From community building of the future to marketing automation, the world of AI and Web3 offers plenty of opportunities for associations. However, it can be daunting to dabble with tools and platforms you’re not familiar with. The good news is you don’t need a highly technical background to get started – just some healthy curiosity and a few apps to try.
8 Apps to Start Experimenting
The best way to find apps is to consider your interests and the organization's needs. Want to buy an NFT? Looking to automate social media posts? Wondering about computer-generated art?
There’s an app for it all, and here are some must-try options for association professionals.
1. Descript
As associations dabble in the world of podcasts and video, the need for staffers to handle scripting and editing can also arise. Without the right experience or funds, this can seem daunting. But with AI technology, it doesn’t have to be.
Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editing platform that makes the entire process seamless and straightforward. It transcribes your audio and video recordings and allows you to edit either directly from the transcript. Whether you’re cutting unnecessary words or removing background noises and mistakes, remove them from the transcript and the app will remove them from the video.
The app also uses AI to fix more significant mistakes with Overdub. With this tool, you can make changes to the transcript, and it uses AI-generated audio (made from a sample of your voice) to “deepfake” the missing text without the need to re-record anything!
2. DALL·E 2
AI-generated art has gotten a lot of attention of late, with headlines discussing the merits of calling it art and users leveraging it to win art competitions. However, it’s also one of the simplest and most exciting ways to begin using AI as a creative tool.
DALL·E 2, one of the more popular platforms, is now open to the public and free to use. All you need to do is provide a prompt – concepts, attributes, descriptors and art styles – and it creates art for you. The more specific you get, the more detailed the art.
While it may seem like a novel app to use, it can be a great starting point in the world of AI apps and can also help with association initiatives, including graphics in a presentation and unique art for your blog or social channels.
3. Jasper & Copy.ai
One of the most significant advances in artificial intelligence has been natural language generation – or the ability for AI to write original content. Whether it’s a social media post, email or a full-on blog post, many of these AI tools help streamline content creation.
There is no shortage of content tools; just search for “AI content generator” to get an idea of your options. However, two of the most feature-rich apps to experiment with are Jasper and Copy.ai.
They both provide templates that make it easier to plan out and format a blog, can generate copy for ads, blogs and social media and help speed up the content creation process. Jasper also uses AI to create images (similar to DALL·E 2), enabling you to complement your content with visuals.
4. Rasa.io
For associations, newsletters are essential to help distribute your content and engage with members. However, finding all the right articles, creating a unique design and sending that to your members regularly can be a lot to tackle.
That’s where Rasa.io can help.
Using AI, this tool aggregates the most relevant content for your audience, automates the emailing process and also personalizes each send based on the posts your members interact with most, providing a curated newsletter that they actually interact with.
5. MOVIO
What happens if you don’t have “talent” to star in your association’s content? Back to the world of video. Instead of abandoning your initiatives, look to AI for some assistance.
MOVIO is an AI video generator that uses human and CG avatars to become spokespeople for your organization. You can choose from a range of avatars and languages, and the app allows you to easily make edits, making creative video work easier to start for your association. All you have to do is provide a script, and the app takes care of the work.
So you want to dabble in the world of cryptocurrency, buy all the NFTs and get some merch for your avatar in the metaverse? Well, before you can go down that rabbit hole, you’ll need a place to store your crypto.
A crypto wallet is a physical or digital “vault” that stores your cryptocurrency and often your NFTs and purchases, with MetaMask being one of the most popular options to experiment with. These apps make it easy to buy and store your cryptocurrencies, but they also often work as a key to access blockchain-based applications.
7. OpenSea
Although many use cases for NFTs have been focused on art, associations can use event NFTs for ticketing and to gain access to exclusive content, to represent a credential or as a way to create exclusive collectibles for members.
However, before you start creating NFTs, you should first see how they work and how you purchase them. Once you have your wallet set up, one of the most popular platforms is OpenSea. This massive marketplace has NFTs of all kinds, including collectibles, music and utility NFTs (things like memberships and content access), all bought and sold using Ethereum.
8. Decentraland
Decentralization is the critical foundation for much of Web3. And while an entirely virtual and immersive metaverse is still a ways away, there are some places you can begin experimenting with the concepts. Decentraland is a virtual world where you can explore locations and experiences created by other users.
It also acts as a DAO, which means as a user, you have voting rights over the policies and practices within the world – from deciding what wearables are allowed to when “properties” within the world are sold and the associated fee structure.
Of note, you can also use your wallet to sign into and interact with Decentraland, which is one example of how many of these apps interact with and build off one another.
Bonus Options
While these apps are a great starting point, other technologies can help you dive into these worlds and begin interacting with others.
- Oculus – Less of an app and more of a platform, the Oculus is a VR headset that allows for an immersive experience. While it’s mainly used for gaming today, the applications can have far-reaching implications. From onboarding new staffers, interacting in the metaverse, offering low-risk job training or practicing for a public speaking engagement, there’s a case to be made for associations to invest in a few pairs.
- Friends With Benefits – In theory, Web3 gives power to creators by allowing them to create and reward their communities, an essential concept for associations looking to leverage this new technology. So what does this look like in practice? One prime example is Friends With Benefits. A group of creatives and Web3 thinkers, they host events, both in-person and online, have exclusive content and host a Discord chat that you gain access to by buying their cryptocurrency.
- Discord – While it isn’t specific to the Web3 community, Discord is one of the most used platforms to discuss these types of topics. Allowing users to create invite-only communities, you’ll notice that many apps and emerging groups in these tech spaces use it to collaborate and connect worldwide.
Finding a Solution for Your Association
The most exciting aspect of either technology is that they’re still evolving. That means even if there isn’t an app or application to accommodate your association's needs right now, it’s likely on the way. The important things to keep in mind are:
- AI is less about replacing your skills and more about augmenting them. It can help create efficiency and replace repetitive tasks, freeing up your staff to focus on more complex projects.
- Web3 is still in its infancy, but many community-building aspects are already here. From NFTs being used to access exclusive member content to DAOs allowing people to unite behind one shared mission, there are many lessons for associations to learn.
Of course, the associations poised to take advantage of these technologies are the ones that gain experience today, so be sure to dabble (with caution) and find new ways to modernize your organization.
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