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Revolutionizing Content Creation: How AI Can Support Professional Development Programs 

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By Jessica Truhler, Director of Professional Development, Ewald Consulting 

Associations serve as invaluable hubs for knowledge exchange, networking and skill development within various industries. Central to their mission is the creation of high-quality content that educates, informs and engages members. However, the task of producing relevant and compelling content can be daunting, often requiring significant time, resources and expertise from already busy volunteers. Fortunately, with the addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI), associations can now harness cutting-edge technology to streamline content creation processes, enhance member experiences and drive value like never before. 

AI-Powered Content Generation 

AI offers associations a powerful ally in generating diverse and impactful content. By leveraging various algorithms, AI tools can analyze vast amounts of data — including industry reports, research articles and member feedback — to identify trends, topics of interest and emerging issues. This insight enables associations to create timely and relevant content that resonates with their audiences, whether that is articles, whitepapers, webinars and/or podcasts.  

For example, an association Ewald Consulting serves is hosting an in-person Summit event with a very specific theme. The team identified a challenge connecting the Summit theme to the organization’s overall professional development framework. What learning content could serve as a bridge between the professional development framework and this specialized Summit? We posed this question to an AI content-generating tool and designed a micro course on that specific topic. Not only did this serve as a bite-sized learning opportunity for curious members, but also a perfect marketing opportunity to showcase how that theme fits within the association profession. While AI helped with this project, humans ensured that the information generated would resonate with members and created the course. 

Moreover, AI can assist in content development by generating topic suggestions, headlines and even outlines based on predefined criteria and audience preferences. This not only accelerates the content creation process but also ensures that the produced materials align closely with the interests and needs of members. 

Conclusion 

In an increasingly digital and competitive landscape, associations must adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of their members. By harnessing AI, associations can transform their content creation efforts to deliver timely, relevant and personalized experiences that drive member engagement, satisfaction and professional growth. 

From generating insightful articles to curating personalized learning pathways and optimizing content performance, AI offers associations a wealth of opportunities to enhance their impact and value propositions. By embracing AI-powered content creation tools and strategies, associations can position themselves as indispensable partners in their members’ professional journey, driving lasting impact and success in an ever-changing world. We do need to maintain the human touch to verify information and create experiences that feel authentic to our members. 

Paul Hanscom, Anna Eaton and Rick Harris discussed AI at the Associations Trends Talk in April 2024

AI Unleashed: Elevating Association Performance and Engagement 

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If your association isn’t using artificial intelligence (AI) yet, these association management professionals say it’s time to start. Anna Eaton, Marketing Specialist at Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), and Rick Harris, CEO of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP), joined Ewald Consulting Chief Growth Officer Paul Hanscom for an Associations Trends Talk in April 2024. Here are some of the key takeaways from the conversation. 

The ROI of an AI tool can be high 
The cost for an AI tool can vary widely, based on the features required and the level of volunteer and staff involvement in setting it up. But both Anna and Rick say that the return on investment has been high for their associations. Both MRAA and APMP have seen significant growth in membership and in member engagement since implementing their AI systems. Anna says she has sent ideas to the MRAA education team for freshening existing content or creating new content based on trends in member queries that have been submitted. Rick says their system has been essential in creating personas to help with marketing and in discovering untapped areas for education where, “we know there’s an interest and an audience.” 

Use third-party partners
A third-party partner can help your organization launch a user-friendly, highly professional AI tool very quickly. The MRAA chose Betty Bot, while APMP chose Rohirrim AI. Dozens of other options are available; you can learn more about the companies and their capabilities through ASAE and other organizations, and through events like the Consumer Electronics Show. 

Closed AI models are trustworthy 
There’s a huge difference between open AI models like ChatGPT and closed AI models like those employed by MRAA and APMP. Closed models pull data only from within your association’s website and information you load into the system, and these models cite the information sources so members know where it came from and that it’s trustworthy. Open AI models pull information from sources across the internet that may or may not be trustworthy; they can be very useful in drafting copy for marketing or other uses, but you do need to verify that the material generated by open AI models is accurate. 

Protect your association’s expertise 
It’s important to protect the intellectual property (IP) of the association and of your subject matter experts (SMEs). Rick says APMP owns all of its own information; they pay writers and retain rights to the work. Anna also cites the importance of getting buy-in from SMEs who may have authored books, publication articles or conference presentations. 

Provide education to staff and members 
Anna says that when the MRAA staff saw the trial version of the AI assistant, they were immediately excited to move forward with the system. Rick says that webinars helped APMP members get used to the idea of using AI well in advance of launching the association’s AI system. He also highlighted that APMP has received feedback that the AI tool has become one of the top value drivers for members.

For a deeper dive on these and other takeaways from the Associations Trends Talk, watch the full video here.

 

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