October 2025 - Rottman Creative

You’re not hitting your membership numbers—and it’s not because people don’t care. It’s because they don’t see your value clearly or quickly enough. And that’s a problem only you can fix.

Today’s members are busy. Overwhelmed. Drowning in notifications. If your message doesn’t hit right away, it gets buried. If your value isn’t obvious, they move on. If your communication feels generic, you lose their trust.

Trust is the gateway to engagement. No trust? No join. No renewal. No registration. This is where most associations get stuck. They try to fix it by sending more emails. More benefits.

More “stuff.” But more noise isn’t the answer. It’s the problem.

Value is Clarity

Let’s say that again: Value is clarity. If you want people to engage, you have to show —fast and plainly—how membership helps them with the real problems they’re facing.

That means:

Speak to their day-to-day pressures.
Show results, not just features.
Say it like a human, not a brochure.

Most associations don’t need a new offer. They need a sharper message (See how naming with clarity matters →). Shorter. Cleaner. More direct. Think 8th-grade reading level. Because clarity is respectful.

Not Loud—Real

The associations that are winning aren’t louder. They’re more emotionally relevant and REAL. They lead with empathy. They show their members that they understand the pressure, the pace, the burnout. They tell better stories. They make people feel something before asking them to do something.

The key? Speak plainly. Say what you do. Say why it matters. Say how it helps them. That’s it.

Ask Better Questions

If your numbers are down, don’t just keep pushing. Start listening.

Ask your non-members why they didn’t join.
Ask your prospects what they’re looking for.
Ask your quiet members why they’ve pulled back.

What you’ll find isn’t apathy. It’s disconnection. A gap between what you think you’re offering and what they actually need. Your job is to close that gap.

The Fix Isn’t Fancy

You don’t need a rebrand. You need a reset on how you’re communicating value. That starts with stripping out jargon and vague promises and replacing them with real talk. Relevance. Specificity. Emotional weight.

This is the foundation for any growth plan. It’s also the foundation for our work at Rottman Creative. When organizations come to us asking for higher numbers, we don’t start with tactics. We start with value.

Bottom Line

You’re not invisible. You’re unclear. And that’s fixable.

Let’s sharpen your value, rebuild trust, and create messages that land. You don’t need to be louder. You need to be more human.

Need help? We’ll help you clarify your value and reconnect with the people you’re trying to reach. Let’s talk.

This blog post is based on insights from Section 1 of “Recruit, Renew, Reclaim Your Membership Goals” by Rottman Creative. Get the full book here.

Share this post in LinkedIn:

ARE YOUR MEMBERS TRULY ENGAGED?

NOT ANOTHER SNOOZELETTER.

Let’s be honest: Associations love to talk about their “stuff.”

They say things like:
“We have so many resources.”
“We have a ton of webinars, whitepapers, toolkits.”
“We have more stuff than anyone else.”

The message? Look at all the stuff we have.

But here’s the disconnection that’s costing you: your members don’t want your stuff. They want results. They want outcomes. And if AI gives them that faster, they’ll stop coming to you for it. In fact, research shows only 16 % of associations are currently using generative AI at scale.

Members Aren’t Waiting Around Anymore

They don’t want to dig through your website. They don’t want to decode your benefits. They don’t want to read 12 promotional emails to telling them why they should care.

They want answers. They want solutions. They want clarity.

If your association makes them work for it—or costs them time—while ChatGPT, Perplexity, or some AI search assistant gives it to them instantly, you’re in trouble.

You’re Using AI to Save Time

They’re Using It to Replace You

Associations are (rightly) using AI to write emails, create content, summarize reports. But here’s the catch: most are using it just to crank out more of the same.

More transactional emails. More generic copy. More asks.

That’s not innovation. That’s noise. And it’s exactly the kind of noise your members are trying to escape.

Meanwhile, they’re using AI to:

Summarize your reports without reading them
Find targeted resources without logging in
Get answers to industry questions without ever visiting your site

In other words, they’re bypassing you.

Stop Talking About Your Stuff. Start Talking About Outcomes.

One of the biggest messaging problems we see:
Associations talk about what they offer—not what it delivers.
“Delivers” feels more active and outcome-driven.

You say:
“We have a robust online learning platform.”

But they want to know:
“Will this help me land a promotion?”
“Will this make me better at my job?”
“Will this help my business grow?”

If your messaging doesn’t answer those questions clearly and quickly, you’re just another tab to close.

Use AI for Your Members, Not at Them

AI can be an incredible tool for associations—but only if it’s used with intention.

Bad use of AI:

Spamming members with more promotional emails
Recycling website copy for yet another “networking opportunity” reminder
Auto-generating content that’s technically correct but emotionally flat

That’s the trap. Now, here’s how to use it well.

Smart use of AI:

Powering an AI chatbot to help members find the right resource, fast
Personalizing renewal campaigns based on engagement behavior
Serving up links to exactly what they’re asking for—when they ask for it

Want a real win? Build a bot that answers their question on your site in real time, instead of making them go on a scavenger hunt.

Make the Value Obvious—or Get Replaced

Here’s the bottom line: If a member has to choose between clicking through five dropdowns on your site, or typing a question into AI and getting a usable answer in seconds… they won’t choose you. For a deeper dive into how AI is already reshaping the association-story you need to tell, check out Your Association and AI: The Story You Need to Be Ready For.

Not because they don’t care about your mission. But because they’re busy.

Associations that win in the age of AI will be the ones that:

Make value accessible
Translate offerings into outcomes
Use technology to serve, not spam

Final Thought: The Goal Isn’t “More.” It’s “Clearer.”

More emails, more stuff, more content—that’s not going to bring people back.

Clarity will. Relevance will. Outcomes will.

If you’re going to use AI, make sure it serves your members first. Because if AI can explain your value faster and clearer than you can… why would they keep paying you?

Want to turn your messaging into outcomes that matter?

Let’s help you stop flooding inboxes—and start driving real engagement. Let’s Talk.