Coming Soon: The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! My latest book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, will be published early next year.

Why Another Book on Membership Marketing?

Many association executives found my previous book, Membership Recruitment, to be a valuable resource. I am grateful for the thoughtful reviews and feedback it received, including a 4.9 out of 5 customer rating on Amazon. One reader shared:

“I’m new to an association. Rossell provided a wide range of means to increase membership with clear explanations and examples without overstating matters. Refreshing to find a thorough resource written in less than 400 pages.”

While Membership Recruitment offered a holistic strategic framework for building a membership program, some readers found it overwhelming. Readers often ask me, “Where do we start?” and “How do we prioritize these strategies?”

Solving the Core Challenges

The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing addresses these questions head-on. It defines the specific challenges—or marketing “sins”—that frequently hinder membership growth and provides actionable solutions to overcome them.

With over 30 years of consulting experience and more than a decade of industry research, I have observed that even well-established membership programs often stumble due to one or two critical barriers. These impediments prevent organizations from optimizing their efforts, slowing or halting growth. Associations can unlock their full potential by pinpointing and addressing these high-impact challenges.

A Real-World Example

Let me share a story to illustrate. I worked with an association with a stellar renewal rate of 90 percent. They offered an impressive portfolio of member services, had a talented staff, and operated in a market with thousands of potential members. Yet their membership numbers were declining year after year.

When we dug into their data, spoke with staff, and reviewed their research, everything seemed solid—except for two areas. We asked, “What’s your membership recruitment budget, and who are you targeting in your outreach?”

The answers revealed the problem:

• Their recruitment budget was minimal.
• Their marketing efforts targeted only a fraction of the market by reaching only those in their database.

They had fallen into two of the seven deadly sins: underfunding their membership efforts and limiting their market outreach. Based on these findings, the board approved a significantly larger marketing budget, enabling a more aggressive recruitment campaign. The result? A turnaround in their membership numbers.

What You’ll Learn in The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

This new book identifies the core barriers to growth and offers practical solutions to overcome them. The goal is not to try and fix every problem but to focus on the high-leverage issues that retard growth.

I am excited to share this book with you early next year. Until then, if you’re looking for a comprehensive resource on membership strategies, my earlier book, Membership Recruitment, is still available. Stay tuned for more updates about the release of The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing.