Six Membership Renewal Tips to Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

A number of you have requested the sample renewal form that I mentioned the other day. Since it looks like a lot of us are taking a close look at renewals, I thought I would also share some practical renewal tips that you may want to consider in developing or revising a membership renewal series.

Here are six tips to help make your renewal series more efficient and effective.

1. To save postage and avoid inventory controls all notices (months 8 to 16) mail in one zip string. This means that we use common inventory each month for all notices that are sent out whether it is the first or last notice.

2. Messages for each notice are done using variable laser copy. This allows the headlines and voice to change with each notice. The messages can focus on special offers or unique benefits and become more forceful with each subsequent month.

3. We manufacture the same envelope for renewals, but simply use a variety of paper colors. So a different color envelope goes out each month. In January, for example, all of the renewals might be sent out in a yellow envelope.

4. Likewise six different versions of a renewal buck slip are printed six up on 11 x 17 inch sheets then cut. This allows for a different buck slip to be rotated into the renewals over a six month period highlighting a specific member benefit. The July version of a buck slip might highlight the benefits of the organization’s online community.

5. Renewal envelopes use an oversized window to allow the variable headline copy to show through the envelope. The effective of this is to provide a personalized teaser message to each renewal cohort – month 8 to 16.

6. Finally, our Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey confirmed the effectiveness of higher frequency renewal programs. The data indicated that the sweet spot was between seven and ten renewal contacts.

I hope this information is of help. Please post your thoughts and comments below.