5 Effective Marketing Tools To Retain More Existing Members
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5 Effective Marketing Tools To Retain More Existing Members

5 Effective Marketing Tools To Retain More Existing Members

Friday, January 27, 2023 / Michael Kettenring

It's more cost-effective to retain existing members than to acquire new ones. Acquiring new members can be expensive, as it often requires marketing, advertising, and other promotional efforts. On the other hand, retaining existing members typically only requires providing quality service and engagement, which is less costly. So, let us look at the 5 most effective marketing tools for member retention.

1.    Personalized Communications

Members want to feel special. Members want to feel that their association knows them and knows what they are interested in. What does this mean for member services? It means they need to address members in a way that makes members feel appreciated. 

Personalized communications, such as emails and newsletters, can be very effective in retaining existing members. Associations can use this to provide tailored content and offers that are relevant to individual members, helping to keep them engaged and connected to the organization.

Serving tailored content or individualized content requires the association to (1) know members’ interests and behaviors, and (2) be able to automate their website in such way that different visitors actually see different, meaning tailored content. This is what personalized communications is all about. It’s good news that there are software solutions available such as WEEcommunicate.com to not only collect and save the member data, but also serve this specific content to the constituents. The following ideas should be evaluated within this context.

2.    Member Surveys

Surveys and feedback mechanisms can help associations to collect the information and understand the needs and preferences of their members, allowing them to tailor their offerings and improve their overall value proposition. This is easier said than done. A good survey can make the difference between creating a better understanding of its members and annoying them. Asking the right questions in the right way determines the outcome of any survey. 

We usually recommend closed questions that do not allow free text as answers. Why? For one, it is easier for a user to select from a drop-down list than typing their own thoughts. And it is not possible to automatically create meaningful analytics from free text.

3.    Engaging Member Programs

Engaging member programs, such as loyalty programs and exclusive benefits, can help associations to retain members by offering incentives for continued engagement and loyalty.

Read more about the power of member programs in this article.

Read More

4.    Member Resource Center

Providing a centralized resource center on the association web portal, such as a members-only portal with member services tools such as service tickets, helps keeping members informed and engaged with the association. The resource center can include valuable information, resources, and tools that members can access anytime, anywhere. This requires a “Members only” access with login in a secure manner. A sophisticated member portal sets professional associations apart from less organized organizations. This makes it a great marketing tool fostering brand recognition.

5.    Networking Opportunities and Events

Needless to say, networking opportunities, such as events, webinars, and online forums, build strong and lasting relationships among members and strengthen the sense of community within the association. It’s a must for associations that focus on creating an online community or educational programs.

Bottomline: Keep Up Regular Communication

What is most important? Regular and consistent communication help associations to maintain strong relationships with their members, keeping them informed and engaged with the organization. 
 

About Us: WEEcommunicate.com specializes in innovative customer engagement technologies. Our All-In-One Cloud Software Solution empowers organizations to market intelligently, increase lead-to-sales conversions, and reduce IT costs dramatically through our proprietary cloud technology platform. We offer an APP Suite with a full set of APPs to support most business models online at low cost.

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