How Associations Can Scale Their Digital Platforms to Meet Members’ Growing Demand for Content

The digital economy is accelerating the demand for high-quality professional content. According to a recent survey by Adobe, nearly 90% of respondents indicated that demand for content has at least doubled over the past two years, with approximately two-thirds anticipating a five to twentyfold increase in demand within the next two years.

How can associations, already facing staffing and resource shortages in many cases, expect to keep up with the growing demand for content among their members?

If, as ASAE’s Jenny Nelson states, “Trusted and relevant content is the core of the association value proposition,” then associations need to start thinking creatively about how to meet the full spectrum of their members’ growing content needs.

To tackle this challenge, association leaders must navigate three interconnected trends that are compelling future-focused organizations to rethink their approach to creating, scaling, and distributing content to serve member needs.

Traditionally, associations and universities have served as the cornerstone for professional development, offering pathways for individuals to advance their skills and knowledge within their fields. Increasingly, this is no longer the case.

Associations are facing competition from rapidly growing online learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy, which are experiencing significant growth among business professionals. Coursera, for instance, has achieved double-digit year-over-year growth, generating $170.3 million in revenue and surpassing analysts' expectations. Similarly, Udemy boasts a vast catalog of over 210,000 courses and serves a global audience of more than 64 million learners.

Conclusion: Online learning platforms are redefining the professional development landscape, challenging associations to innovate their content strategies to compete for member loyalty and stay relevant.

Across industries, there is a clear trend toward greater specialization as professionals respond to the growing complexity of modern work. McKinsey highlights that automation and technological advancements are reshaping the skillsets required in the workforce, pushing professionals to develop niche expertise in areas that demand deeper knowledge and specialized capabilities. This shift is evident in fields ranging from healthcare to finance, where roles are becoming increasingly tailored to address specific challenges and opportunities.

The World Economic Forum echoes this trend, noting in its Future of Jobs Report 2023 that nearly half of workers will experience significant skill disruptions in the next five years. As industries adapt to rapid change, specialized roles are emerging across sectors. This broad shift reflects the reality that professionals must refine their expertise to remain competitive in a job market that increasingly values focused and nuanced skillsets.

Despite this trend, many associations struggle to deliver targeted content that aligns with members’ unique needs. According to the 2024 Association Adviser Benchmarking Report, nearly half of associations (48.3%) admit they do not target or segment their communications as effectively as they should. This gap highlights a critical opportunity for associations to refine their strategies and leverage tools that enable personalized, niche-focused content delivery.

Conclusion: As members become more specialized, associations must explore new ways to tailor their content strategies to deliver relevant, niche-focused resources that address the unique challenges and opportunities within specific professional fields.


Sponsors are significantly increasing their content output, reflecting a shift in marketing priorities. According to the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn Thought Leadership Impact Study [PDF], 54% of decision-makers and 54% of C-suite executives spend an hour or more per week consuming thought leadership content. In response, sponsors are ramping up the creation of articles, white papers, webinars, and other resources to engage professional audiences.

The driving force behind this surge in content production is the growing recognition of its impact on business outcomes. The Edelman-LinkedIn report highlights that high-quality thought leadership can build trust, influence purchasing decisions, and strengthen relationships with clients. Sponsors see content as a vital tool for positioning themselves as industry leaders and fostering meaningful connections with potential customers.

To maximize the impact of their efforts, sponsors are seeking distribution channels that allow them to syndicate sponsored content to highly targeted professional audiences. Associations are uniquely positioned to provide this value, offering access to engaged member bases and serving as trusted intermediaries for thought leadership in their industries.

Conclusion: Sponsors’ growing content production presents an opportunity for associations to collaborate, offering sponsors access to engaged member bases while meeting members’ demand for trusted, high-quality content.

Despite the trends detailed above, many associations still lean exclusively on their internal communications teams to manage content creation and delivery, often expecting them to address the diverse needs of every member segment. This “do-it-all” approach stretches resources thin and makes it nearly impossible to deliver the depth, quality, and variety of content members need.

In an environment where professional needs are becoming increasingly specialized, competition for attention is fierce, and sources for professional development are proliferating, aspiring to be all things to all members is an unsustainable strategy. Associations must rethink their approach to content by leveraging partnerships and platforms that can help them scale their efforts and deliver targeted, high-value content efficiently.

Content curation is a well-established strategy among content marketers. The Content Marketing Institute defines content curation as "the assembly, selection, categorization, commentary, and presentation of the most relevant quality information," enhanced by a human editorial perspective.

For associations, embracing content curation is essential to meet members' evolving informational needs. By thoughtfully selecting and sharing pertinent information, associations can enhance their authority and provide value without the exhaustive effort of creating all content internally. This approach not only alleviates the burden on internal teams but also ensures that members receive timely, relevant insights, fostering engagement and reinforcing the association's role as a trusted guide in their professional journey.

When combined with innovative digital platforms that amplify reach and streamline delivery, content curation becomes a powerful strategy that offers immense value for both members and associations alike.

The Lead Marvels Resource Library solution is a digital platform that allows associations to vet and curate specialized content from third-party experts to deliver more value to members.

The platform empowers associations to serve their members with a steady stream of high-quality, specialized resources, such as articles, reports, guides, white papers, and webinars, without the heavy lift of creating everything in-house. By leveraging trusted third-party content, associations can address niche topics and emerging trends that might otherwise be beyond their internal capabilities. This not only broadens the scope of what associations can offer but also ensures members receive timely, relevant insights tailored to their professional needs.

With more than 125 associations already using the platform, the Lead Marvels Resource Library has proven to be a scalable solution for delivering member value. It allows associations to enhance their content strategies while maintaining their role as trusted intermediaries, connecting members to the insights and expertise they rely on to advance their careers and navigate a rapidly evolving professional landscape.

The platform also addresses the growing trend of sponsors ramping up content production and seeking ways to syndicate it to targeted professional audiences. By providing a space for sponsors to share their thought leadership with members, the Lead Marvels Resource Library creates a valuable partnership opportunity for associations to enhance member value while generating non-dues revenue.

Learn more about Lead Marvels’ no-cost Resource Library program and discover how it can help your association scale content delivery to meet members’ growing needs by requesting a no-obligation demo.

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