Attracting new members to your association is only your first challenge. You also need to make people feel welcome, help them understand the benefits you offer, and keep them engaged. If they aren’t able to get the most out of their membership, they are less likely to renew when the time comes. One of the best ways to get members more involved is to have a strong onboarding strategy.
What is Onboarding?
Onboarding is a term frequently used in the business world to describe the process of training employees and familiarizing them with the company. The meaning is similar to associations and member management groups. Onboarding includes anything that makes new members feel more at home and familiar with the organization, such as the following.
- Explaining the primary purpose and benefits of the association.
- Educating members about the resources and features available to them. This may include educational content, communication channels, live or virtual events, a membership directory, or mentorship programs.
- Ensuring that members know where to go if they have questions or want to provide feedback.
Why is Onboarding Important?
Onboarding sets the stage for how members feel about their place in the association. The following are some of the main reasons that onboarding is critical for improving member satisfaction and increasing retention rates.
- Engagement is key to retaining members. According to the 2021 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, 50% of associations cited lack of engagement as the main reason members fail to renew. Onboarding helps members feel like they are part of an active community.
- It allows members to take advantage of all the benefits the association offers. People may have joined for a specific reason yet not be aware of many other benefits or how they can tailor benefits to their needs.
- It’s one of the best ways to increase member retention rates. When members feel more engaged and know how to take advantage of resources, they’re more likely to renew.
Tips For an Effective Onboarding Strategy
To reap the advantages of onboarding, it has to be done right. Let’s look at some key onboarding tips for associations.
Send Out a Welcome Packet
Send all new members a welcome packet. You can send this via email and/or a printed version by direct mail. This should include all vital information about the organization, such as benefits, event calendar, and contact information. Including a gift is also a nice gesture.
Reach Out on Multiple Channels
People have different preferences for staying in touch. The more ways you reach out to new members, the more people you’ll engage with. This includes:
- Social media —Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and any other platforms your members are likely to use.
- Email —Send out a welcome email to all new members. Even better, plan a series of emails for new members so you have a chance to provide more details.
- Phone —A personalized welcome call is a great way to make new members feel welcome.
- Direct Mail —Some people still prefer printed communications.
One way to improve engagement is by asking members how they preferred to be contacted. Some people don’t like to be called or to receive physical mail, for example. Some will prefer email or certain social media platforms.
Make Your Website User-Friendly and Interactive
It’s important that members can easily navigate the features on your website so they can easily find what they’re looking for. One feature that many organizations find helpful is to give members a place to fill out a member profile. According to the aforementioned Membership Marketing Benchmark Report, the opportunity to create membership profiles was the second most popular (after welcome emails) onboarding method, used by 51% of respondents.
Hold a Live or Virtual New Member Orientation
If your association is locally-based (or has local branches or affiliates), consider having a live event where members can meet each other. This can serve as both a social and educational event. You can answer questions, share educational materials, and introduce new members to staff. Virtual events can also be useful for members who can’t come in person or for organizations that are national or global in scale.
Stay in Touch
Onboarding starts with outreach such as phone calls and welcome emails. However, it needs to continue with ongoing efforts.
- Send out an email newsletter. Send out a regular newsletter to keep members informed of your latest news and events.
- Send personalized invitations to events. A personal phone call, email, or social media message about an upcoming event is harder to ignore than an automated generic message. It makes members feel noticed.
- Request feedback. You can ask for feedback about the onboarding process and other issues about membership. Asking members for their opinions serves several purposes. It lets you collect valuable data that you can use to improve your onboarding. It shows members that you value their feedback. It also keeps them engaged.
Help New Members Network
People feel more comfortable in a new setting when they get to know others one-on-one. You can take steps to encourage this. Make it a point to introduce new members to others, including long-time members and other new members. This will make them more comfortable at events. At the same time, understand that not everyone is comfortable being the center of attention. You can also make introductions online before an event, so people can arrange to meet when they arrive. This way, new members won’t have to feel like they don’t know anybody in the room.
Set Up a Mentorship Program
Match up new members with more experienced members. Match people up in a way that’s consistent with their needs and goals. New members and mentors can connect online, by phone, or in person. You can have one mentor or set up small groups that include new and experienced members. Aside from being a learning opportunity, regular contact will keep new members engaged in the organization.
Use Membership Management Software
In order to implement an optimal onboarding strategy, you need the right tools to manage your association. As an organization grows, it gets more challenging to track members, communities, events, and other data. Using the right membership management software simplifies many tasks, including the onboarding of new members.
AMO software makes it simple to automate many tasks involving with managing associations and membership communities. Features include admin & membership management, a custom website, event management, online payments, online store, admin automation, and more.
To learn more to try AMO for free, contact us.