Here at AMO, we do our best to not only create a great product to manage your members and successfully run your association but we also want to be an educational resource. That’s why we’re now starting the Wednesday Roundup. We will follow a topic for one month and every Wednesday, a blog post will be dedicated to a summary of last week’s most compelling articles for administrators surrounding our selected topic. We will share articles and videos from association management companies, membership organizations, business experts, design gurus, and more. Make sure to check back every week for new information.
This month, we’re focusing on how to grow your membership. Besides managing your association, a metric that should be at the forefront of your work is growing your member database. Tony Rossell, VP of Marketing General, Inc., wrote an interesting post on membership growth for ASAE called 7 Proven Ways to Grow Your Membership. He highlighted tried and true tactics to membership growth – here are a few of our takeaways.
Membership Acquisition
“No matter how effective your retention program is, members will still leave your association, so building a thriving membership acquisition program is fundamental.” – Rossell
Though you should always be reassessing the benefits you offer to members that incentivize them to renew year after year, building a recruitment strategy that generates a constant influx of new members is essential. Think about the type of member you want to attract – does that goal change year to year? And does that mean the recruitment strategy needs to change as well?
The Opt-In
“Some associations have adopted a concept that I call “trading content for contact,” offering a free article download or e-newsletter subscription in exchange for granting permission for further communications.” – Rossell
Providing resources to prospective members before they join shows them that you don’t just care about their membership payment but you truly want to be education resources for professionals in the industry. It also allows you to collect their email and connect with them in the future. Just be sure not to bombard them with messages.
LMO, a marketing agency, approaches membership growth with a personal tactic. Their strategies focus on knowing your market aka understanding the member persona. Check out our a-ha’s from their recent post, 5 Ways to Grow Your Association’s Membership.
Don’t Just Think, Know
“…Many organizations act on what they think members want, not what they know members want. The needs of your members will change regularly, so talk to them on a regular basis. Don’t just interact with them at your events. Also visit them in their environment.” – LMO
Even if you’ve been an association manager for many years, regularly reviewing member needs is crucial to provide relevant resources and hosting interesting events. Take a step inside their shoes and consider their perspective.
One-Size-Does-Not-Fit-All
“Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all membership model, consider offering a tiered model that aligns with your various member segments.” – LMO
Just as it’s important to always reassess member needs, offering a tiered structure of membership options let your members know you’re flexible. Though the traditional one-size-fits-all model simplifies tracking, prospective members expect options.
Boardroom, a relatively new association magazine, summarized a new white paper by The Kenes Group, about membership growth and the struggle many associations have attracting young members. Boardroom highlighted a few points that specifically address age-based tactics – check them out below.
Association Costs
“Our sense to be part of something remains … what is changing is our expectation of how we join and what we give and receive as part of belonging. Take Facebook as an example… it has… over a billion “members” and anyone can start up a group of like-minded individuals with a common aim for free. [This makes us] less prepared to stump up the cash for the privilege of belonging.” – Boardroom
Do a cost analysis – is what you’re offering in membership really worth what you charge? If not, it may be time to reconsider prices.
Free Resources, Gated Education
“Access to privileged information in return for membership dues was once the core proposition for most associations. Now, this information is available, for free, to anyone who has the patience to search for it. However, [everyone] … has a need for continuing education and useful information.” – Boardroom
Similar to Rossells point about the opt-in, there’s so much information readily available on the internet that gating all resources may end up deterring potential members. Instead, focus on offering education opportunities that compliment your resources.
And there’s the first edition of Wednesday Roundup! If you’d like to see a post about a specific topic or are interested in learning more, feel free to reach out to us a hello@amohq.com. And don’t forget to check back every Wednesday for more info on all things association management, marketing, and design.