Membership renewal and retention is top of mind this time of year for many associations and this year in particular brings a bit of uncertainty to many as we prepare to see the impact of COVID-19 and the pandemic’s economic toll on the industries we serve. Marketing General Inc. (MGI)’s Fall 2020 Economic Outlook Report found that while 69% of associations showed an increase in member engagement, 39% still anticipated their membership to decrease by the end of 2020.
No matter what external circumstances we are facing with membership renewals, there are a few best practices to keep top of mind and practice to ensure we don’t leave any members behind as we venture into 2021:
1. Show Your Value
Very few members fully engage with all of the benefits your association provides, often because they may not be aware of the full range of benefits they have access to. This communication is a year-round initiative to remind your members of your various benefits, but shouldn’t be excluded from your renewal reminders. To make your value clear, communicate the monetary value of your benefits in communications to easily show the ROI on membership dues and annual value received from their continued membership.
2. Personalize
It can be easy for members to feel like a number, particularly for members who aren’t involved in committees, attending conferences or otherwise engaged in your association’s benefits. But these members are no less important to your organization. Find ways to position your messaging to reach each segment of your membership in a way that uniquely speaks to their goals, needs and background. Personalize subject lines and salutations for emails – and when possible have the email message under the signature of a leader (e.g. your membership committee chair or board chair). These added touches bring an element of community and inclusiveness to your member communications which are key ingredients in the often-emotionally driven decision on whether they renew.
3. Follow Up
It’s said you need to hear something three times before you’re able to remember it, and you could easily say you need to ask for a renewal at least as many times before you receive it. A renewal campaign should include multiple touchpoints with every member through a few different communication channels. Emails, social media posts, newsletter articles, personal emails from board or committee members and printed invoices are all great and easy options to ensure you are providing a variety of mediums for your members to be reminded. We have seen great success in member-to-member outreach to encourage renewals – which are often most impactful once you’ve sent at least 2-3 other reminders. This added outreach enables you to address the specific concerns those members have while also showing the personal value they bring to your organization.