Written by Tyler Gebhart

One of the most common questions we get is "what makes Rola different?" There are other players in the member engagement space, and naturally our clients are curious about the value we provide. In this article, we'll talk about the current member market space, competition, and Rola's competitive advantage. We'll also discuss our philosophy, and what we can learn from other institutions who empower their members and promote their events well.

The Current Landscape

Right now, there are several companies that work hard to help organizations communicate with their members. Companies like Wild Apricot, ASI iMIS, and Chambermaster all build static websites and assist with marketing automation. Wild Apricot currently holds 28% of the market space, and they build websites like this for their clients.

As you can see, there is a distinct difference between the static websites that companies like Wild Apricot build and the Rola mobile application. We will explore these differences in the next section...

Our Competitive Advantage(s)

We'll make this simple for you. This is a list of the services and features that Rola offers that are currently non-existent in today's market:

• Members can connect with each other and promote their own content, branding, etc. (in addition to being able to communicate with the organization to which they belong)

• Advanced user interface that is easy to use, and beautiful to look at

• Optimized for mobile, not a static website

• A single platform, not white-labeled (allowing for deep technical integrations and constant updates)

• Opportunity for seamless API integration

When you consider these advantages, you'll see why we believe that Rola is the quintessential solution for associations like yours.

The Rola Philosophy

In addition to the tangible features that we provide, Rola has several philosophical differences from our competitors. First, we view our clients as partners. Rola is a small team, and we are continuing to build and scale our app. This means that you can have actionable input into development. If you see a need, we actually have the ability to implement a solution.

Second, we don't just aggregate information, we host community. This means that our approach is not purely technical; instead, we are focused on helping you help your members. Every time a member joins a group, RSVPs for an event, or gets a notification from Rola, we want them to experience a sense of belonging in your community. Right now, Rola is the only platform that can generate that feeling.

And third, our team is always learning. We recognize that the leaders in digital communication (Slack, Mailchimp, Eventbrite, Hubspot, etc.) all have something valuable to offer. We are constantly learning from these platforms, and tailoring their best features to better serve the association market. We have a whole lot of ideas for the future, and we want to build them alongside you.

If Rola sounds like a product that your association could benefit from, feel free to schedule a demo here.