Are your members engaged?

When we talk about your audience’s level of inspiration, we’re really talking about how engaged they are.

Do members just show up for your event…or are they fully present? Do they simply pay dues every year…or do they actively work towards your mission? If your members are not engaged, your organization will eventually cease to exist.

While you might have a sense that your members are engaged (or not), you can actually measure engagement using tangible data points. What you discover can help you improve your marketing, events, and the sustainability of your organization.

Here’s an idea of what you can measure to determine engagement levels:

• total number of members
• attendance at your annual event and percentage of members who attend
• when and where people register (early bird, on-site, etc.)
• email open and click-through rates
• Google Analytics on your website
• YouTube subscribers, Twitter mentions and retweets, Facebook likes and shares
• Reasons why members attend/perceived value of your event
• Member satisfaction with events and programs

A word of caution: Don’t mistake quantity for quality. A high rate of retention, for example, is not necessarily indicative of high engagement. Members might renew year after year because they get something—access to a directory, continuing ed credits, or discounts on certifications. None of these “things” sustains your organization or encourages members to work together to achieve your goals. High retention rates are a good start, but if you don’t inspire and engage your base, your organization can’t survive.

Along the same lines, the above metrics don’t carry equal weight when used to measure engagement. Email opens, for example, are important but not as telling as, say, clicks or social media shares when it comes to actively engaged members. Learning how to put a value on each data point can help you more precisely measure member engagement.

So where to begin? The Engagement Assessment will help you measure your engagement in terms of attendance, email and online presence, social media interaction, member satisfaction, and more.

Once you know where you are on the Engagement Scale, we can help you form a strategy to improve your score, build on existing strengths, or work on sustaining your organization for the next generation.

If you’re interested in how other associations with conferences are working to increase engagement, click here to take a short survey. In exchange for a few minutes of your time, you’ll receive a copy of the report and a sample marketing plan at no cost.

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