your current system to provide community management features.

Con

Tradewing is primarily built for small and medium-sized associations. While Tradewing successfully powers nationwide associations like the American Association of Physics Teachers, enterprise-sized organizations looking for a fully customizable solution may need more robust platforms.

Best Community Management Software for Large Associations: Higher Logic

Higher Logic offers multiple engagement tools. Their Higher Logic Thrive solution is perhaps the best-known community management software currently available. Built for enterprise-sized associations, Higher Logic’s customizable solution powers trade and professional associations to build active member communities.

Pros

  • Customizability. If you’re looking for a community management solution to truly make your own, Higher Logic is the go-to solution. Higher Logic even assigns an expert advisor to all customers to provide guidance for implementing your platform.
  • AI-powered. Make managing your community easy with AI tools that help create automated newsletters, draft emails, and suggest post tags.
  • Gamification tools. Higher Logic enables associations to push their members to engage with badges, ribbons, and leaderboards.

Con

Higher Logic is built for large associations. This means it requires a degree of customization that may be unnecessary and costly for small and medium-sized associations. Additionally, Higher Logic’s complexities mean the backend is often unintuitive for most of your association’s staff, leading to unnecessary complications. Check out our list of Higher Logic alternatives for other platforms with comparable features.

Fonteva

Fonteva is primarily an AMS, but it does include a handful of valuable community management features. Fonteva is also built on Salesforce, meaning associations interested in Salesforce can access a platform that transforms their Salesforce instance into a suite of association and community management tools.

Pros

  • Self-service options. Save staff time by providing members with a range of self-service tools, from setting up their profiles to managing their membership status.
  • Salesforce native. For associations already or interested in using Salesforce, Fonteva is a logical choice. Thanks to Salesforce’s regular security updates and wide library of apps, associations using Fonteva can rest assured their member data is secure, and they can experiment with various add-ons.
  • Scalable. As a Salesforce native solution, Fonteva is highly customizable and built to scale as your association grows.

Con

Fonteva is foremost an AMS. As such, its community management features may feel limited in comparison to a platform built specifically to host member communities. Fortunately, Fonteva integrates with a variety of other solutions, including Salesforce apps and third-party community engagement tools.

Best All-in-One Community Management Software for Associations: Glue Up

Glue Up is an association management software that offers numerous software applications, including CRM software, event management tools, and community management. For associations looking for an all-in-one solution, Glue Up may be a worthwhile investment.

Pros

  • Digital business cards. Members can network with one another by creating and sharing digital business cards, letting them connect on Glue Up’s community platform and meet up offline at their own discretion.
  • Custom privacy settings. While members want to connect with one another, your community management software should still have adequate privacy settings. Tools like Glue Up allow members to create private groups and determine who can see their information.
  • Phone app. Glue Up allows associations to create an app to host their communities. This way, members can log in and catch up with their community, no matter where they are.

Con

Some customers have expressed dissatisfaction with Glue Up’s emailing capabilities, citing struggles editing emails and managing notification settings. Additionally, while Glue Up offers a wealth of features, familiarizing your association’s staff with the platform can be challenging.

Best Community Management Software for Associations with Multiple Audiences: Raklet

Raklet is an all-in-one member management system, meaning it also includes community management features. Set up “boards” for your community to interact with one another and keep your members engaged.

Pros

  • Free price tier. For small associations looking for a basic community platform, Raklet has a free version. While features are limited, associations can still leverage basic community features at no cost.
  • Moderation controls. Keep your platform secure and fight spam with Raklet’s moderation control. Set whether content is available to the public or just your members and review comments before they go live.
  • Multiple content streams. Does your association support multiple audiences with unique interests? If so, Raklet allows you to create separate content boards for various topics, enabling members to follow the content they’re most interested in.

Con

Raklet’s most expensive tier may be out of reach for the smaller associations that will gravitate toward this platform, meaning its premium customization and security features may not be accessible to all customers.

Best Community Management Software for Educational Courses: Circle

Unlike many of the platforms on this list, Circle is not designed explicitly for associations. Rather, Circle is a community management solution for all kinds of member-based organizations, including businesses, social clubs, and associations.

Pros

  • Interactive livestreams. Many of the community management solutions we’ve discussed so far have livestreaming and video conferencing features. Circle takes virtual events to the next level with immersive livestreams that can support multiple co-hosts and automated video transcripts to ensure all members can participate.
  • Educational course support. When it comes to content, Circle is particularly effective at sharing educational courses. Users can create cohort-based group discussions, create in-platform curriculum tools, and set up weekly office hours.
  • Supportive community. To get up to speed with Circle and ensure your association always maintains best practices, Circle hosts weekly trainings and workshops for the over 10,000 organizations also using the platform.

Con

Given that Circle is not designed specifically for associations, it may lack the capabilities associations and their members are used to, such as robust membership engagement tools and networking features.

Best Community Management Software for Member Management: YourMembership

YourMembership offers both association management and member management tools, including community management software. The online platform claims it can “turn members into super members” by transforming sporadic conversations into long-term, dedicated engagement.

Pros

  • Sponsorship promotion. Associations looking to boost non-dues revenue can leverage YourMembership’s advertising and sponsorship recognition tools to secure mutually beneficial corporate partnerships.
  • Suggested connections. Help members shortcut the networking process with suggested connections that link them to members with shared interests.
  • Surveys. Not sure if your engagement strategies are resonating with your community? With YourMembership, you can reach out to members via surveys and polls to gather their feedback.

Con

YourMembership has been around for over 20 years, and its community interface may feel outdated when compared to modern community management solutions.

Best Lightweight Community Management Software for Associations: Breezio

When it comes to overlooked community management software, Breezio is one to keep an eye on. Breezio is a community engagement platform dedicated solely to bringing associations’ members together online to connect with each other and your organization’s content.

Pros

  • AMS integration. Breezio isn’t an AMS, but it does integrate with a wide range of AMSs and CRMs.
  • Single sign-on. As part of its many integration capabilities, Breezio has single sign-on technology, so you can start managing your community as soon as you log onto your AMS.
  • HTML-responsive content creator. If your team is handy with code, Breezio allows you to customize your platform exactly how you want it to look on every device.

Con

Compared to other community management software for associations, Breezio has a relatively small user base, meaning few reviews exist. Customers may struggle to compare their options and assess if the platform is right for them.

Flexible Community Management Software for Associations: Hivebrite

Hivebrite markets itself as the “most powerful solution” for community management and engagement. This billing is thanks to the platform’s extensive customization and flexibility options that allow it to serve commercial, nonprofit, education, and association audiences.

Pros

  • Customizability. Hivebrite allows associations to make the platform their own with extensive branding options.
  • Community matching.  Hivebrite has recently acquired an AI-powered community matching platform. Community matching asks participating members to fill out a short form with their interests and contact information. Then, the system connects them with members who share interests, automating the networking process.
  • Content library. Members can access archived content in  Hivebrite’s digital library. While you’ll ensure old content doesn’t go missing, members can easily find what they’re looking for.

Con

While Hivebrite does offer extensive customization options, some customers have found these challenging to navigate. Like with other platforms with extensive features, initial onboarding can be a long and tricky process. Consider going with one of these alternatives to Hivebrite for a better experience.

Best Mobile Community Management Software for Associations: mosaic apps

mosaic apps is a phone-based community management software. While most community management software has an app, mosaic apps is specifically designed for mobile users and provides an optimized experience for on-the-go users.

Pros

  • Robust event hosting. mosaic apps is ideal for hosting virtual and hybrid events with optimized pre-event messages listing schedules, presenters, sessional evaluations, and more. For the events themselves, associations will have access to livestreaming, live chats, and event recording options.
  • Secure. To keep your members’ data safe and protect your members’ privacy, mosaic apps is ISO 27001 certified and complies with General Data Protection Regulation laws.
  • App-oriented. mosaic apps works on desktop, but it excels in its app form. Additionally, if your association needs an app with features mosaic apps doesn’t currently offer, you can reach out to them to develop a custom app.

Con

Due to its app focus, mosaic apps lacks integration capabilities, making it hard to connect other association management software to it.

More Community Management Resources

Community management software transforms your association’s community, allowing disparate members to come together online. Research various community management platforms to find a solution that fits your needs, budget, and association type.

To build a thriving community with the right software and strategies, check out these free resources:

Why Driving Renewals Will Be More Difficult Going Forward

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2020 was a challenging year for associations. That’s hardly news, but what may surprise you is the pandemic’s long-term impact on your association’s ability to drive membership renewals.

While the worst is, hopefully, behind us, the last year has cast a bright and unflattering light on the cracks in the foundations of organizations everywhere. Nowhere has this been more visible than when it comes to benefits and the member experience.

You might think this doesn’t apply to you. Maybe you managed to transition to Zoom just in time for that big event, or perhaps you think post-COVID everything will return to normal, but the story here isn’t about how you and your members dealt with, and survived, these inconveniences in 2020, it’s about why these inconveniences arose in the first place, and what that says about being a member of your association.

What’s the Point of Association Membership in 2021?

Unless association membership is a requirement in your industry, you understand how critical it is for members to understand the value they’re receiving from your organization when it’s time to renew. If they’re not getting much out of it, why should they share their hard-won dollars with you?

This year’s renewal conversation is about to get a lot more challenging.

 

How you navigated 2020 will make or break how members answer the question above, but there’s more to it. For many of your members, this is more than just a question of if they want to stick with you this year, but if you’re even still relevant.

Let’s look at a few common areas most associations struggled with this year, and how those struggles could translate into a decline in renewals.

Challenges Faced by Associations in 2020 

Events – This is the big one, any association that relied on in-person events and meetings to facilitate member networking and provide other benefits (like training), faced a major crisis this year. Some successfully moved events online while others cut events all together.

Yet, even those that managed to get everyone together on Zoom noticed the shortcomings of this response. Many virtual events platforms, especially the free ones, aren’t built to support the unique needs and services associations require to serve their members. Breakout sessions, training workshops, hallway conversations, and even expo halls fell short of expectations for almost everybody. These lackluster experiences really pushed members to ask, were these events even worth it to begin with?

In-person events will never be the same. Are you ready?

 

Collaboration – Cross-member collaborative efforts also took a hit. Networking opportunities were few and far between, and for many associations, the online tools provided to members to connect started to show their age.

Listservs and ancient forum software were barely hanging on before, but they should be dead and buried after this year. Unfortunately, many associations learned the hard way how ill-prepared they were when these avenues became the only real lifeline for their members in the midst of the pandemic. Difficult to navigate interfaces that lacked the capabilities necessary to foster meaningful and effective communication between members had users throwing up their hands and walking away. Even worse, some associations saw their members leave and start their own industry-focused LinkedIn and Facebook groups.

The Sponsor Experience – Got sponsors? Maybe not anymore. The loss of events has highlighted for many sponsors just how little they’re getting out of their associations beyond a booth or signage at the yearly conference.

While this won’t impact member renewals, sponsor renewals can be just as critical, and are just as at risk after this year. Not only have sponsors likely had to pull back on their own promotional budgets due to COVID, but a lack of events or other meaningful sponsorship avenues in 2020 saw sponsors committing their advertising dollars elsewhere, and it could prove a challenge to coax that investment back – especially if the results of those new investments look promising.

 

Locking In Renewals for 2021 and Beyond

Obviously 2020 was bad, but what can we do about it?

The answer is a lot, and you’ve likely already made moves to address the challenges above and other deficiencies that came to light last year. Still, here are three things you should give some thought to right now that will not only help you patch the holes made by COVID, but give your members a stronger incentive to renew now and in the future.

Three tips for driving membership renewals this year.

 

  1. Evaluate Your Collaboration Tools – Your membership experience is only going to become more virtual, 2020 only sped up the timetable. Ask yourself, are you ready? Can a virtual member get as much value as a member that can engage with others regularly face to face? If not, why? If you’re still working with just a website or a listserv, it’s time for a change. Start thinking about ways you can expand your digital resources. For some, a LinkedIn group or regular virtual happy hours might be a good first step, but ultimately you’ll want something more scalable and tailored to your association’s specific member needs.
  2. Expand Your Sponsor Benefits – If you think events, website banners, and newsletter links are the only tools at your disposal for rewarding your sponsors, think again! New technologies abound when it comes to tools that allow you to provide sponsors closer access to your members in a controlled way. Your membership platforms may already have these capabilities, and if not, it’s time to look for solutions that do.
  3. Modernize Your Event Strategy – Like it or not, virtual events are here to stay. Even if you plan to move back to in-person events, there are many folks who may now prefer the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of attending virtually. Consider a hybrid event plan, and understand what resources you might be missing to create a seamless experience for both in-person and virtual attendees.

 

2020 was a tough year, but 2021 doesn’t have to be. Associations are in a great position to revitalize their industries and provide critical and immediate value to their members. COVID was a wakeup call to everybody; use this moment to help your members and sponsors understand that one of the best investments in their future is membership with your association.