tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.comments2024-03-11T15:28:10.549-04:00Membership Marketing BlogTony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comBlogger768125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-58304769921110467722023-01-15T07:54:02.647-05:002023-01-15T07:54:02.647-05:00Very true Tony. Very true Tony. Erik Schonhernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-50669348984075895332021-11-11T11:11:08.614-05:002021-11-11T11:11:08.614-05:00Thanks for the feedback. Dues increases and prici...Thanks for the feedback. Dues increases and pricing will be one of the top issues of 2022. Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-83327624423075894712021-03-10T17:18:47.995-05:002021-03-10T17:18:47.995-05:00We do offer guides on the economics and calculatio...We do offer guides on the economics and calculations for membership and renewal strategies. You can access them with this link:<br /><br />https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/white-papers/Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-91950908380966384652021-03-10T17:16:22.801-05:002021-03-10T17:16:22.801-05:00Hi Daryl,
Great question. In our annual Membersh...Hi Daryl,<br /><br />Great question. In our annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, we ask about the number (percentage) of members who renew. Tracking dollars makes sense if you have highly variable dues amount. But most groups have set dues rates. When looking at dollars I suspect the retention rate will be higher for dollars than for companies or individuals.<br /><br />Our 2021 Report should be available in May. Thanks for the question. Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-90704996589534476412020-07-14T11:00:06.756-04:002020-07-14T11:00:06.756-04:00Hi Peter,
Great points. I think you are on target...Hi Peter,<br /><br />Great points. I think you are on target with your recruitment process. Thank you for sharing. TonyTony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-1473897994252018152020-07-12T19:25:39.135-04:002020-07-12T19:25:39.135-04:00We use a four-step process:
Establish Trust - sim...We use a four-step process:<br /><br />Establish Trust - similar to your point of getting to the right person, establishing trust from the outset ensures we get to the right people and set the foundation for the right relationship moving forward. Membership is all about relationships.<br /><br />Establish Need - by defining the problem(s) faced by the prospective member. We can solve many different problems in a multitude of ways, but only one way works for each member. We just need to identify it. Once the problem is clearly identified and agreed, we can pose the right solution via membership.<br /><br />Establish Urgency - so often we forget to close a sale. We get put off with the "I'll think about it" or "I need to chat to a few people first". At this point, we re-visit the need and the logic of the solution. Testimonials from other happy members can help too. Maybe a free membership trial for a month?<br /><br />After-sales support - It's easier to retain the members you've got that it is to go get new ones. We have a formalised follow-up system to both reinforce the membership relationship and also broaden the member's use of their membership to open up new benefits.Peter Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05411126199601019341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-57131794692048480462020-03-19T07:42:03.335-04:002020-03-19T07:42:03.335-04:00Great topic and good points Great topic and good points Simanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-51465443444330679272020-01-09T12:18:44.034-05:002020-01-09T12:18:44.034-05:00Neat synopsis, Tony. Hope you and MGI have a great...Neat synopsis, Tony. Hope you and MGI have a great 2020!Kevin P Whortonhttp://www.kwhorton.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-32948464313436815812018-10-16T23:33:47.511-04:002018-10-16T23:33:47.511-04:00As long as a member is committed to the associatio...As long as a member is committed to the association, they will help to grow the association with their profession.Joeyhttps://justunique.com.mynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-26002813268018226582018-03-15T16:01:28.524-04:002018-03-15T16:01:28.524-04:00When determining the cost of serving a member it i...When determining the cost of serving a member it is important to distinguish between core services (i.e. voice activities, AGM, magazine) and related costs which all members are entitled to.<br /><br />The other optional services (conferences, workshops, certifications, special reports, etc.) relate to pay as you use and if the service revenue covers all the costs then other services are not part of the cost of serving members. Pricing for these type of services should include direct and indirect costs.If the other optional services are not covered by enough revenue then they are subsidized and part of serving a member.<br />jim@amces.comJim Pealowhttp://www.amces.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-11895220882303213902018-02-22T14:43:06.235-05:002018-02-22T14:43:06.235-05:00Thanks Dan. I always appreciate your insights and ...Thanks Dan. I always appreciate your insights and comments. I agree with the comment that you may still end up with a "fuzzy" number with all of these more in-depth calculations. <br /><br />Here is what I find. Typically, organizations are exploring the cost to serve a member in preparation of a budget for a recruitment effort. And that is why I like the incremental servicing cost approach because if you add new members, typically the cost to write, design, and staff a journal does not go up. These costs are fixed and will remain whether or not you add more members. Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-58677386698436688882018-02-12T05:20:57.751-05:002018-02-12T05:20:57.751-05:00Excellent site you've got here.. It's hard...Excellent site you've got here.. It's hard to find quality writing like yours nowadays.<br />I truly appreciate people like you! Take care!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-5117259133870133512018-02-08T14:40:32.044-05:002018-02-08T14:40:32.044-05:00Tony, This is such a great topic to discuss. I'...Tony, This is such a great topic to discuss. I've always wanted to do an in-depth study of the cost per member and I remember working through this with our budget analyst at ASCD wayback when as we tried to get a calculation of LTV. <br /><br />I'm thinking you could try and define the costs of all of the elements of the membership by defining those elements and assigning a percentage to each. For instance, you could define the cost of the delivery of one journal by looking at printing, postage, returned mail fees, staff hours devoted to writing it, designing it, and even advertising, etc. Once the costs are totaled, then it can be divided by the number of members receiving the journal to define the cost for that element per issue then multiplying it by the number of issues they receive throughout their membershp cycle. Then you could move on to defining other elements. <br /><br />You bring up a good point that this will still be fuzzy math when you figure in what members use or don't use over the course of their membership (i.e., did they use their member discount? how many renewal notices did it take for this member to renew vs. that member? etc.) <br /><br />It would be powerful data to have on-hand when making decisions about the membership business model and discussions of organizational structure. Either way, membership drive organizations in many ways and regardless of the cost it's a business model that drives revenues higher.<br /><br />Great post. Thanks for making me think (as usual).Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15654617329113606239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-28461736372664334662018-02-03T22:55:21.711-05:002018-02-03T22:55:21.711-05:00As a Membership Chair, I live by these 'Fab Fi...As a Membership Chair, I live by these 'Fab Fives"!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-80385756748853148512017-11-14T11:28:06.779-05:002017-11-14T11:28:06.779-05:00Hi Victoria -- Thanks for the question. The Stead...Hi Victoria -- Thanks for the question. The Steady State calculation is used to predict where your membership count is headed if you continue with the same level of new member input and retention rates. This might mean you are headed in a good direction OR headed for trouble. Additionally, the formula can help predict future outcomes if you are able to change your new member input or retention rate. So for example, you might be able to go to the board and say if you fund additional recruitment efforts and we can add x number of new members a year that will allow us to achieve this higher level of membership. Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-64191806667811320562017-11-09T12:30:00.853-05:002017-11-09T12:30:00.853-05:00How do we use the Steady Stage metric? I mean, I u...How do we use the Steady Stage metric? I mean, I understand the formula, but what do I do with the number that is produced? What does equilibrium mean? and what does it mean to me? How does this help me plan for the future? Victoria Downinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02803029087985119455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-70500658131120799402017-09-12T14:52:25.154-04:002017-09-12T14:52:25.154-04:00Hi Tony-
This was an amazing blog post. I think y...Hi Tony-<br /><br />This was an amazing blog post. I think your 2012 statistics were extremely helpful. There's a blog post up on Web Scribble now about membership retention rates for 2017 that you might want to check out! Here's the link: https://www.webscribble.com/blog/boosting-member-retention<br /><br />Keep up the great blog posts! I love reading them!<br /><br />-AudraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-57114132553708606472017-06-13T18:40:21.737-04:002017-06-13T18:40:21.737-04:00Excellent article. Segmentation is a key part in a...Excellent article. Segmentation is a key part in any marketer's successAndrewhttps://carseatnerd.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-29306157224800326682017-01-25T17:06:27.784-05:002017-01-25T17:06:27.784-05:00What formula is the industry standard for calculat...What formula is the industry standard for calculating renewal rate? Is this what your above numbers are based on? Is it ((CE-CN)/CS)) x 100. With CE being the ending total number of members, CN the new members in the time period, and CS being the beginning number? <br /><br />Thanks so much for your input. Its hard to compare renewal rates to other like organizations when some of them use different formulas to calculateLauren Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17278850093725178409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-21818502357571563532016-08-25T16:07:18.756-04:002016-08-25T16:07:18.756-04:00Hi Beth -- By abandonment if you mean non-renewal,...Hi Beth -- By abandonment if you mean non-renewal, then yes, the just published 2016 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report highlights the renewal rates for many types of associations. There is a link to download a copy on the home page of this blog. If, on the other hand, you a curious about online web abandons in the renewal process, I do not know of any data source specifically for associations. I do think that this is an important item to monitor. There is clearly a consumer expectation for fewer clicks, pages, and information to complete in any online transaction. The more steps there are and the more complicated, the more likely there will be for a site abandon. Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-55929183395891817142016-08-25T11:06:52.205-04:002016-08-25T11:06:52.205-04:00Is there any data/research on abandonment rates? ...Is there any data/research on abandonment rates? We are working on reducing our rate and I am curious if there are any benchmarks for membership associations.Beth Bushnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-64127001632637178442015-11-11T14:25:12.689-05:002015-11-11T14:25:12.689-05:00 “A goal without a method is nonsense.” – W. Edwar... “A goal without a method is nonsense.” – W. Edwards Deming Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-35501371673264545922015-11-11T05:20:28.547-05:002015-11-11T05:20:28.547-05:00Your write-ups are far more than wow! Smart SkinkYour write-ups are far more than wow! <a href="http://smartskink.com" rel="nofollow">Smart Skink</a><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00536647169868657088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-8037342915895437972015-10-09T11:41:24.025-04:002015-10-09T11:41:24.025-04:00Hi Kait -- Thank you for the comment. You make a ...Hi Kait -- Thank you for the comment. You make a good point. A well run membership marketing program will monitor response rates, renewal rates, and the lifetime value of a member. By doing this analysis, an organization can determine and monitor if they are attracting the right members. Tony Tony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-1277975623601262022015-10-09T11:38:32.976-04:002015-10-09T11:38:32.976-04:00Hi Scott -- You make an excellent point. We have ...Hi Scott -- You make an excellent point. We have both seen what you describe happen in our field. TonyTony Rossellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com