7 Tips for Increasing Member Engagement for Association Growth

Members are the lifeblood of any association or club. They are the primary reason for the association’s existence and survival. However, many associations are failing to engage members resulting in high turnover and low retention rate. Therefore, it is important for associations to devise ways to engage members and keep them in the association for longer. Active and engaged members are more likely to renew their member and invite other people into the association than unengaged members. They also become loyal to your association and serve as ambassadors. If you are seeking to improve the member engagement in your association, this article will be extremely helpful. Below are seven tips for increasing member engagement for association growth.

1. Welcome new members

Many associations overlook this important aspect. They forget to welcome new members. Just like new students in a school or new employees in a workplace, new members in an association require orientation. They need to be sensitized on how the association runs, what to expect, how to act, and what other members are like. Welcome emails are a good place to start. They should include details about the association, its leadership, and its members. Also, ensure your website includes new members’ guides, instructional materials, and other helpful content.

2. Conduct member surveys

Raw data is crucial in building member engagement. You may have the best association with a remarkable vision and excellent events and activities, but if they don’t appeal to members, they are vanity. Therefore, it is essential to conduct member surveys to determine what members want, how they would like to connect with the association, and what changes they desire. Surveys make members feel valued and appreciated. A data-driven approach to membership engagement is effective and cost-efficient. It gives members what they want and increases their satisfaction with the association.

3. Communicate regularly

Communication is vital in any association. You should keep communication channels open to increase member engagement. Open communication ensures that members raise issues and seek clarification when need be. Communication should be two-way; not just the members communicating. Management should address members concerns as well as update them on the state of the association. Make sure that members choose their preferred communication channel –email, messages, phone calls, or newsletters.

In this digital era, your association should have an online presence to engage your members. You can use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to post photos, videos, and even go live. Use LinkedIn to raise awareness of your organization and build membership to promote growth. Connect and network with members on LinkedIn and encourage them to write reviews about your association.

4. Build an active community

Many people join an association with the intention of networking with other members and benefiting from the association’s activities. They want to engage with the association, its leaders, and its members. Members want to have a sense of belonging. They want to feel they are part of something bigger and stronger than them. You can help your members achieve this desire by building an active community.

Organize regular meetings where the members meet, network with each other and air their grievances. If your association is a national or international one, you can achieve this bond by creating a strong online community. Whether you establish an online or offline community, the secret is to encourage members to participate.

5. Remain relevant

Every member expects the association to benefit them in some way. Make sure you remain relevant so that members have a reason to stay. Provide members with fresh, timely, and meaningful information during all stages of their membership. The information should be easily accessible and meet members’ needs. Lack of personalized and relevant content is a huge pain point for many association members. Hence, make sure you personalize your content to fit your audience.

If your association is a trade-related one, you can offer members instructional videos and how-to guides to increase their engagement. Do not forget to update members with the latest trends and happenings in the industry to keep them upbeat. Delivering relevant and compelling content will improve member engagement, boost renewals, and enhance association growth.

6. Hold events

Events such as workshops, forums, and annual meetings are fun ways for members to come together and interact. Events give the members an opportunity for expanding their careers through interactions with industry leaders. As members network during the event, they see the benefits for the association and the value of membership. Members feel they are part of a larger group and have shared goals and objectives.

Your association events may be held annually or semi-annually depending on your management and members’ availability. Make sure the events are diverse to accommodate all your members. Also, ensure that you communicate the date and venue of the events to members in advance.

7. Use technology

You can employ technology to increase member engagement and boost association growth. Developing websites and mobile apps are good starting points for associations to engage members. Engagifii is a leader in using technology to engage members. The name “Engagifii” is an acronym of what the organization helps associations achieve-improve member engagement. Engagifii has numerous tools to engage members by delivering content to them promptly. It uses two channels— an integrated website and a customized mobile app.

The integrated website provides members with valuable information and real-time updates to drive value for membership. The customized mobile app gives members real-time information on their smartphones. The integrated website and mobile app include information such as general association info, events calendar, exclusive member content, and member surveys to engage members better.

Members are crucial to the success and survival of any association. This makes member engagement equally important to promote loyalty, advocacy, and association growth. Do not wait until your retention rates are extremely low to start a member engagement strategy. Start now and see your association grow to unprecedented heights. Ensure that you deliver value to members and meet their expectations. Passionate and engaged members become your association’s loyalists and advocates and draw many people to it. Do you need help to engage your association’s members? Contact the experts at Engagiffi, and they will help you out.

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