The Genie's Out of the Bottle

Associations are debating how much or how little "member's only" content is provided on a website. I vote for including as much content to the public as possible. How many companies are not joining your association because they get the good stuff on the web? Come on! then you're not providing a heckuva lot of value. Here's a few things which might work for you.

1. Don't cede information to the trade press or others. If you do that go ahead and let others provide trade shows, advocacy and professional development to your members. Get engaged in providing industry news and information for all that want it...free. Use a daily newsbriefing - can you say SmartBrief - to push out the message.

2. Post some of your very best content on the web, but use a padlock visual to show only members can receive it. A reader can see what they can't get to. I like this alot better than having a "members only" section which you can't see.

3. Push out a communication to gain access to "members only" content for a limited time, say 48 hours. See what happens to traffic.

The most successful websites in the world are those that let people actually participate and get what they need. Do your best to test what works best for your access.