We recently launched a new feature in Network Hippo called Hippo Groups. It provides powerful online networking for alumni organizations and professional associations. Linkedin and Facebook may have “group” functions, but Hippo Groups are much more powerful and appropriate to the particular online networking challenges facing member-based organizations.

The Modern Member-Based Organization Challenge

For professional associations, it’s always been about networking.  And for alumni associations, its become about networking.

Sure, there are other benefits for members: low-interest credit cards, special insurance rates, discounts on popular services, industry news, monthly newsletters… but these are all side dishes, not the main meal.  And quarterly or annual networking events are costly – in time and money.  Besides, why go to a physical event when I connect with people online whenever and however I want to?

With the shift to online networking, members expect more for their annual membership dues or donations.  Tighter wallets, less time, and more online networking services make it difficult for organizations to stay relevant and valuable to members.  There’s a growing sense of “what have you done for me lately?”.

Antisocial networking – by Mister Jones

Organizations set up groups on Facebook and Linkedin, but with lacklustre results.

Facebook is for individuals to connect socially, not professionally. Linkedin groups are hijacked by sales people to sell webinars and promote their services. The organization has to provide a regular supply of content to keep the groups “fresh” and relevant. Besides the token effort to engage with “social media”, no additional value is created for members or the organization.

Alternatively, some organizations have tried to create private networks – often at great cost – with similar poor results. Members don’t want another private network to join, with another username and password, and trying to generate enough activity to make it a regular “destination site” is impossible for most organizations.

The Solution: Active Networking

Successful organizations increasingly practice what we call “Active Networking”.  Organizations need to learn more about their members – what they do for a living, what stage they’re at in their careers, and most importantly, how the organization can connect them to other members to help them achieve their goals.  Organizations need to shift from simply providing networking opportunities to actively connecting members for their mutual benefit.  It means a shift from faceless and conceptual to personal and specific.

This trend is not unique to member-based organizations.

Successful companies are empowering employees to be their faces and voices on social networks, twitter, and other social sites. Enterprises realize that customers build relationships with people, not with brands.

For professional associations, this means helping connect people in the following types of situations:

• Setting up introductions for people visiting or moving to a new city
• Promoting and referring people when someone’s hiring
• Promoting and making introductions when someone’s looking for work
• Introducing people in the same location who have complimentary services for sales or partnership opportunities
• Introducing people who have similar businesses, roles, or general interests (”Birds of a Feather”)

By actively connecting people, there is greater value for the individual member, increased satisfaction and loyalty, and a lot more referrals.  Furthermore, as members become more invested and active, the overall value of the network increases.  It’s a major win-win.

The Network Hippo Solution

Unlike Facebook and Linkedin, which are social communities, Network Hippo is a professional, interactive, social address book. We consolidate members’ professional contacts from their email, address books, and social networks. It’s the only service that provides users with a complete searchable contact list of their professional network with reminders to follow-up with important people in their network.

Through Hippo Groups, associations can extend members’ professional networks by providing an interactive directory of members. The searchable directory includes all members and provides an entry for each with their name, picture, title, company, location, & industry while protecting private contact information. Through Network Hippo, members can send direct messages to other members, participate in discussions, view and signup for events, and comment on newsletters. Associations benefit by driving branded communication between members, sending interactive newsletters, increasing event participation by showing other members who are attending, and providing members with a weekly digest of activity in the group.

Network Hippo is the only solution that enables associations to actively network with members, increase member-to-member networking, provide interactive communication, and proactively manage member relationships.

To learn more about Network for associations, including a brief video demo, go to http://networkhippo.com/associations