Membership best practices
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Member retention is often a lower priority than member acquisition, and small associations professionals are less confident about retention. Here are just some of our top best practices to get you started on a membership process.
What drives member retention?
- Making sure that they see and experience the value of membership throughout their membership life, not just during the months leading up to renewal
- Are you doing everything you can to provide a stellar experience?
- How you convey your value with members with the communications you send?
Do you know why your members are not renewing?
Knowing the factors your members are balancing when deciding to renew will help you head off crippling attrition. Industry figures suggest:
- It became too costly (34%)
- The organization was providing little value (26%)
- Changed industry/employment (19%)
- Forgot to renew (13%)
- Company would no longer pay the membership dues (9%)
- There was a decline in benefits or quality of benefits offered by the organization (9%)
Nurture relationships with your members year-round
Map the member journey through the year, from signup to renewal. Write it out, and identity all the member touch points.
Why is member onboarding so important?
- The first interactions with your organization make a lasting impression with new members
- Chance to create a “hook”
- Make your members love your organization from day 1, to make them more likely to stick around for the long haul
- Onboarding automation, with Mailchimp for example, can be invaluable to keep this going with little intervention.
- Welcome new members by letting them know:
- How the organization works
- How to login and access member resources
- What to expect next
- Where to go for information
