In school, getting back to basics means learning your 3 R’s: reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. The 3 R’s for the environment are to reduce, reuse, and recycle. In 2021, getting back to basics for your association means concentrating on resources, recruitment, and retention, virtually.
Your year-at-a-glance might have seen recruitment fall off due to a lack of personal contact. Perhaps, members drifted away as retention became more complicated and resources stretched. Rather than looking at the virtual format as a temporary solution, why not capitalize on the many benefits it offers?
Member Recruitment and Retention
The primary factor in recruiting and retaining members is the obvious Direct Value and Indirect Value that the association provides the member. As we stated in our last post, it is advantageous to clearly define your values making them easily accessible to potential members, as well as current members.
The next step is to define your audience clearly. Although this seems obvious, this step is often taken for granted. When building a successful recruitment and retention campaign, you need to know the demographics of potential members is essential.
Take into consideration the age, ethnicity, and gender of your target member. Is your membership strictly local, or should you connect with potential new members throughout the state or nation? Create an association persona. Define the many characteristics of the ideal member of your organization.
Is your association affiliated with another association? For instance, if your state association operates under the umbrella of a national association. If so, be sure the value of the connection is carefully aligned and defined.
RECRUITING
Although most events and conferences have moved online this past year, it doesn’t mean recruitment ends. There are still several ways to recruit successfully, you just have to be creative. Challenge yourself to think outside the box as people are searching for unique associations to join.
One of the best-recruiting tools for any association is an endorsement from its current members. “Word-of-mouth” marketing is a powerful resource in any recruitment campaign. If your existing members recognize and support membership value, they will be willing to recruit new members. The theory of “strength in numbers” allows the association to implement and coordinate new efforts to provide ever-expanding membership resources.
The following are a few possibilities to consider when evaluating your current recruitment strategy, as well as brainstorming new strategies:
- Social media campaigns (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) are valuable platforms for conveying membership benefits.
- Create a content marketing strategy. Build a visible presence through association offerings such as podcasts, webinars, blogs, and videos.
- Ask members to list their membership in their professional bios.
- Consider perks for club members who recruit new members. Offer gift cards, a shout out at the next meeting, or mention in your regular email or newsletter.
- Maintain a quality association website and add a Members-Only section for insider news and information, plus recruitment ideas.
- Provide a variety of opportunities for members to meet and collaborate. Host monthly meet-and-greets, arrange guest speakers who provide professional development resources, recognize new members, and allow time for questions and answers.
- Check to see if your Chamber of Commerce has a local directory and list your organization. Keep your listings up-to-date in other guides as well.
- Put together a member satisfaction survey and ask the difficult questions. What do your members like and what don’t they like? There are a variety of free online survey sites, such as SurveyMonkey that offer user-friendly resources for membership feedback.
RETENTION
At the risk of understating the importance of retention efforts, this is a simple formula: If your members feel like they benefit from your association’s offerings, they will remain members. This being said, there is a strategy in periodically reminding your membership of the values that your association possesses.
- Defined and consistent updates or highlights to the membership, as a whole, are invaluable in the retention process.
- Add an online membership application form to your FB and other social media pages, as well as your website. Make sure you list all of the member benefits.
- In light of COVID, consider revisiting your dues.Are there temporary alternative solutions that may support your membership in difficult times?
- Ensure that what you are offering your members is something they can’t get anywhere else. Provide them the resources they need to succeed.
It is essential to recognize that recruiting and retaining members is an ongoing process. The most successful campaigns are not just a “once-a-year” event. If your association’s value is genuinely lasting, so should your efforts be to recruit and retain members.