From AI Skeptic to Advocate: How Betty is Transforming Association Content Discovery
As the new sales manager for Betty, I have found myself in a unique position. With six years of experience working with associations under my belt, I thought I knew the industry inside and out. But these past three months have been an eye-opening journey – in this role with Betty, I’ve developed an entirely new understanding of the challenges associations face managing content and making it accessible and usable to members and the opportunity presented through artificial intelligence.
My Journey into AI
When I first joined Betty, I’ll admit I was skeptical. Artificial intelligence…for associations? It seemed like a solution in search of a problem. After all, I’d been working with associations for years, and nobody had ever mentioned struggling with content discovery.
How wrong I was.
In my first few weeks, as I dove into learning about AI and its applications, I started to see the potential. But it wasn’t until I began having in-depth conversations with association professionals and our customers that I truly understood the magnitude of the problem we were solving.
The Hidden Content Crisis
In my first month of sales calls, I heard the same story over and over: Associations have vast repositories of valuable content – journals, webinars, conference proceedings, member directories, and more. But members are struggling to find what they needed when they needed it.
One conversation stands out in my mind. A director of membership at a large medical association told me, “We have all this incredible content available to our members, but it might as well be invisible if our members can’t easily find it.”
In that conversation, I realized – content discovery wasn’t just a minor inconvenience – it was a critical issue affecting member satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, the perceived value of association membership.
This is what makes me passionate about what we’re doing at Betty. Our AI-powered knowledge assistant is more than just a cool piece of technology – it’s a game-changer for associations and their members.
Here’s how Betty AI is addressing the content discovery challenge:
- Natural Language Processing: Members can ask questions in plain English, just as they would to a colleague. No more struggling with complex search parameters or obscure keywords.
- Comprehensive Search: Betty searches across all types of content simultaneously – journals, webinars, policy documents, you name it.
- Contextual Understanding: Unlike traditional search engines, Betty grasps the context of queries, providing more relevant results.
- Personalized Recommendations: As Betty learns from interactions, it can proactively suggest content based on a member’s interests and previous searches.
- 24/7 Availability: Members can find what they need any time, day or night, without waiting for business hours or human assistance.
In my conversations with association professionals, I’ve heard numerous examples of how Betty AI could transform their operations:
- A continuing education manager is excited about how members can use Betty to quickly find relevant courses to maintain their certifications or as a tutor to help them through a course they are struggling with.
- A conference organizer imagines conference attendees using Betty to identify relevant sessions and potential collaborators.
- A member engagement manager shared how members are using Betty as a research assistant to easily cross-reference studies across multiple publications.
Through these stories, I’ve come to realize we are not just selling a product – we’re offering a solution that can significantly enhance the member experience and the overall value of association membership.
Overcoming AI Skepticism
Of course, I’ve also encountered skepticism – the same skepticism I initially had about AI in the association space. Common concerns include data privacy, accuracy of results, and the fear of AI replacing human roles. Addressing these concerns has become a crucial part of my role. Here are a few notes worth sharing:
- Betty has robust data protection measures, including encryption and strict access controls.
- Betty draws only from the association’s approved content, ensuring accuracy and relevance.
- Betty frees up staff time for more strategic, high-value tasks rather than replacing humans.
The Future of Association Content Management
As I look to the future, I’m incredibly excited about the potential of Betty and the opportunity for associations. We’re not just helping associations manage their content more effectively – we’re fundamentally changing how members interact with that content. In doing so, associations will see:
- Increased member satisfaction and engagement
- Improved utilization of valuable resources
- Saved time for both members and staff
A Personal Mission
What started as a new job selling an AI tool has become a personal mission. Every day, I’m driven by the knowledge that we’re helping associations better serve their members and fulfill their missions.
To my fellow association professionals: If you’re facing content discovery challenges, know that you’re not alone, and that solutions exist. I’d love to chat with you about how Betty can transform your members’ experience and revolutionize your content management.
After all, your valuable content deserves to be found, used, and appreciated. Let’s work together to make that happen.