Associations are rich in content. Years of newsletters, white papers, conference proceedings, and member resources form a deep archive of institutional knowledge.
Yet, much of this content sits idle, underutilized and often forgotten.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, where personalization and relevance are key to member engagement, legacy content needs more than just a facelift—it needs intelligence.
That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in.
AI offers a powerful opportunity for associations to breathe new life into their existing content libraries. Instead of starting from scratch, content marketers can use AI to analyze, repurpose, and optimize legacy materials, turning static assets into dynamic tools for engagement.
Unlocking Hidden Value
AI-powered tools can scan and categorize vast amounts of archived content, identifying themes, keywords, and gaps. For example, natural language processing (NLP) can extract insights from old articles and match them to current member interests or trending industry topics. This allows marketers to surface relevant content that might otherwise remain buried.
Imagine a comprehensive member survey from just a few years ago being automatically flagged as relevant to a new professional development initiative. With AI, those insights can be extracted, visualized, and repurposed into an interactive dashboard or a fresh report tailored to today’s priorities—all with minimal manual effort.
Repurposing with Precision
AI doesn’t just find content—it transforms it.
Tools like generative AI can reformat legacy content into new formats: blog posts, social media snippets, infographics, or even scripts for video or podcast episodes. This is especially valuable for associations with limited staff or budgets.
For example, a lengthy research report can be distilled into a series of member-focused blog posts or a quick-read executive summary. AI can even tailor versions of the content for different member segments, such as early career professionals versus seasoned executives.
Enhancing Discoverability
Legacy content often suffers from poor metadata and outdated search engine optimization (SEO) practices. AI can help by automatically tagging content with relevant keywords, improving searchability on both internal platforms and public search engines. It can also recommend related content, creating a more intuitive and engaging experience for members browsing your site.
A Strategic Shift
Transforming legacy content with AI isn’t just a tactical win; it’s a strategic one. It allows associations to maximize the return on investment of past efforts, reduce content production costs, and maintain a consistent voice across time. More importantly, it positions the association as a forward-thinking organization that values both tradition and innovation.
Getting Started
You don’t need a full-scale AI implementation to begin. Start by identifying high-value legacy content and experimenting with AI tools for summarization, tagging, and repurposing.
Collaborate with colleagues across your organization to ensure alignment with broader goals. Remember to follow your organization’s AI policies to ensure data security. And most importantly, keep the member experience at the center of your strategy.
With AI, associations can turn their archives into engines of engagement, relevance, and growth!
Karen Christensen Araujo is director of marketing at AMC.
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