Many organisations struggle with retention and membership growth.
To attract and retain members successfully, you must remember that membership marketing is a continuous process.
1. Understand Your Membership
– Who are your members?
– What problems do they face?
– How can your organisation solve these problems?
Once you answer these questions, you’ll understand how best to target membership recruitment activities. The companies or individuals that have already joined will provide valuable insight into what others may join.
Demographic information such as income, age, education, type of membership and geographic location will help you understand and identify potential and current members.
One way to collect this data is through management software. For membership management systems, consult with a company such as https://www.ofec.co.uk/web-and-software-development-services/membership-management-systems.aspx.
The only way to understand your members is to ask them about the problems they face. Delivering a brief survey annually can be extremely beneficial.
2. Recruit New Members
Tactics for the recruitment of new members include telemarketing, direct mail and member-get-a-member schemes.
Conduct membership marketing programs, such as:
– Analysis: What’s your retention rate and rate of new member growth? Identify the present situation of the organisation.
– Goal Establishment: Use assessment of association capabilities and market potential to establish end goals for a marketing program such as number of new members and financial results necessary.
– Strategy Development: Define the means of acquiring new members. Should this be by offering new exclusive opportunities or by price and quality?
– Task Development: Create a program that can be competently achieved and identify individual components.
– Task Assignment: Review major tasks and assign to staff.
3. Retain Your Members
Invest more resources on retention rather than recruitment, and increase affiliation of members.
You will discover the rate of declining affiliation due to a decreasing number of volunteers and retention rate. These are signs that an organisation is not maintaining a relationship with current members.
To retain members:
– Adapt: Your members’ needs are constantly changing. Re-educate yourself using the tactics above to understand your members and how your organisation solves them.
– Improve Member Service: Is interaction convenient and enjoyable? Are staff are well-trained and emails and calls returned promptly?
As a positive interaction with members builds, affiliation with the programs and goals of the organisation increases.
