Engage Members with Association Mobile Apps: Anytime, Anywhere

On an episode of The Member Engagement Show, I was joined by Michael Jones, Vice President of Mobile Technologies at Results Direct, to talk about how associations can effectively leverage mobile apps to engage members. Jones, with over 15 years of experience in mobile technology, shared key strategies and insights on how associations can tap into mobile trends to address common challenges, enhance communication, create deeper connections with their members. Plus, what to look for in a mobile app for associations.

Some key takeaways…

Do Associations Need a Mobile App?

Mobile apps have become an essential tool for associations. We need to meet members where they are, and as Michael explained, members are spending more time on their mobile devices. And the truth is, organizations have increasingly needed to diversify their communication channels in recent years. Different members (and even each member at different times in their membership) may prefer to engage in different ways. If their email inbox is overwhelming and they’ve decided to unsubscribe from or ignore emails, they may choose to engage with their peers on the online community or via an online community app. If they’re catching up on their industry while away from their desk, an association’s mobile app would be the perfect avenue.

Mobile apps also offer the distinct advantage of proactive engagement. On websites, members have to come to you, and they often only do that when they’re looking for specific information. Mobile apps give you the opportunity to push information right to users: “With mobile, you can literally buzz their pocket in real-time, showing up on their lock screen,” said Michael.

When used responsibly (obviously people don’t want to be inundated with push notifications), this shift from reactive to proactive information-sharing ensures associations can keep members informed and engaged when it matters most to them, which enhances overall engagement.

How Can Mobile Apps Help Associations?

During the episode, Michael also talked about the “Four C’s of Mobile Engagement,” representing the key areas where mobile apps can especially benefit associations:

1. Conferences: For many associations, event apps were the entry point to mobile apps. They’re a game changer for associations looking to level-up their event experience. By offering interactive schedules, networking opportunities, and real-time updates, mobile apps enrich the event experience and boost engagement. They can also save associations money (and boost their sustainability efforts) by allowing them to forgo print materials. They can even become a profit center for associations by opening up new sponsor opportunities in an association mobile app.
2. Community: For online communities, having a mobile app makes it easier for members to access the networking and peer-to-peer communication that makes communities so attractive and powerful. A community mobile app or online community app puts those connections in members’ pockets. Most people, these days, are accessing their social networks on their phone – making their association available there too just makes sense.
3. Content: A mobile app for your association make it easy for members to access content on the go. As Michael said, “All organizations have some type of content, whether it’s articles, newsletters, publications, continuing education, advocacy materials, or something else. And the key is, how do people get to it? How do they find it? It’s important to make it available to them when they need it – especially if they don’t happen to be in front of their computer at the moment.”
4. Communication: For most associations, the main communication channel is email. But having a mobile app opens a new avenue for quick, targeted communication through push notifications. These allow associations to directly engage members, ensuring important updates, reminders, and event announcements get delivered real-time.“That type of real time engagement doesn’t really exist anywhere else,” said Michael, “And it empowers everything else we talked about because it could be a push notification to say, registration is open for an upcoming event – now you’re increasing event attendance. It could be, ‘someone just replied to your discussion thread’ and now that happens in real-time, you’re not waiting for an email digest or for someone to wander back into the community.”

Combining these four elements gives associations a holistic mobile experience that enhances member engagement on multiple fronts. As Michael noted, “The sum is greater than the value of the individual parts when you bring these four elements together in one app.”

Mobile Apps vs. Mobile-Responsive Websites

So let’s say your website or online community are already mobile responsive – meaning it’s already optimized and designed to adjust your content and layout to fit the screen size of the device it’s being viewed on. Do you still need a mobile app?

Yes. There are different benefits of each. Responsive websites are great for delivering content, but they don’t offer the real-time interaction and convenience mobile apps can provide.

This is part of why Michael feels mobile apps are no longer a luxury for associations. As more members move to mobile-only or mobile-first engagement, associations must meet their members where they are.

“It’s not really a competition,” said Michael, “Both mobile-responsiveness and mobile apps are really required in modern times…Everyone’s website needs to be responsive because there’s a use case for that. But it’s a very reactive use case and I think that’s the big difference. Having a responsive website is more reactive – if someone comes to your website on their phone you want them to still have a good experience. Whereas having a native app is more proactive.”

Michael emphasized how impactful this proactive engagement through mobile can be, especially when it comes to push notifications that allow real-time communication and timely interaction with members.

“The idea with having the app readily available on members’ phone, and maintaining a cadence of communication is that you’re actually retaining awareness. That, ‘hey, the association is here and here’s the value we add and we’re right on your phone.’… So when someone’s on-the-go and they have a question related to your association or industry, currently people are going to open up Siri or Google on their phone and ask the question. And the answer they get back, and whether they end up on your association’s website just depends on how good the SEO is on your site. Whereas the idea with having a mobile app where you’re maintaining awareness is they know they can go directly to the association to ask related questions.”

And, bringing it back to the other C’s of Mobile Engagement…

“When you’re talking about something like content, content’s great on both: you can look at it in a browser or a native app and they’re both going to be good experiences…But if you’re talking about communication, that doesn’t happen on the website – you have to have an app to be able to do proactive push notifications and things like that. And when we talk about experiences at conferences, and having some sort of web browser schedule versus a native app that has been optimized for that experience with networking, gamification, QR scanning, and all of those other experiences, that’s a night and day experience!”

How to Get Mobile App Adoption

Great, so you have a mobile app. Now how do you get members to start using it? In the episode, Michael offers several tips. First, associations must clearly communicate the app’s value. “You have to spell out why members should download the app—what’s the value they’re getting?”

Associations should also run marketing campaigns to promote the association mobile app consistently, using multiple channels such as email, website banners, and social media. And it’s best to keep app content fresh and relevant. Members are more likely to return to the app if they’re shown there will always be something new and interesting there.

On the event side, associations can offer exclusive content and features through the app, such as personalized schedules, networking tools, and real-time updates. These features not only add value to the member experience but drive higher download rates during events.

Power Effective Mobile Experiences for Associations

Mobile apps offer associations a powerful tool for engaging members and meeting their evolving needs. By focusing on the Four C’s—community, content, conferences, and communications—associations can create a robust mobile strategy that keeps members connected and engaged year-round. Whether you’re enhancing your online community app capabilities or rolling out a broader mobile app for associations, the goal is to meet members where they are.

But as with most things today, the right technology is needed to effectively power those experiences. We invite you to explore the new Higher Logic Thrive Mobile 365 app to start your association’s renewed emphasis on leveraging mobile for proactive member engagement.

Association Mobile App Q&A

Question: Do associations still need a mobile app if their website and community are mobile responsive?

Short answer: Yes—both serve different needs. A responsive website is essential for a good on-the-go browsing experience, but it’s reactive: members have to come to you when they need something. A mobile app is proactive: it lets you “buzz their pocket” with timely push notifications, live updates, and reminders right on the lock screen. As more members engage mobile-first or mobile-only, a dedicated app helps you meet them where they are, maintain ongoing awareness of your association, and deliver real-time interactions a website can’t.

Question: What are the “Four C’s of Mobile Engagement,” and how do they help your association?

Short answer: The Four C’s—Conferences, Community, Content, and Communication—pinpoint where apps deliver the most value.

• Mobile apps elevate conferences vents with interactive schedules, networking, and real-time updates; cut print costs, support sustainability, and unlock sponsor revenue.
• Mobile apps put peer connections in members’ pockets, making your online community available on the go and aligning with how people already use social apps.
• Mobile apps make your content, including articles, publications, CE, and advocacy materials easily accessible whenever members need them.
• Mobile apps allow you to use push notifications for direct, real-time engagement (e.g., “registration is open,” “someone replied to your thread”). When combined in one app, the overall impact is greater than each part alone.

Question: How do push notifications improve engagement without annoying members?

Short answer: Push notifications create timely, proactive touchpoints—something email and websites can’t match—by delivering critical updates, reminders, and community replies in real time. The key is to use them responsibly: keep messages targeted and relevant, avoid over-notifying, and focus on moments that genuinely matter (event changes, registration openings, direct replies). This balanced cadence maintains awareness and drives action without fatigue.

Question: What are the best ways to drive adoption of a new association mobile app?

Short answer: Clearly communicate the app’s value—tell members exactly why to download it. Support that with multi-channel promotion (email, website banners, social media), and keep the app fresh with regularly updated, relevant content. At events, offer exclusive in-app features like personalized schedules, networking tools, and real-time updates to boost downloads and repeat use.

Question: What tangible outcomes can associations expect from investing in a mobile app?

Short answer: Apps can increase event attendance through timely nudges, reduce printing costs and support sustainability, open new sponsor revenue opportunities, and deepen engagement across community, content, and communications. Just as important, they help your association maintain top-of-mind awareness on members’ phones—ensuring they come directly to you when questions or needs arise.

This blog post was originally published in October 2024 alongside the launch of Higher Logic Thrive Mobile. It has since been update to reflect the latest trends.