Your website might be informative. It might be well organised and technically sound. But is it helping your members connect with one another?
For many healthcare associations and professional networks, the answer is: not yet.
Community is a vital part of your organisation’s value—but it’s often underrepresented online. If your members only visit your site to download a PDF or register for an event, you’re missing the deeper, ongoing engagement that turns members into advocates.
The good news is that you don’t need a full-blown social network to start building community. With a few thoughtful features and a shift in strategy, you can turn your website from a quiet information hub into a lively, connected space.
Why community matters
A strong online community delivers huge benefits for healthcare organisations:
- Peer support: Members learn from each other, not just from top-down content
- Retention: Engaged members are more likely to renew and recommend
- Collaboration: Opportunities for co-creation, partnerships, and feedback
- Insight: A window into what matters to your members right now
- Resilience: A community that’s active and connected is stronger in times of change
In short: a sense of community makes your membership feel valuable beyond the benefits list.
Barriers to connection
So why aren’t more websites community-focused? Often it’s because of:
- Outdated CMSs that weren’t built for interaction
- Over-reliance on email for all engagement
- Lack of moderation capacity
- Uncertainty about what members actually want
But modern tools—and member expectations—have moved on. You don’t need to build a custom platform. You just need to meet people where they are, and give them ways to interact.
Practical ways to foster community online
Here are some tried-and-tested strategies we’ve helped clients introduce:
1. Member profiles and directories
Allow members to create or manage basic profiles—what they do, where they work, areas of interest—and search or browse others.
- Add filtering by region, expertise, or role
- Let members opt in to contact or networking options
- Include a “connect with” feature (even if just by email)
Even this basic step can transform a site from one-way to two-way.
2. Private groups or forums
A safe, moderated space for members to ask questions, share experiences, or seek advice is hugely valuable.
Options include:
- Simple forum plugins (like bbPress or BuddyBoss)
- Slack-style chat groups (with member-only access)
- LMS discussion boards (linked to courses or events)
The key is to seed discussion early, provide light moderation, and promote it regularly.
3. Event follow-up and sharing spaces
Instead of events being one-off touchpoints, keep the momentum going by:
- Posting recordings and summaries
- Enabling post-event discussion threads
- Sharing related resources or links
It helps members reflect, share, and stay engaged.
4. Polls, surveys and feedback loops
Show members that their voice matters:
- Run quick polls on topical issues
- Ask for suggestions on future events or content
- Share results transparently
This creates buy-in and positions the site as a space for dialogue.
5. Member-generated content
Let your community contribute:
- Invite blog posts, case studies or ‘member spotlights’
- Highlight contributions via newsletters or social posts
- Use forms to make submissions simple
People love seeing their work featured—and others enjoy learning from real stories.
Case example
A professional medical association we work with added a private online network using simple, secure forum software. Within the first six months:
- Over 40% of members logged in at least once
- Multiple cross-institution collaborations emerged
- A monthly Q&A thread became their most visited page
With minimal tech overhead, they turned passive users into active participants.
Supporting your team to support the community
You don’t need a full-time community manager to get started. But you do need a plan:
- Who will post initial content or welcome messages?
- What kind of moderation is needed?
- How will you promote the space?
- What rules or expectations will you set?
We help clients design light-touch community strategies that grow organically.
Beyond the platform: culture and consistency
A community isn’t just a feature—it’s a mindset. It’s about designing your digital spaces with people and relationships in mind.
That includes:
- Using warm, inclusive language
- Personalising experiences where possible
- Making it easy to participate
- Recognising contributors
When people feel seen and supported, they engage more.
Let’s make your site less silent
Your website can be more than a resource—it can be a meeting place.
We can help you:
- Identify where community fits into your digital strategy
- Choose the right tools to support it
- Design features that are secure, simple, and scalable
The result? A site that not only informs, but connects.
Because your members don’t just want information. They want each other.
