Mobile continues to change how we do business as it makes new opportunities accessible:
“As Internet-enabled smartphones and other mobile devices move rapidly down the cost curve, they will enable vast new applications and sources of value. A harbinger of the value to come is the success of mobile-payment services across a number of developing economies. Dutch–Bangla Bank Limited (DBBL), in Bangladesh, for example, garnered over a million mobile-payment subscribers in ten months. Standard Bank of South Africa reduced its origination costs for new customers by 80 percent using mobile devices.” From Ten IT-enabled business trends for the decade ahead – McKinsey Quarterly
It also pushes associations to change our modes. The when and where of membership interaction continues to evolve as the cost of mobile technology decreases and its ubiquity and capacity grow. Meanwhile, a lot of our focus on chapter communications has centered on their websites when, for many, building capacity around mobile strategies may be far more productive (and profitable!).
While we probably don’t want to abandon the desktop/laptop window, it’s in our interest to help chapters create a viable mobile presence. This could start with social media platforms that already include a mobile view. In the longer run, however, they will need more member-specific and member-centric apps to compete.
So as we build apps for the lead organization, consider how they might be adapted for and made available to our geographic partners to help them be present at the moment of need.
Related:
- Socious post on using mobile apps offers suggestion for access to Membership Management Apps – that could empower chapters to collect valuable data
- Enhancing Chapter Visibility with Intuitive Apps
Photo credit: AlphaFan, www.photobucket.com