5 Steps to Easier Membership Renewals

It’s time to get fired up about membership renewals!

Easier membership renewals happen when members see your association as more than a line item that can easily be cut from the budget.

Sure, you’re up against some challenges—people are busy, money is tight, and uncertainty hangs around every corner. But you’ve also got a lot going for you—people want to connect, they’re looking for solutions to their challenges, and they see your organization as the heart and homebase of their community.

This renewal season, focus on nurturing relationships, delivering value, and communicating that value to hit your numbers and minimize lapses.

Convince the Check Writer

Often, the people using your resources and attending your events aren’t the people paying your membership dues. The check writer doesn’t experience your value firsthand. This could spell trouble in a tough economy when that same check writer is looking to make budget cuts. Do you have a way of definitively showing the value of your association to someone who deals only in facts and figures?

One way to show value is to set up member engagement tracking. This will track where members spend time on your website, how many questions they ask in your forums, which events they attend, and more. It will also give you the ability to generate a report for each member to show them exactly what they got for the membership dues in the past year.

If you suspect your members aren’t taking full advantage of your association and the report will show a lack of engagement, start there. What can you do to entice people to lean in?

Speak to Trends and Pain Points

The best way to fuel member engagement and improve that report is to make sure your editorial calendar mirrors current industry trends and pain points. In short: Stay relevant.

You might think you’re already doing this, but are you really? What are you doing to look ahead? To innovate? Can you honestly say your members should renew every year because you have new, different, and amazing offerings they can’t afford to miss out on?

Relationships vs. Transactions

Once your content is on point, consider your relationship vs. transactional messages. How often are you asking your members to do something (e.g., pay dues, attend an event) compared to sharing valuable resources with no strings attached? In addition to the message itself, you’ll need to optimize how you package and deliver it so members see it and react.

Maintain Momentum

Don’t wait until September to start showing value. You must nurture relationships starting with onboarding and continuing all year long. New members are often enthusiastic initially but need a reason to maintain momentum. Think about the last subscription you paid for—maybe a gym membership or video streaming service. At first you’re thrilled and eager, but it’s all too easy to lose interest or forget about it entirely. If your members don’t see your value, they decide not to renew long before you reach out to them in the fall.

5 Proven Steps to Fuel Renewals

Once you have a solid strategy, it’s time for action. Here are five tried-and-true ways to get attention and move people to renew.

1. Segment: Divide your audience into distinct groups based on shared characteristics or behaviors. For example, large and small enterprises. Why? Because a one-size-fits-all message is the quickest route to the spam folder.

Purpose: To tailor your messages and offers to the specific needs and interests of each group.

Implementation:

• Analytics: Use detailed analytics to understand member demographics, engagement history, and preferences.
• Customization: Create specialized content and offers for different segments. For example, in-depth industry reports for seasoned members and orientation resources for newer members.

2. Use Technology: Tech is your ally. It can help streamline, automate, and enhance every aspect of your renewal campaign.

Purpose: To increase efficiency and member engagement through advanced tools and platforms.

Implementation:

• Automated Email Marketing: Set up drip campaigns that adjust messaging based on member behavior.
• CRM Systems: Use CRM software to track member interactions and personalize communications.
• Analytics Tools: Employ data analytics to monitor engagement rates and refine your strategies.
• AI Personalization: Use AI to offer personalized content recommendations based on past interactions. Highlight key features dynamically to maintain member interest.

3. Humanize: People connect with people, not with faceless entities. Humanizing your campaign makes it relatable and engaging on a personal level.

Purpose: To connect with members emotionally by showcasing the human side of your organization.

Implementation:

• Member Stories: Share real-life testimonials and success stories that illustrate the impact of your organization.
• Engaging Tone: Use a warm, conversational tone rather than corporate jargon. Focus on community, not transactions.
• Visible Faces: Highlight team members and other faces of the organization to create a personal connection.

4. Offer Unique Benefits: You must give people something really good that they need that they can’t get anywhere else. Your value proposition must be crystal clear and compelling. This is what makes members decide to renew rather than lapse.

Purpose: To communicate the unique benefits of renewing membership.

Implementation:

• Articulate Benefits: Focus on key pillars like brand value, community, networking, and personal growth.
• Exclusive Perks: Offer exclusive access to events, valuable resources, and special discounts.
• Clear Communication: Make sure members know exactly what they’re getting by renewing.

5. Remove Barriers: Even the most compelling offer won’t work if you don’t address the obstacles standing in the way of renewal.

Purpose: To identify and mitigate potential reasons for non-renewal.

Implementation:

• Feedback Loop: Conduct surveys to identify common barriers like cost, time constraints, or perceived lack of value.
• Address Concerns: Proactively solve these issues by offering flexible payment plans, showcasing clear value through success stories and benefits, and providing easy access to customer support.
• Flexible Options: Provide a range of membership options to cater to different needs.

Renewals don’t have to be a struggle or a year-end scramble. Keep the focus on relationships and measurable value all year long. Use proven strategies and tactics to get more from what you’re already doing. You’ll will better serve and delight your members while also pleasing the check writer who ultimately makes renewals happen.

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