Many Associations Continue to Struggle with Value Proposition

 

A weak or undefined value proposition represents one of the most significant barriers to membership growth. As I reviewed the responses to this year’s Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey, the challenges associations experience with their value proposition jumped off the page.

We asked respondents what the most significant impediments were to growing membership counts. Here is a sampling of responses to our open-ended question.

·       “Our value proposition sorely lacks the ability to capture and maintain attention.”

·       “Need a better value argument.”

·       “Perceived Value vs. Cost.”

·       “Perceived Lack of Value – If potential members do not see a clear, tangible ROI from their membership, they will seek alternatives that better meet their needs.”

·       “Need a stronger value proposition.”

My recently released book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, outlines practical methods for helping associations define and communicate a powerful value proposition. However, I would like to examine the underlying theory of the human desire for community and how associations can harness this need to craft and present their value to members. The concepts for connecting at this basic human level come from Seth Godin's book Tribes.

The premise of Godin’s book is that "one of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people.”[1]  He defines the two ingredients for establishing and maintaining these tribes or communities.

The first is defining the compelling areas of shared interest by understanding the wants and needs of your marketplace. The second is creating a structure to project how the community can serve these needs through communication and marketing efforts.

Compelling Shared Interest

The good news for associations is that they were likely founded around a shared interest. Passionate practitioners started the association with a vision to give to and receive from the profession and industry and change the future. However, the original value breaks down over time unless continuously reexamined and enhanced. Members are not inspired by knowing that the association started in 1900. People do not want the same products, services, or delivery channels that previously worked. As a result, Godin says, “new ways of doing things, new jobs, new opportunities, and new faces become ever more important.” [2] Associations can continue connecting with their market's ever-changing passion by taking the pulse of members through conversations and research.

Effective Communications and Marketing

Godin discusses the second ingredient to building the tribe: implementing effective communications or marketing. At this step, the power and benefits provided by the tribe are translated into a narration or story that explains who the organization is and how it builds a positive future for both the group and each member. In his book, Godin underlines the power of using marketing to build the tribe. He says, “Marketing changed everything. Marketing created leverage. . . Most of all, marketing freed and energized the tribe.” Marketing empowers the organization's reach to expand and increase the community's talent pool. As more people are inspired, these connections create even more connections.

Seth Godin’s Tribes offers a compelling framework for associations looking to strengthen their membership value proposition. Associations can cultivate a more powerful value proposition by passionately committing to the community’s shared interests, staying attuned to members’ evolving needs, and communicating through effective marketing. As Godin emphasizes, marketing doesn’t just promote the tribe—it energizes and expands it. By applying these principles, associations can redefine their value proposition and build lasting, thriving communities of members who feel genuinely connected.

Explore the just-released book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, for more guidance on overcoming barriers to membership growth.

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[1] Godin, Tribes.

[2] Godin.