The Art of Retaining Members

We often get caught up in trying to bring new faces into the organization that we forget how important it is to retain current members. In order to have long term success, focusing on member retention should be at the top of your list. Below are a few tips on how to maintain that relationship and keep members coming back year after year.

1.     Make onboarding a positive and welcoming experience. Make a good first impression on your members. Provide them with all the resources they need whether that is a “welcome package” or a contact for them to connect with. Take a look at the benefits members receive from your association and make sure these are all touched upon as the new member onboards. It also never hurts to add a little fun to this process. Include a small gift that relates to your industry or has your association logo on it or host a happy hour for new members – in person or virtual!

2.     Survey members. Staying in the know on what your members want or need out of the association at a given time, is the best way to make them happy. Survey members at milestones of their membership such as 1 month, 6 months, a year, etc. You can also reach them when you are trying to make a decision as a board. Don’t assume, work to understand.

3.     Be flexible with membership. If circumstances like COVID-19 arise, it is important to understand how that may affect members and their ability to pay for membership. Allow flexible options like pausing membership for a temporary amount of time or discounted membership types.

4.     Communicate with members the way they want to be communicated with. If you have several types of emails that go out each month, allow members the option to subscribe to the emails they want to hear about rather than overwhelming them with communication that is not applicable.

5.     Provide incentives for long term membership. Give members something to look forward to as they grow within the organization and reach milestones of 5, 10 , 20  years! Recognize long term members at your annual meeting, provide a gift for long term members when they reach a certain point, the options are endless. Making these members feel appreciated will encourage others to reach this point.

6.     Survey members on their way out. Understand why members leave the organization by sending an exit survey. Ask open ended questions that will help you to understand how to better improve your organization.

Always continue to recruit new members but don’t forget to take some time understanding and pleasing current members. Provide members with a reason to stay and always reiterate the benefits of being part of the association.

Hosting Virtual Member Gatherings

The world adjusted quite quickly to meeting virtually. It is nobody’s ideal scenario but does the trick until members can come together again. If you are planning on holding a member happy hour or get together, try these tips to make it a successful gathering. 

1. Have a defined purpose. Make sure members understand the purpose of the meeting. The purpose could be to reconnect, discuss how everyone and the industry are being impacted by COVID-19, to play games like trivia or bingo. It does not matter what the intent of the meeting is as long as it is something members could benefit from and relates back to your association’s mission in some way. Explaining this to members in the invite, will encourage more people to come and provide a better understanding of what they are joining. 

1. Create a plan. Once you have a purpose, create a plan on how to facilitate the meeting. Virtual meetings can be awkward and having someone to keep the meeting running smoothly will make members more comfortable and open to coming back for more. Having an ice breaker is a great way to start the meeting and get everyone involved. From there, a schedule of events or discussion points will keep the meeting moving along. 

1. Understand the technology. Whether it is Zoom, Google Hangouts, or one of the many video platforms out there right now, it is best to do a trial run. Make sure that everything works well and that the platform has everything you need it to offer.  

1. Set some guidelines for attendees. Make sure your attendees are also familiarized with the technology. Explain the importance of muting themselves when they aren’t speaking and how to utilize the chat program. This will allow everyone to better communicate with one another. 

Making these virtual gatherings as professional and smooth as possible, will encourage attendees to attend future meetings. People will be less likely to register again if it feels as though you are fumbling through an unplanned gathering.  

Understanding Generation Z

Associations have been focused over the last few years on growing their millennial membership. It has been much more difficult to bring millennials into associations than previous generations. Although it is important to keep understanding and pursuing millennials, there’s a new kid in town that your focus should also include. The older group of Generation Z is now reaching the age of college graduates and young professionals. In order to relate to them and capture their attention, it is important that you understand them.

Generation Z includes people born between the mid to late 1990s and 2015. Generation Z is unique in several ways. They are known for having an optimistic outlook on things despite having grown up in a post-9/11 world and living through a recession. Gen Z’s have also never known a world without advanced technology. They are quick to learn and figure things out. These traits can be incredibly useful to your association bringing different perspectives to leadership.

Gen Z’s also have a tendency to be researchers. They take information from multiple sources, fact check, and form their own opinions on things. This leads to a lot of time spent on Google which might not be a bad place to find them! They often do quite a bit of research on a company or brand before committing to it. This means your website and social media should be up to date, informative, and relevant.

When it comes to their work life, Gen Z’s are always seeking opportunities and ways to gain experience. This makes them a great fit for associations! Pairing them with mentors and providing educational content will allow them to get what they want out of joining.

Another thing to keep in mind when considering ways to recruit and involve this group, is that they are accustomed to instant gratification. If they do not get this, they can often get frustrated or assume something is wrong. Keep this in mind when setting up the application system for membership, registration for events, and any other interactions where they might expect a complimentary email or gratification.

Generation Z makes for the perfect association member. The obstacle is recruiting and retaining them. Continue to learn about this age group and find ways to make your benefits match what they need.

A Personal Touch Goes a Long Way: An Engagement Success Story

We all know what it is like to open our email each morning to find it flooded with things we have subscribed to in years past. Among that sea of emails, important emails often get lost such as association emails. One of our clients wanted to reach their members to alert them of a call for nominations for their annual awards gala but was unable to get the response they needed via email.

Impact’s Executive Administrator, Ann, stepped in and made phone calls to all non-members and members reminding them of the submissions and encouraging their participation. Many conversations were had and the members were able to get to know the people behind the screens. It also allowed the notice to be brought to their attention in a way that stood out and felt personal.

This effort proved to be a huge success! Between their last awards gala and most recent, there was a 30% increase in entries. It is important to try new things. If you are not getting the response you want, don’t continue to reach members in the same way. Something is not working. This is not to say that several touch points won’t help, but it is important to be strategic and think of how your members respond best.

AMCI Engagement Lounge: Mastering Virtual Engagement During COVID-19

Our staff has been on top of all the latest developments when it comes to association engagement during COVID-19. It is something our team is embracing and consistently educating ourselves on. We recently sat in on a webinar put on by the AMC Institute covering virtual engagement during COVID-19. We learned quite a bit and look forward to putting these tools to good use.

Colleague Engagement. Your board might be busier than ever now with the state of the world. It is important that you do not lose their involvement with the association during this time. Be creative and offer unique experiences such as happy hours, Tik Tok video contests, and more. Remind them of the fun involved with being on the board, but don’t forget to also keep them learning. Challenge your board to learn 3-5 new things during quarantine. This could be any topic or skill that would bring value to the organization. Give them an opportunity to share what they have learned and provide plans for utilizing it in the upcoming year.

Communication. Now that everyone is at home, schedules are likely different and the separation from kids and other distractions is not as clear. Make sure the board feels open to talking about any obstacles they are facing. This will make the rest of the board more accepting and willing to step up where they are needed.

Mental Health. Although the main focus right now is on our physical health, mental health is just as important. Make sure that board members do not feel extra stress from the association. They have enough on their plates and can pass things off to their AMC or other volunteers. Offer resources to your board and members when it comes to dealing with the psychological effects of quarantine. You obviously don’t want to overstep your boundaries but you also don’t want to leave members high and dry. Be forgiving of each other and understand that everyone might not be operating the way they once were.

Technology. Not everyone has the same expertise level in technology. It is important to keep this in mind when planning virtual events and calls. Have someone available to help members out that might be struggling. This will allow them to stay connected and feel less frustrated by the changes.

If there’s one thing to sum it all up, it is be patient. Understand that people are struggling right now and their priorities are shifting. Keep them engaged with the association by offering them the resources and space they are in need of during this time.