tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87018104228515684152024-03-15T21:20:56.712-04:00Membership Marketing BlogAcquiring, engaging, upgrading, and renewing members is the cornerstone for associations and relationship driven organizations. Whether you are an association professional or a relationship marketer, join the discussion on the Membership Marketing Blog and share your advice.Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.comBlogger427125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-9178875417204388362024-03-13T13:06:00.000-04:002024-03-13T13:06:36.856-04:00What’s Wrong with Calling a Membership Renewal Notice an Invoice?<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XeAcrs01aGiwyqaHp2qxcmHkyjXA30mFVD3zm6UfD9HcqU2IonH9Ghr7xvC_fCusghpWZsLyjmKx8o4b97AonBRJXa1cpGiqcPGU7zIVRxayrxNGz945tNfNgRutwx7ad7-L8fsRUUtR32JvJX8BPKKDYzrixvIOUZHETvZZ3LldMU__gOAvzyqIpZk/s1600/Invoice%20or%20Renewal%20Notice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1600" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XeAcrs01aGiwyqaHp2qxcmHkyjXA30mFVD3zm6UfD9HcqU2IonH9Ghr7xvC_fCusghpWZsLyjmKx8o4b97AonBRJXa1cpGiqcPGU7zIVRxayrxNGz945tNfNgRutwx7ad7-L8fsRUUtR32JvJX8BPKKDYzrixvIOUZHETvZZ3LldMU__gOAvzyqIpZk/w280-h148/Invoice%20or%20Renewal%20Notice.jpg" width="280" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Over time, I have seen confusion in the association
marketplace on what to call a mailing asking a member to renew their membership
for the upcoming year. Two terms are regularly used. Some call the effort a renewal
notice or statement; others use the term invoice and put that wording on the piece.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Words matter. So, let’s examine the difference between the
two and determine the proper way to ask a member to renew. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To start, here is a helpful definition of an invoice. “An
invoice is a dated legal document that records the specifics of a transaction
between a seller and a buyer. A company presents an invoice to a buyer to prove
they purchased a product or service and includes the terms of the transaction
and the amount paid.”<a href="https://taylorcorp0-my.sharepoint.com/personal/tony_marketinggeneral_com/Documents/Documents/Articles/Invoice%20or%20Notice.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Based on this definition, it is inappropriate to invoice a
member for their renewal because a member is not obligated to pay. They have
not yet agreed to order or receive a service for the upcoming year. So, the
proper terminology for a renewal effort would be to send a renewal notice or a
renewal statement. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are some additional distinctions between an invoice and
a renewal notice for a membership or subscription. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An invoice is:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->A document provided by a company to a purchaser requesting
payment for the goods delivered or services rendered,</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It typically includes details such as describing
the goods or services provided and</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Invoices are typically issued after the delivery
of goods or the completion of services and work as a formal request for
payment.</span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the other hand, a renewal notice serves as:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->A communication sent by a service provider like an
association or subscription-based business to a member or customer whose term
is about to expire,</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It serves as a reminder to the customer to renew
their service before it lapses and</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Unlike an invoice, a renewal notice does not
request immediate payment but instead prompts the customer to take action to
continue their membership or service.</span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, can you ever invoice a member for their membership
payment? Yes, there are times when you can send an invoice to a member. This situation
occurs when that member has requested a bill for their membership. They may
need an invoice to have their company pay for the membership. Some organizations
offer a “bill-me” on a membership application or renewal notice. But in each of
these cases, the member has proactively agreed to make a payment for their membership.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
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<div id="edn1">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://taylorcorp0-my.sharepoint.com/personal/tony_marketinggeneral_com/Documents/Documents/Articles/Invoice%20or%20Notice.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/statement-vs-invoice</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-87483803377786621002024-01-22T11:00:00.000-05:002024-01-22T11:00:00.220-05:00Benchmarking Survey Invitation<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The survey for the 2024 Membership Marketing Benchmarking
Report will close this week. The findings from this research are regularly
shared here. Please take some time to complete
the survey for your association. Survey respondents will receive a printed copy
of the final report. Here is <a href="https://marketinggeneral.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vEjV1G8uEZbxsi" target="_blank">a link</a> to
the survey. Thank you in advance for your help.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-16964580678708789222023-12-06T12:26:00.002-05:002023-12-06T13:41:50.035-05:00The One-Page Membership Recruitment Plan<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Earlier this year, I presented a session at ASAE’s MMC
Conference on how to jumpstart planning for a membership recruitment program. I
thought sharing the slides would be appropriate as we prepare to start a new
year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my consulting, I have found that some groups do not have
a marketing strategy in place to add members. On the other hand, I have
witnessed organizations producing such a detailed plan that considers every
contingency delaying implementation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One option to address both of these challenges is what I
call the One-Page Membership Recruitment Plan. The approach simplifies planning
the start of a program and then provides the opportunity to adjust and modify
the efforts based on the market’s feedback. I call this method the “Ready,
Fire, Aim” approach to membership recruitment. You can find the slides from the
presentation here. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p>
<iframe src="https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/64jsbleH1bSBhR?startSlide=1" width="597" height="486" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #CCC; border-width:1px; margin-bottom:5px;max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen></iframe><div style="margin-bottom:5px"><strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Rossell/the-onepage-membership-recruitment-plan" title="The One-Page Membership Recruitment Plan" target="_blank">The One-Page Membership Recruitment Plan</a></strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Rossell" target="_blank">Tony Rossell</a></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-32581405020290377372023-08-09T13:41:00.002-04:002023-08-16T11:14:23.141-04:00Associations Share Their Impediments to Growing Membership<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The good news from the <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports" target="_blank">2023 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report</a> is that many associations experienced a remarkable rebound
in membership counts. A total of 49% of associations report an increase in
membership counts. Nevertheless, 22% of respondents still shared that their
membership has declined.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HmGPToIwJI_kn--grovY7rohzTSKvQbFR9n2EvDWbHieq1A2eZMr4Eq7lK7MWMfnHB-7kVtO2WBOzINAj_HxA5wo2GETXr7NBgdU7RWzfkBbpH01_lrTa2yxJKeO8UU96SJXrFggwtrpxX8W48SGhS8mBl-8SjGDII-OnlpuqFQxMZfOPLxDhcq8v_U/s1857/Chart_Change%20in%20Membership%20Over%20Past%20Year_Page_06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1857" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HmGPToIwJI_kn--grovY7rohzTSKvQbFR9n2EvDWbHieq1A2eZMr4Eq7lK7MWMfnHB-7kVtO2WBOzINAj_HxA5wo2GETXr7NBgdU7RWzfkBbpH01_lrTa2yxJKeO8UU96SJXrFggwtrpxX8W48SGhS8mBl-8SjGDII-OnlpuqFQxMZfOPLxDhcq8v_U/w427-h126/Chart_Change%20in%20Membership%20Over%20Past%20Year_Page_06.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, in addition to reporting the characteristics and
practices of growing associations this year, we also asked what impediments
hold back growth. In their own words, with some minor edits, here are what
association executives told us holds membership back.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Not focusing on membership growth. Products get a lot more
attention, although they don’t drive revenue in the same way.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Not ‘investing’ in membership growth.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Membership value. Nothing is behind a password wall. All
benefits and resources are for anyone who visits our website. Outside of
discounted conference fees and priority communications about scholarships and leadership
programs, there is no extra incentive to maintain membership.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The staff finding the time for recruitment.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Lack of plan and budget.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“A defined membership value proposition.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Conveying the value of membership; many will reap the
benefits of our advocacy and…decide, ‘why pay membership when I already get the
benefits?’”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Getting the ASK made. They can always say no, but they
never have the chance to say yes if we don’t ask them to join.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Identifying key needs and meeting those needs. Our industry
has changed, and yet our offerings are essentially the same.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In addition to pointing out some of the challenges to growth,
the 2023 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report identifies many opportunities
that associations have used to improve the performance of their membership
efforts. Use <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports" target="_blank">this link </a>to access the full report. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-31982896782899623742023-08-07T09:54:00.000-04:002023-08-07T09:54:42.496-04:00How to Advocate for Increased Marketing Spending<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n4wNP_JhEufpve_2QVZHfeaqDh-X8J_zENYYWLv8cVpNMxaWquYEvyn7qtPfFsomVU04Xpt-wHSFD4qeClcJ7z6LKEZwhxTUz_YnBBHNQMa-UG80TkxyKpkHavvcUgMsp_hJXPgBH_E7vMAaG9P463EqEalaj0EZQD-noIp0CSRy6UjtR0kf_EzuYwc/s3300/2023%20MMBR%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n4wNP_JhEufpve_2QVZHfeaqDh-X8J_zENYYWLv8cVpNMxaWquYEvyn7qtPfFsomVU04Xpt-wHSFD4qeClcJ7z6LKEZwhxTUz_YnBBHNQMa-UG80TkxyKpkHavvcUgMsp_hJXPgBH_E7vMAaG9P463EqEalaj0EZQD-noIp0CSRy6UjtR0kf_EzuYwc/s320/2023%20MMBR%20Cover.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>In our just released<a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports"> 2023 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report</a>, many respondents shared that one of the reasons for success this year
in growing their membership is an increased budget. About one-third of
associations report increases in the marketing budget earmarked for recruitment
(36%) and awareness and engagement (32% each). And these higher budgets
correlated with overall membership increases.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also asked respondents how they successfully advocated for
additional membership marketing funding. Here are some of their recommendations
on how they did it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“With data showing the effectiveness of previous marketing
promotions and. . . the changes/decreases that happen when the budget was cut.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“By suggesting, using, and measuring the results of Facebook
and Google targeted advertising. Then pointing out that the cost was easy to control
so it would not cause a sudden, large need for cash.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Market research, articles about membership, and articles
about marketing have been compiled in reports that are presented to the CEO.
These have all been convincing in their own way and resulted in higher
marketing efforts.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Demonstrating that all electronic marketing isn’t as
effective as a combination of electronic and direct mail.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“By constantly showing our board and executive team what we
do to market membership and the results that we get. I remind them that if we weren’t
doing these things, our membership numbers would be even lower.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For more information on what practices correlate with gains
in membership, take a look at the full report. You can access the 2023
Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-35370992639969078202023-02-22T09:59:00.000-05:002023-02-22T09:59:40.714-05:00The Psychology of Membership Engagement<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr40NvK9iFAf2wOsUspd9bBqqJgIkIDPh31oLGku_tu7HylOsimZdwO4nszo3Bi7DYEtUdjZ_vvBvAytlLf0n9oX5yF1DKfwlAKQ2Dzyh0HakOf3zZ-j93jHjpIqt-gTIRkd9M_JNtkpLkRKNFsiw5H3NX8VOLkII32WZsCq1Dm-w2_FU9oT2UB_Tk/s1200/Engagement.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr40NvK9iFAf2wOsUspd9bBqqJgIkIDPh31oLGku_tu7HylOsimZdwO4nszo3Bi7DYEtUdjZ_vvBvAytlLf0n9oX5yF1DKfwlAKQ2Dzyh0HakOf3zZ-j93jHjpIqt-gTIRkd9M_JNtkpLkRKNFsiw5H3NX8VOLkII32WZsCq1Dm-w2_FU9oT2UB_Tk/s320/Engagement.png" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The MGI <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports" target="_blank">Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report </a>highlights
year after year the importance of a defined engagement program supporting a more
favorable outcome in member retention. The data statistically shows this
positive outcome but does not explain why putting an engagement program in place
is so effective. Understanding why it works offers the opportunity to develop an
even more effective effort.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">First, let’s look at the problem. It might be surprising,
but once the heavy lifting of getting a prospect to join your association is
accomplished, they immediately become the most likely candidate to discontinue
membership. The statistics from one organization demonstrate this tendency.
Members who join this association pay their dues through a monthly installment automatic
credit card option. Retention data highlights that fully 21% of new members cancel
their membership in the first three months. This figure drops to 7% in the
second three months and continues to decline until the membership’s annual
reauthorization occurs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The same tendency applies to members who renew on an annual
basis. Benchmarking data confirms the vulnerability of these new members. The
data shows renewal rates for first-year members average 72% compared to overall
renewal rates of 82%.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Psychologists provided insights that help to explain this
behavior and solutions to help prevent the drop off through Cognitive
Dissonance Theory. The theory outlines what happens psychologically during a
decision process. When making any decision, we are confronted with some level
of mental conflict because there is no perfectly “right” choice. Should I eat
that piece of cake or not? Which car should I buy? Should I join my
professional association? The conflict leads to a decision. As it applies to
membership, a prospect decides to join.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, after deciding, psychologists say we experience
Cognitive Dissonance. We question the decision we made. We all share this tendency
to second-guess a decision. For example, even a year after buying my last car,
I still looked at automotive reviews to support my decision. In this
post-decision stage, engagement efforts need to step in using Dissonance Reduction
methods. Once they join, a new member will look for confirming information. They
want proof that they made a good choice. So, one critical function is to
provide ongoing communications confirming the membership’s usefulness and
relevance. Communications can include testimonials from members on how they benefited
from the services offered, a gift or discount to thank the members for joining,
or instructions on accessing the specific content that applies to the member. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another way to affirm the join decision is personal
interaction – like an introduction phone call from a staff person or volunteer –
to welcome the member, answer questions, and deal with objections. Finally, Dissonance
can be reduced by recognizing the new member’s commitment to the profession or
industry demonstrated by their act of joining. When we make a commitment, like
joining, there is a psychological force to remain faithful, affirming that
commitment supports continuation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After the expense and effort to acquire a new member, the
data shows that buyers’ Dissonance is likely to appear. Developing an
engagement program that demonstrates the relevance of membership and helping
the member to interact with others and use the benefits can offset the Dissonance
and lead to an ongoing relationship. This type of program is especially critical in the
first year of membership. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-43761904040482491712023-02-14T09:33:00.001-05:002023-12-06T13:44:34.988-05:00Defining the Process for the Decision to Join<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwH5nKUynlbJiiUb_IBPyM13SKlOvRvEk37NaRk4n9xYDlul6utOnn0Yk45r8TE-VTSIEwpb6_HSFkQt6j8OQJ5A5jOfJZutAUqFcMpaR22pikC9nvbTczReSvD2ZYQGACx7osDphe2XOOCf7224Ddni279lp_msa48KRTIqv2voj0enEhiYLQxZs/s1200/Steps%20in%20Recruitment.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwH5nKUynlbJiiUb_IBPyM13SKlOvRvEk37NaRk4n9xYDlul6utOnn0Yk45r8TE-VTSIEwpb6_HSFkQt6j8OQJ5A5jOfJZutAUqFcMpaR22pikC9nvbTczReSvD2ZYQGACx7osDphe2XOOCf7224Ddni279lp_msa48KRTIqv2voj0enEhiYLQxZs/s320/Steps%20in%20Recruitment.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />We often hear the question, “Why does it take so many
contacts to convince an individual or company to join our association?” The pat
answer from marketers is that it takes seven contacts to turn a prospect into a
buyer. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, as opposed to just doing more, establishing an
understanding of the decision process involved in joining an association allows
for a more nuanced strategy to be put in place. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One explanation offered by psychologists on the stages that
a person goes through in making a decision is a theory called the Transtheoretical
Model (TTM). The model says there are five stages to behavior change:
Precontemplation, Contemplation, Planning, Action, and Maintenance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As applied to membership recruitment, here is how the theory
works. At Precontemplation, a prospective member does not know about the
association or at least is not even thinking about membership. The association’s
job is to build awareness and ideally gain an opt-in through efforts like referrals,
content marketing, or search engine marketing, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the start of a dialog, the prospect enters the
Contemplation stage. Here a candidate needs to be convinced of the value and
usefulness of membership.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once the candidate decides membership is a good fit, they
enter the Planning phase. They ask, how do I join? Can I afford it? Will my
company pay for it? And with their questions answered, they move to Action and
join. But the process does not end there; cancellations and a change of mind
can occur, so the theory also includes Maintenance to affirm and support the
decision. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">TTM does not designate how long this decision process takes. If
the decision is to stop the car and buy a donut at the new shop in town, it can
happen rapidly. But the process can be much longer for decisions with higher
levels of commitment or complexity. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is an example of how the theory of TTM provided understanding
in a real-world situation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To grow membership, we worked with one trade association to implement
a multi-step program to bring in new members. A lead generation program was
created to get companies to raise their hand and show interest in the resources
provided by the association. Follow-up resources were sent to those who responded.
After some time, calls were made to these prospects to schedule an appointment
to discuss membership with an association staff person. The number of leads was
high, and many company leaders agreed to talk to the association staff. But the
conversion rate to paid membership did not come immediately, so the program was
stopped. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Was the program a failure? Surprisingly no, it was not. Six
months later, we heard back from the organization. From the leads generated,
many of those companies did end up joining. The companies moved from Precontemplation
to Contemplation at a good pace. Membership was of interest to them. The delay
came in moving from Planning to Action. The decision to join offered a high
level of commitment and required consensus within the firm. This involvement caused
the Planning phase to require a substantial amount of time before moving to
Action. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Based on this understanding of TTD, the organization has a
context for understanding the join decision process. With this evaluation, the
program restarted using an extended decision timeline. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-41079018319709187822023-02-04T14:49:00.000-05:002023-02-04T14:49:07.024-05:00Membership Marketing and Reasoned Action Theory (RAT)<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For many years, social scientists have used Reasoned Action
Theory (RAT) to evaluate a person's intention to take an action. Daniel O’Keefe,
a preeminent scholar in the field, says of RAT, “It is unquestionably the most influential
general framework for understanding the determinants of voluntary action.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A simplistic overview of reasoned action theory lays out our
four drivers of intention leading to a behavior. The first is Attitude with the
components of belief (it is a good thing) and evaluation (there is motivation to
act). The second is Injunction which is the influence of others (doctors, parents,
friends, or professors). Next is Determinants which is seeing others who are
doing the behavior. The final driver is Perceived Behavior Control, believing
you have the opportunity and power to achieve the behavior.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This theory has been tested and validated through numerous
experiments. And it can be applied to improve membership marketing
efforts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first application is Attitude. To support action, prospective
members need messaging that convinces them that membership in your organization
is beneficial. You can do this through a clearly articulated value proposition.
And by providing them with a motivation to take action like a new member
incentive. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The second part of the RAT theory is Injunction. The
influence of people joining is because of the encouragement of others to do so.
The power of Injunction is demonstrated in responses from the Membership
Marketing Benchmarking Report. For years, referrals or word of mouth have been reported
as the number one factor in getting members to join over any other marketing
activity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The next driver for RAT is Determinants. Members are more likely
to join when they see others taking action. This tendency is why testimonials
are so effective in membership marketing. Membership can be presented as the
norm to support success. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally, Perceived Behavior Control relates to the
impediments to taking action. Prospective members may believe that joining
requires too much upfront work or is more than they can afford. The opportunity
to overcome this challenge is to “smooth the path” by advertising the
opportunity to join, making the join process as easy as possible, and addressing
the upfront membership cost. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many of us are excellent practitioners of membership
marketing, but understanding the scientific theory that supports better
outcomes reinforces efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-15646014385631258662023-01-10T14:49:00.000-05:002023-12-06T13:44:56.148-05:00Tracking and Measuring for Membership Marketing Success <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi-9tojEsLuv4DtR9k64W_efFXp6ouZ3nxcit1-rQa50JETYkq3hVj02mtI8u2THdjLZIvRo0FyJbY5enlPuY-M5qa5JAoXGHsk-2dRMFAgXM_zhNtCHRNNPxJRf9WdI8ygnPyx2zHoRPMGz7pjaa1ThqMZByi9ky-FH2IHRePMrcGY4Z03NqaTFq/s2240/Trade%20Association%20Membership%20Recruitment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi-9tojEsLuv4DtR9k64W_efFXp6ouZ3nxcit1-rQa50JETYkq3hVj02mtI8u2THdjLZIvRo0FyJbY5enlPuY-M5qa5JAoXGHsk-2dRMFAgXM_zhNtCHRNNPxJRf9WdI8ygnPyx2zHoRPMGz7pjaa1ThqMZByi9ky-FH2IHRePMrcGY4Z03NqaTFq/w200-h113/Trade%20Association%20Membership%20Recruitment.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Membership-Recruitment-Recurring-Revenue-Markets/dp/1736249304">Membership
Recruitment</a>, I share an eye-opening experience with a client. For several
years, this association had been doing a sizeable annual mailing to recruit new
members. The mailing went to a portfolio of outside lists totaling over 100,000
records. Results were below expectations, so they asked for assistance to improve
returns.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The obvious place to start may have been looking at the creative
or the offer for the mailing. Instead, we ran an analysis matching the new
members that had come in compared to the lists mailed. That is where the
eye-opening experience happened. Fully one-third of the lists used year after
year produced zero responses. They had wasted thousands of marketing dollars. Other
lists were producing good returns and supporting the overall effort. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's the simple lesson for marketing, and in many areas of
life, track and measure what you are doing. This critical step will show you
where you are wasting funds, time, and energy, and you will also see where you
are finding success. Then do more of what works.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><span data-canva-clipboard="ewAiAGEAIgA6ADUALAAiAGQAIgA6ACIAQgAiACwAIgBoACIAOgAiAHcAdwB3AC4AYwBhAG4AdgBhAC4AYwBvAG0AIgAsACIAYwAiADoAIgBEAEEARgBYAFMAWgBBADAASAA1AHcAIgAsACIAaQAiADoAIgBCAFAAOAB0AHoASwA2AGwAOAAwAHIARwBsAGcAbgBxAHIAYwB5AEIAMwBnACIALAAiAGIAIgA6ADEANgA3ADMAMwA3ADMAMAA5ADcANQA4ADYALAAiAEEAPwAiADoAIgBBACIALAAiAEEAIgA6AHsAfQAsACIAQgAiADoAOAAwADAALAAiAEMAIgA6ADEAMgAwADAAfQA="></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-47054913882846569492023-01-04T14:23:00.001-05:002023-12-06T13:45:52.830-05:00Identifying and Solving Systemic Membership Marketing Challenges<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the New Year, it is time to evaluate what worked and
what did not in your membership marketing efforts. But this year, why not try a
different approach? Instead of compiling a long list of problems and opportunities
in your program, why not step back and look at the challenges systematically?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I have evaluated membership programs over the years, I
have witnessed a consistent pattern. In most instances, fixing everything is impossible,
but identifying a single systemic impediment empowers membership growth. In
other words, don't try to plug every hole in the proverbial leaking dam. Discover
what is causing the leaks and work on it.</span></p><div><span data-canva-clipboard="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"></span></div><div><span data-canva-clipboard="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"></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoB9FB-9HXmzR4AVuIh04fikYVryCTwJW5P5kJ60bDYzsLQjQ4GtKqZc1h9GiwirMx6YuYlsdW_lgnqfa7g7ph6SkprfSNbLeRYpaiBCtqt_H61-AhL72JzhjyV0Wp_P1ExlNxvBlS9eNQGOiHGqJRvFP6nJ2WLsWwaYmgDLCNEcGFE-pOTxcd41P2/s1366/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoB9FB-9HXmzR4AVuIh04fikYVryCTwJW5P5kJ60bDYzsLQjQ4GtKqZc1h9GiwirMx6YuYlsdW_lgnqfa7g7ph6SkprfSNbLeRYpaiBCtqt_H61-AhL72JzhjyV0Wp_P1ExlNxvBlS9eNQGOiHGqJRvFP6nJ2WLsWwaYmgDLCNEcGFE-pOTxcd41P2/w200-h113/1.png" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The good news is that based on real-world experience and 14
years of data collected from thousands of associations through the annual,
industry-wide <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports" target="_blank">Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report</a>, we have discovered the
common obstacles that constrain membership growth. Identifying and fixing one
or more of these roadblocks for your organization is a powerful lever for change.
Here are five of the common membership marketing impediments.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Undefined Value
Proposition<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Presenting a clear value proposition is foundational to
membership marketing. Sadly, in the most recent benchmarking research, only 10%
of associations say they offer a very compelling value proposition. The real
issue for many groups may not be that they do not provide attractive benefits
but that they lack an understanding of the value they deliver. Members do not
write a check to renew if they do not see a return on investment. Yet, in the
same report, the median renewal rate for associations is 84%. This apparent
contradiction indicates that many associations may not fully recognize the
value that they are providing. Taking the time to interact with members and
conducting research allows an association to clearly define its value
proposition and learn how to message that value to prospects and members.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Inattention to
Membership Recruitment<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The ongoing responsibilities of serving members and urgent
activities can block out the essential job of adding new members to the top of
the funnel. However, not consistently asking prospective members to join
represents one of the top hindrances to growth. Years of benchmarking data
affirm a strong correlation between increased new member input and overall
membership growth. Renewing current members is essential, but renewal rates are
hard to change and have remained remarkably consistent for years. You cannot
renew your way to growth. However, adding more new members by prioritizing
staffing and budgets devoted to recruitment will often ignite gains for an
association.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overuses of a
Single Channel<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many associations that focus on membership marketing find
results diminishing by relying on a single tactic to add and retain members.
Pandemic-caused cancellations hurt groups that relied on an annual meeting to
attract members. Others dependent on email have seen drops in open and click
rates through overuse. The solution to ensuring your message gets through is
developing a portfolio of communication channels using an omnichannel strategy.
This approach uses many methods like mail, phone, social media, paid digital
ads, and sales efforts to meet prospects and members where they are most likely
to interact. There is no single stand-alone marketing channel that can fully
support membership marketing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Underfunding
Membership Efforts<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Acquiring new members is one of an association's most
expensive marketing initiatives. But compared to any other associated product
or service, membership generates a predictable ongoing revenue stream. An
organization with an 80% renewal rate will keep members on average for five
years. Plus, members tend to be the best non-dues customers for an association.
So, for example, an organization with dues of $150 and non-dues revenue of $50
will see a lifetime value from a new member of $1,000 on average. This return warrants a substantial
investment. Benchmarking data supports the impact of increasing membership
marketing budgets. Over the past year, there was a correlation with better
results for those groups who boosted their membership marketing spending. Conversely,
those reporting declines in membership counts tend to have decreased their
budgets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lack of Innovation<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Focusing on organizational innovation is another vital
driver of membership growth. While only 29% of associations consider themselves
Extremely or Very innovative, these groups are significantly more likely to see
increased membership counts. At the macro level, innovation may require
reevaluating your membership package. Is deploying a tiered membership
structure or offering a hybrid membership where either an individual or an
organization can join an option to review? At the micro level, one of the most
significant opportunities to innovate is through market testing, tracking
results, and analyzing the returns of your marketing campaigns. Building a testing
orientation into marketing efforts allows you to continually adapt as your
audiences tell you what they want through their responses. Meaningful elements
to test can include who you target in your promotions, what special offers you
make, how you present your messages, and what combination of channels works
best. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Increasing an association's membership remains an achievable
goal. Year after year, benchmarking research highlights that many more
associations see their membership counts going up than those experiencing a
decline. The opportunity for growth often comes down to focusing on
high-leverage strategies with a proven track record of success. Take advantage
of these growth drivers to build a thriving membership program. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A version of this article first appeared in the <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/white-papers">Associations
Evolve 2023 & Beyond Journal.</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-73448371025380976152022-08-03T10:16:00.000-04:002023-12-06T13:46:13.841-05:00Now Available: 2022 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report <p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are some of our top findings on <b>what drives
membership growth </b>from the <a href="https://go.marketinggeneral.com/2022mmbr" target="_blank">2022 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report</a>. You
can <a href="https://go.marketinggeneral.com/2022mmbr" target="_blank">download</a> the full report detailing these and other activities that
correlate with membership growth.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTBXm24GMHgWkqFTbyJ4gj8m4XC7jD_qwwhh8zHodF8hjfBsXxMqN32CYts223rZMym_mfjmbFuZYT7ClYCdvzNIFTD5RfF_v6m3lX9nGdNKNdFPC3sWm5xwLcD5cvlC_rRG7Vv_t0G9NLmaQ3TS3seuA6cut_E8abDOyyjFk2rsM2pKrb4Pwgs5g/s627/2022%20MMBR%20Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="627" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTBXm24GMHgWkqFTbyJ4gj8m4XC7jD_qwwhh8zHodF8hjfBsXxMqN32CYts223rZMym_mfjmbFuZYT7ClYCdvzNIFTD5RfF_v6m3lX9nGdNKNdFPC3sWm5xwLcD5cvlC_rRG7Vv_t0G9NLmaQ3TS3seuA6cut_E8abDOyyjFk2rsM2pKrb4Pwgs5g/w200-h200/2022%20MMBR%20Ad.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br />Adding more new members</b> is one of the top drivers of
total membership growth. Associations reporting increases in their one-year and
five-year membership numbers are significantly more likely to report increases
in new member acquisition. Similarly, those reporting declines in the same
areas are considerably more likely to report declines in new members. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Providing compelling value to members</b> is another robust
and consistent driver of membership growth. Once again, we asked associations, “How
compelling is your association’s value proposition?” Demonstrating a continued
upswing, 53% of associations believe their value proposition to be compelling
or very compelling (up from 52% in 2021 and 48% in 2020). When an association
delivers good value, we see a correlation with growth. Associations reporting
increases in membership levels and those with a renewal rate of 80% or higher
are more likely to believe their value proposition to members is compelling or
very compelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Focusing on organizational innovation</b> is another vital
driver of membership growth. Association executives reporting increases in membership
levels are significantly more likely to consider their association extremely or
very innovative. Nearly three-quarters of associations have increased virtual
professional development opportunities during the past year (73%). Additionally,
more than half of associations have developed new products and services (62%),
re-evaluated and streamlined internal processes (59%), and expanded their
marketing efforts (54%). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Increasing funding for marketing efforts</b> is critical
to membership growth. Compared to the last year’s research, a more significant
percentage of associations have increased budgets. With these marketing budget
increases, there is a correlation to better results. Associations reporting
increases in membership over the past year have increased their budgets for
awareness, recruitment, and engagement. Conversely, those reporting declines in
the same metrics tend to have decreased their budgets in these areas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For many associations, membership growth continues to be
challenging. This report aims to help associations meet these growth challenges
by<span style="color: red;"> </span>sharing statistically valid insights to build
successful programs. Both these statistics and our experience in the
marketplace reaffirm this – when associations apply the best practices identified
and discussed in <a href="https://go.marketinggeneral.com/2022mmbr" target="_blank">this report</a>, they tend to see success in growing their
membership.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-67953134768646705842022-05-24T10:16:00.000-04:002022-05-24T10:16:28.928-04:00The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Often the secret to a thriving membership is not so much
working harder. Instead, success can be driven by understanding and removing an
impediment that holds back growth. By identifying the challenges and
eliminating the roadblocks, membership programs can flourish.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This month I presented these challenges and solutions at
ASAE’s Marketing Membership and Communications Conference. The session, titled “The
Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing,” shared how to diagnose these sins,
provide insights to remove them, and allow membership efforts to advance. Here
is a link to the presentation slides. </span></p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/kuSF6g5w6hhuN8" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"> <strong> <a href="//www.slideshare.net/Rossell/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-membership-marketing" target="_blank" title="The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing">The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="//www.slideshare.net/Rossell" target="_blank">Tony Rossell</a></strong> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-74558190797458887072022-04-01T12:32:00.001-04:002023-12-06T13:46:36.946-05:00Membership Recruitment Podcast <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://grype.ca/podcast/membership-recruitment-how-to-reach-new-markets?utm_source=ll&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=tonyrossell_podcastreplay&utm_content=membership_recruitment_how_to_reach_new_markets" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn-l1ajPnxYk6Mp0BcmIotrN2yu3iHaN_QP6ulPrMEEHXcv_7E4_pkb1nRRZhuYJ9bTTbK8dweUt2c1Vgi2o6ELxXqMkifYcFR_58J5XdFrg5ST2tKLZ7Kz0ugRRpaknhNcQzbi5LPpXbekZes97mhCWxRYrfRKFRL8fKD3h-hrycmH0nnmpaN0Tb/w200-h200/Membership%20Recruitment%20Podcast%20with%20Grype.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">My <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI3QMzp_Nog" target="_blank">recent podcast </a>with Grype Digital takes a deep dive into some of the most
pressing challenges facing associations as they work to rebuild their
membership programs. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Our conversation
covers solutions from:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 38.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Defining and focusing your value proposition<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Making a case for funding membership<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Getting started with membership recruitment<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Locating potential members<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Selecting the best marketing channels<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 38.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Testing strategies to optimize results<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think that you will find the podcast lively and
insightful. Take a look using<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI3QMzp_Nog" target="_blank"> this link.</a> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-21745974665347087062022-01-27T11:55:00.002-05:002022-01-27T11:55:20.420-05:00Association Recommendations and Insights for 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzBvhwMhj3JAf9oXWidDRYSpmfQ1DRbBYQMzYCTDwSrWSo6CizuR1Nf0zvZQ-ddlzHI-L4G9pIteYSYo353k9lNs2dREXw0nrxJYUpbBiIvPv5Q05NmmtJKpsCmWXCsnEDSqHk46JPcv5eQYWXGkWs_xTCzZasIZoDZWGBIvoH0ikorm9TLpc5lE5q=s3509" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3509" data-original-width="2712" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzBvhwMhj3JAf9oXWidDRYSpmfQ1DRbBYQMzYCTDwSrWSo6CizuR1Nf0zvZQ-ddlzHI-L4G9pIteYSYo353k9lNs2dREXw0nrxJYUpbBiIvPv5Q05NmmtJKpsCmWXCsnEDSqHk46JPcv5eQYWXGkWs_xTCzZasIZoDZWGBIvoH0ikorm9TLpc5lE5q=w154-h200" width="154" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <i>Associations Evolve: 2022 and Beyond</i> was just released
under the editorial leadership of Belinda Moore. The publication includes
articles from 50 leaders in the global
association community. I was honored to be included in the group. With over 100
pages of content, I thought it might be helpful to share some selected quotes
from the publication. Of course, I recommend downloading the entire document
with <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/white-papers/">this
link</a>. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are some highlights from <i>Associations Evolve</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Associations who embraced the COVID-19 crisis as an
opportunity to innovate are already seeing benefits. Many are reporting
increased engagement, higher retention rates, and overall membership growth. The
[COVID] crisis proved associations can adapt...
When provided with the impetus for change – and the freedom to act -
associations were very capable of making the changes needed to advance
themselves and their members." Belinda Moore. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“All member markets are dynamic, and over time most have
undergone significant change—without corresponding changes at the association.”
Mary Byers, CAE, and Harrison Coerver<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“If you want to manage change and avoid disruption, think
like a futurist. That means avoiding the trap of relying too heavily on your
past experience when making decisions for the future.” Gihan Perera<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Being forced to quickly learn how to run a virtual conference
was not just about doing demos with virtual meeting platforms—it was an
acceleration of an irreversible trend that has been happening for a long time that
we call digital transformation.” Maddie Grant<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“People don’t quit jobs; they quit people. If your culture supports
people bringing their whole selves to work and your culture is one of
belonging, your employee retention will reflect that value.” Sharon Newport,
CAE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Virtual workplaces are here to stay, whether employers like
it or not. . .This is going to have a huge impact on how we work. Getting the
hybrid model – that combination of at-home and in-office work – right is going
to be hard. Impacts will be felt when it comes to all aspects of your association,
including productivity, culture, employee engagement, collaboration,
innovation, and of course, the bottom line.” Mel Kettle<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The membership economy is booming with more and more
businesses enjoying the benefits of more predictable cash flow and opportunity
to build strong, ongoing relationships with their customers. . . While many
association leaders don’t take these trends as seriously as they should,
traditional membership models are losing to the disruptors of the membership
economy.” Olena Lima<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We are now living in a time where data is the basis of competitive
advantage and strategic decision making. And access to accurate, up-to-date
data is key to making the right decisions about how to respond to change. . . Increasingly,
organisations will need to use data to support decision-making, to advocate for
funding, and to remain competitive.” Joanne Jacobs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These highlights offer just a glimpse of some very
insightful articles. Please feel free to <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/white-papers/">take a
look</a> at the entire publication. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-79061682055483501082021-10-27T12:19:00.001-04:002021-10-27T12:19:56.932-04:00Guidance on Raising Association Membership Dues<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCTD1ZUG95W6oKREnQyJahZsHtrAXqU0AVQEKm2RotwQnyDmv3hhWu_AIel04G68EncOshvNMuXe90XryRY7GQ8T0mQSzCNAfXey4cjI3rTiLB4duVBkUxZPb_gVLV-2MijjPL1iBXiQ/s1350/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1350" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCTD1ZUG95W6oKREnQyJahZsHtrAXqU0AVQEKm2RotwQnyDmv3hhWu_AIel04G68EncOshvNMuXe90XryRY7GQ8T0mQSzCNAfXey4cjI3rTiLB4duVBkUxZPb_gVLV-2MijjPL1iBXiQ/w275-h132/1.png" width="275" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The past year and a half have presented associations with significant economic challenges. Many </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">have realized lower revenue from meetings
and less dues revenue. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One association executive summed up the situation in this
way. “It’s a lost year (and maybe two).
. . The impact on our financial health may extend well beyond the pandemic as
it takes years of careful financial stewardship to build reserves and we’re
spending it now.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To help offset the reduced revenue, associations are exploring
increasing dues. Based on data and experience, here are some of the best
practices around implementing a dues increase. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">How often do
associations raise dues?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Data collected over the years from the <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/">Membership
Marketing Benchmarking Report</a> shows the frequency of dues increases has
remained remarkably stable over the past decade. About a quarter of
associations report that they raise dues annually. However, the majority of
associations say that they raise dues on an as-needed basis. These stable outcomes
may primarily be the case because the past decade has witnessed a period of low
inflation. But with tighter finances and resurgent inflation, many of the “as
needed” associations may require a price increase. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">How much should dues
increase?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Historically, benchmarking respondents share that the median
increase of their most recent dues change was 5 percent. When a dues increase
exceeds 10 percent, there can be an erosion in renewal rates. An essential consideration in raising dues is
awareness of psychological price points. Ideally, prices ending in a 7 or 9
receive less resistance than those ending in zero to 4. So, for example, raising dues from $95 to $99 will receive less
pushback than going from $95 to $100. Of
course, at some point, the price will have to breach a price barrier, requiring
a somewhat lower percentage increase. Sensitivity to price points may be more
important than the actual percentage increase in dues. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">How do
associations justify raising dues to members?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With the current level of inflation, 2022 may be one of the
easiest years to justify a dues increase.
Costs for salaries, printing, and postage to service members are
increasing. However, it can be further supported by supplying additional justification
for higher prices. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In addition to inflation, associations have justified increases
to support new programs and services or support public awareness and advocacy
efforts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">What outcomes have
dues increases had on membership numbers and revenue?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the most frequently asked questions about a dues
increase is how it will impact membership renewals. Based on
experience with many dues changes, here are some outcomes that can be expected. First, a dues increase will produce more
revenue. In other words, any loss of members will be offset by the increased
price. Secondly, a dues increase of 5 percent or less will likely not constrict
renewal rates. Dues increases at higher
levels, especially of more than 10 percent, have produced lower renewal returns.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">How should a dues increase
be communicated?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Transparency is a significant value in the association
community. So, when a dues increase is needed, there are many discussions on
how members should be advised. The best practice is not to note the change at
the point of transaction in the renewal notice, email, or website renewal page.
If the increases occur annually, then it is expected by members, and a notice
is not required. If rates rise on an as-needed basis, it is appropriate to note
the upcoming change in a newsletter or somewhere on the website. Posting a clear
explanation for the change also allows staff and volunteers to present a simple
unified message to members. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Price increases are often required to maintain an
organization and keep up with rising costs. However, increasing dues should not
be a consistent solution. Some very successful associations have insisted that
price increases are a last resort—instead, the organization focuses on
generating revenue through new member growth and product development. Growth by
adding new members and services represents a dynamic way to serve the community
and accomplish an association's mission. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com1Alexandria, VA, USA38.8048355 -77.046921411.840683524851745 -112.20316871779099 65.768987475148265 -41.890674082209017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-12149566065716032562021-07-21T12:05:00.000-04:002023-12-06T13:47:07.652-05:00The Impact of the Pandemic on Association Membership <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-r1aP9uneG_nIUT_teBjwcoXkewamV26aMWhm1tx-6QNZ50kmIdnENG0TgZEiyC7KWla-ISBr6mIbV_yh5Nhkvd8qfUECkYkIIT9rfH6aE7LctDo27XD4Vf5QXgWhLZi31XX8TKX2QE/s2048/Cover_The_2021_Membership_Marketing_Benchmarking_Report.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1329" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-r1aP9uneG_nIUT_teBjwcoXkewamV26aMWhm1tx-6QNZ50kmIdnENG0TgZEiyC7KWla-ISBr6mIbV_yh5Nhkvd8qfUECkYkIIT9rfH6aE7LctDo27XD4Vf5QXgWhLZi31XX8TKX2QE/w221-h283/Cover_The_2021_Membership_Marketing_Benchmarking_Report.jpg" width="221" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Not since the Great Recession over a decade, ago have more
associations reported that their membership declined than those showing an
increase. However, despite the challenges, there remain points of light that
provide hope for the future of a forceful rebound for membership programs. These
are some of the findings in the recently released <i>2021 Membership Marketing
Benchmarking Report</i>.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are the sobering statistics from this past year. A
total of 47% of associations are reporting declines in their total membership.
Of those who say membership has declined, the median percentage drop in counts
is 9%. Member renewal rates are also impacted. 45% of associations report
declines in member renewals, almost double from the previous year’s 24%. On top
of membership challenges, 80% of associations say that their annual in-person
meeting was canceled or postponed in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These outcomes have had repercussions on the budget and
staff of associations. Two in ten
associations report that their association experienced employee layoffs and
salary or hour reductions. And 12% say that they furloughed employees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Despite these trials, the research data does offer some
promise of a turnaround for future results.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The overall membership trend for associations remains
positive. Nearly half of associations (45%) indicate that their membership
still shows an increase over the past five years. The benchmarking report has
tracked membership for over a dozen years. Looking back at outcomes from
previous economic disruptions like The Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, we see
that membership made a remarkable recovery in subsequent years. In the years
after that economic downturn, the proportion of associations reporting
increased membership rose rapidly from a low of 36% to nearly 50% and higher in
the following years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are some of the important insights from <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/">this year’s
report</a> on what did work for associations this past year and what
opportunities lie ahead for membership recruitment, engagement, and renewal
going forward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a name="_Hlk68551393"></a><a name="_Hlk68551037"><b>Recruitment<o:p></o:p></b></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Despite these adverse conditions of the past
year, about 1 in 4 associations still saw membership growth last year (26%). One of the most critical
factors was continuing membership recruitment efforts. Only 29% of associations
saw an increase in new member acquisition last year – a dramatic decline from
45% the prior year. However, associations that increased new member input were
far more likely to see overall membership growth (63%, compared to 7%.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The<i> <a href="file:///C:/Users/TonyR/Downloads/To%20understand%20why%20these%20associations%20were%20successful%20in%20growing%20membership,%20this%20year%E2%80%99s%20report%20highlights%20some%20of%20the%20driver%E2%80%99s%20membership%20growth">Membership
Marketing Benchmarking Report</a> </i>highlighted the contributions to effective
membership recruitment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Providing a compelling value proposition. </b>In
the survey, <span style="line-height: 115%;">associations reporting increases in their new member and overall
membership in the past year are significantly more likely to say </span>their
association’s value proposition is very compelling or compelling. More than
half of associations believe their value proposition to be compelling or very
compelling (52%, up from 48% in the previous year). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Innovating to Meet Changing Needs</b>. This
year’s report also shows evidence of associations’ ability to understand and
rapidly address members’ and prospects’ changing needs. The percentage of
association executives who consider their organization very or extremely
innovative has seen a significant increase (29%, up from 20% in 2020). The ability to
innovate correlates with increases in new members. An impressive 78% of
associations reported that they developed new products and services to assist
members and member companies over the past year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Engagement</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One data point that jumps out from the<i> <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/">2021 Membership
Marketing Benchmarking Report</a> </i>is the outstanding response of associations
to support members during the pandemic and subsequent recession. Members turned
to their professional and trade associations for assistance at record
levels. And the data shows that
associations responded heroically. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One remarkable statistic testifies to this heightened
relationship. Seven in ten associations (71%) reported that the level of member
engagement increased this year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This year’s report highlights the products and services
driving increased member participation. Associations
reported tremendous growth in three areas when asked how they had seen
engagement change over the previous year. 83% said they had higher
participation in their webinars compared to 53% in the past year. Additionally,
those seeing increased attendance at professional development meetings rose to 57%,
up from 44%. And those reporting an uptick in the visits to their members-only
section of the website grew to 56%, up from 44%. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A very practical example of helping members through the
economic challenges was offering assistance in finding jobs. 37% reported an
increase in the members' use of their career services.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Renewal and
Reinstatement<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The <i><a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/">2021 Membership
Marketing Benchmarking Report</a> </i>highlights how associations have adapted
membership renewals over the past year to assist members. One shining example
is that half of the associations offered hardship accommodations for their
members when it came time for them to renew. In addition, many associations
extended their grace period to help members during this challenging time. In
2020, 23% of associations reported that they did not offer a membership grace
period. That number dropped to only 16%
this year. In fact, in all categories, associations, on average, have extended
the grace period that they offer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">More than three in ten associated offered members installment
payment options and automatic annual credit card renewal options. In a year
where many industries saw a significant shift in their workforce from the
office to a home-based workspace, mailed renewal notices may have gone unopened
in office mailboxes. Associations that offered installment dues payments and
auto credit card renewals were more likely to see increases in their renewals
than those groups that did not.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In many cases, the decrease in renewal rates for
associations was driven by those who let their membership expire due to job
losses and budget cuts. These members
did not leave for lack of value, so now may be the time to focus on
reinstatement efforts by continuing to communicate the importance and benefits
of membership. Many associations maintain contact well after a member departs.
22% of reporting associations do not ever stop contacting expired members. With
hope on the horizon for a better year ahead, your lapsed members may now be in
a better position to reinstate their membership, but they won’t do so unless
you ask. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To get your copy of the <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/"><i>2021 Membership
Marketing Benchmarking Report</i></a>, please go to the Knowledge Center on the
Marketing General Incorporated website. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-81009685757107300192021-07-15T11:44:00.001-04:002021-07-15T11:44:21.559-04:00A Membership Marketing Conversation <blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What has been the impact of the pandemic on membership this
past year? And how can associations regain a growth trajectory? </span></p></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my recent interview, we discussed these topics with
insights from the </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/" target="_blank">2021 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report</a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/" target="_blank"> </a>and the
recently released book, </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/books/" target="_blank">Membership Recruitment:</a> How to Grow RecurringRevenue, Reach New Markets and Advance Your Mission.</i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F2e1aAAmWvY" width="320" youtube-src-id="F2e1aAAmWvY"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-3910795035060277892021-04-26T12:07:00.001-04:002021-05-12T09:56:08.723-04:00Just Released Webinar on Membership Recruitment<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaKBJ87IAg1XHsjJNCzPBqaPw-6fEPDoVrY8wAiu3Gt07d_Z2UOPgv-URqLc4f6nMIIofG52Ex1jhKi9YkquLoq5BDs13H_WyL3jiYofrD4bOIxL52cagx8N-n6q3CLRsj5ISlaGMUt8/s2048/Tabletop+Membership+Recruitment.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="2048" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaKBJ87IAg1XHsjJNCzPBqaPw-6fEPDoVrY8wAiu3Gt07d_Z2UOPgv-URqLc4f6nMIIofG52Ex1jhKi9YkquLoq5BDs13H_WyL3jiYofrD4bOIxL52cagx8N-n6q3CLRsj5ISlaGMUt8/w400-h210/Tabletop+Membership+Recruitment.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An effective membership recruitment program is the road to
growth, financial health, and mission success for an association. But how do
you get a dynamic program up and running? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To discover answers to establishing and maintaining a strong program we just released our interview highlighting recommendations from the new book, <i>Membership Recruitment</i>. In<a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/webinars/" target="_blank"> the webinar</a>, we share practical guidance on:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Making a case for supporting membership growth in your association<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Understanding
the five stages of a member’s relationship journey with an association<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Getting a
membership recruitment program launched<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Defining
your target markets and reaching top prospects<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Building a
compelling value proposition and marketing message<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Establishing
testing for optimal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>membership results<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Want to read the book? <a href="https://a.co/2eAaRfg">Sample a copy here</a>. Here is <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/webinars/" target="_blank">the link</a> to access the recording of the webinar.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-2841290359873707412021-02-15T14:51:00.000-05:002023-12-06T13:47:29.820-05:00The Seven Biggest Mistakes in Membership Recruitment<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F2amMzdSDt9-o8-CyFv8Xp404YJ19VXvkgZdor8uHgRgYWHSYg8qdERYPlmgefEW9wjWuX-_ahf3CTvEiN0bsbpfU4EK7hoVXpd_p3L02ibUMQBah7kp014hGymkUPVR0qQXhl77Qsc/s1200/Caution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F2amMzdSDt9-o8-CyFv8Xp404YJ19VXvkgZdor8uHgRgYWHSYg8qdERYPlmgefEW9wjWuX-_ahf3CTvEiN0bsbpfU4EK7hoVXpd_p3L02ibUMQBah7kp014hGymkUPVR0qQXhl77Qsc/w133-h200/Caution.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />“Why isn’t my membership growing?” I hear this question often
in my consulting with associations. As I
investigate the concerns, a consistent theme emerges. In most instances, the
root of the problem comes down to issues with their membership recruitment program.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That is why in the book, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Membership-Recruitment-Recurring-Revenue-Markets/dp/1736249304/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1JRR6J6EMOU12&dchild=1&keywords=membership+recruitment+how+to+grow+recurring+revenue&qid=1613417097&sprefix=Membership+recr%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Membership Recruitment: How to Grow Recurring Revenue, Reach New Markets, and Advance Your Mission</a></i>, I explore
the impediments holding back associations’ membership. So, here is the list of the most consistent challenges I find in membership recruitment programs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <b>
</b></span><!--[endif]--><b>Abandonment of Membership Recruitment </b>– Perhaps the
most significant problem holding back membership for associations is not consistently
asking prospective members to join. An association may believe that they can grow
their membership by merely increasing retention rates and that recruitment is
too expensive or challenging. In reality,
one of the best predictors of overall membership growth is a thriving
recruitment effort. Years of
benchmarking data show a correlation between new member input and overall
membership growth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Excessive Planning</b> – A good plan is needed to
grow membership. A plan includes defining
your value proposition, identifying target markets, and developing a schedule
and goals. However, many associations spend so much time developing a plan to
answer every objection and contingency that they delay selling
memberships. They end up with a book-sized
document that is out-of-date when and if ever implemented. Instead, consider a “ready,
fire, aim” philosophy and do something now. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Inadequate Special Offers</b> – Membership is a push
product. It is sold, not sought. A prospect can likely join 24/7 on your
website. So, an incentive is needed to
get someone to join now. The fear is a
special offer like a new member discount will lead to a less committed
member. But test after test by many associations
demonstrates that a strong offer both in the near-term and long-term benefits
membership growth. For example,
companies run sales promotions not because they like giving away money but
because it grows the number of customers and their revenue. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Overreliance on a Single Channel </b>– Many associations
have been damaged by relying on a single tactic to bring in new members. Those groups
that depended on an annual meeting to attract members each year were hurt by pandemic
caused cancellations. Others that were
reliant on email acquisition efforts have burned out their email lists through
overuse. The solution is to develop a marketing
portfolio using an omnichannel strategy that uses a variety of methods like mail,
phone, social media, paid digital ads, and sales efforts to get potential
members. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Insufficient Frequency of Contact</b> – Once and done
is not an effective marketing strategy. Membership
recruitment requires ongoing and consistent outreach. Growing associations maintain digital ads throughout
the year, consistently call members every month when they lapse, send out
regular invitations to join, and build their prospect database with new content
offers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <b>
</b></span><!--[endif]--><b>Lack of Testing </b>– When carefully measured, even
well-run recruitment efforts show dramatic variance between their best list,
offer, and message. So, structuring
statistically valid tests can determine what is working and what is not successful. Some test outcomes impact results – even with
minor changes -- by well over 100 percent. Without a testing strategy, a
recruitment program will substantially underperform. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Neglecting a Call to Action </b>– The first questions
someone asks when getting a promotion is “what is it?” and “what am I being
asked to do?”. Fortunately, marketers
are typically very good at describing the benefits of membership. But they often fail at telling the prospect
what to do with the information. Defining
a Call to Action (CAT) needs to be the starting point in planning a promotion. Start creating your promotion with the action
you want your prospective member to do or the place where you want the prospect
to go to join and work backward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If membership growth is a goal for your association and you
can identify with any of these oversights, there is help. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Membership-Recruitment-Recurring-Revenue-Markets/dp/1736249304/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1JRR6J6EMOU12&dchild=1&keywords=membership+recruitment+how+to+grow+recurring+revenue&qid=1613417097&sprefix=Membership+recr%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-3">Membership Recruitment: How to GrowRecurring Revenue, Reach New Markets, and Advance Your Mission</a></i> shares insights
on the strategies and tactics that have helped many organizations trigger rapid
and sustained growth. Use <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Membership-Recruitment-Recurring-Revenue-Markets/dp/1736249304/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1JRR6J6EMOU12&dchild=1&keywords=membership+recruitment+how+to+grow+recurring+revenue&qid=1613417097&sprefix=Membership+recr%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-3" target="_blank">this link</a> to learn more. </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-16954750325675354142021-02-09T11:07:00.000-05:002021-02-09T11:07:13.953-05:00Membership Recruitment Book Release<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrQMvvGT9USvqF1EcjJ_v7tGM9vBk4jshGbjlBu7HH9rxKyfBCVbV-ue5J7esiawMqVWSx4wS2IggaXu1zkZMi94XHcBabNmwKFx9L3UoDucmASdVNJYK9u-8rg4vPN_4ZweyP3Si8kE/s2048/Membership+Recruitment_Tony+Rossell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrQMvvGT9USvqF1EcjJ_v7tGM9vBk4jshGbjlBu7HH9rxKyfBCVbV-ue5J7esiawMqVWSx4wS2IggaXu1zkZMi94XHcBabNmwKFx9L3UoDucmASdVNJYK9u-8rg4vPN_4ZweyP3Si8kE/s320/Membership+Recruitment_Tony+Rossell.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />For many years I have cataloged my experiences as I
consulted with perhaps a hundred professional and trade associations to
understand and capture the successes and challenges these groups have had in
growing their membership.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That is why I am happy to share many of these lessons with you in
my just-released book,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Membership-Recruitment-Recurring-Revenue-Markets/dp/1736249304/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3499AW7L6LJ1O&dchild=1&keywords=membership+recruitment+how+to+grow+recurring+revenue&qid=1612885441&sprefix=Membership+rec%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1">MembershipRecruitment: How to Grow Recurring Revenue, Reach New Markets, and Advance Your Mission.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This book aims to answer three critical questions: Why is a
growing membership so important? How can a thriving membership program be
planned and executed? And what is required to achieve long-term membership
resiliency?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can order your copy of the book in print or as an eBook
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Membership-Recruitment-Recurring-Revenue-Markets/dp/1736249304/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3499AW7L6LJ1O&dchild=1&keywords=membership+recruitment+how+to+grow+recurring+revenue&qid=1612885441&sprefix=Membership+rec%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1" target="_blank">on Amazon</a>. Here are some of the early book reviews.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p> </o:p><i>“Membership Recruitment is a thoughtfully written guided
tour of today’s membership marketing universe, complete with how-to advice for
the uninitiated, updates for the experienced, and fresh insights for everyone.”</i></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p> </o:p>Joy Davis, CAE<br />Managing Director, Member Products<br />American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p> "</o:p><i>Tony Rossell is
the Master of Membership Marketing. This book is not a theoretical treatise; it
reflects Tony’s work over many years, during which he has executed these
principles over and over again to the great benefit of many membership
associations. As the terrain shifts under the feet of non-profit associations,
and for-profit corporations capitalize on the membership model, Tony’s
expertise on member acquisition and retention is to be treasured by anybody
serious about membership growth.”</i></span></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p> </o:p>Ron Mattocks<br />Chief Operating Officer<br />Council for Advancement and Support of Education</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tony Rossell is a leading expert on all aspects of
membership from recruitment through retention. As it is stated in the book,
‘Members can and should be the driving power for association success.’ This
book should be required reading for all who work in a membership association.
The book contains practical, research-based advice and guidance that will
assist associations in the development of strategies both to increase
membership and retention.”</span></i></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Neil Reichenberg<br />Former Executive Director<br />International Public Management Association for Human
Resources</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">“If you are in the membership business, do yourself and
your organization a favor by buying and reading this book. Tony Rossell
understands the membership business better than anyone. Save yourself years of
trial and error by discovering what he has learned during a long and successful
career in membership marketing. Tony knows what works today and where the
trends are leading us tomorrow.”</span></i></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Frank Kenny<br />Founder<br />Chamber Pros Community</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Membership Recruitment: How to Grow Recurring Revenue, Reach
New Markets, and Advance Your Mission </i>is available on Amazon. You can also get
more <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/books/" target="_blank">information here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-92035404330521608112021-02-04T14:41:00.001-05:002021-02-04T14:41:19.038-05:00How to Improve Your Innovation Skillset<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mBkDSaT9-c93W84NCyneGXDm0sIkjkPxctF0SEfZtxfikhpc7wZx1EcKYozGpQocwoTqLTEQvw66doWTpLnG7gLHTG4mo99EPpGYt_7J2IB5t19Mqci4OOxOc0_bbMesy_KJC4FJUMo/s1920/Untitled+design+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mBkDSaT9-c93W84NCyneGXDm0sIkjkPxctF0SEfZtxfikhpc7wZx1EcKYozGpQocwoTqLTEQvw66doWTpLnG7gLHTG4mo99EPpGYt_7J2IB5t19Mqci4OOxOc0_bbMesy_KJC4FJUMo/w200-h133/Untitled+design+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />Some of the most used words by association professionals
this past year have been “pivot,” “adapt,” and “shift gears.”<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">We have had to make changes in real-time. In
short, we have had to innovate.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The need to innovate has led me to study some of the best
practices in building an innovative mindset and culture. I have found two books
as helpful guides. First is <i>How Innovation Works</i> by Matt Ridley, which I wrote <a href="http://membershipmarketing.blogspot.com/2020/10/membership-innovation-in-time-of.html" target="_blank">about here</a>. The second is a classic, <i>The Innovators DNA</i>, by Dyer,
Gregersen, and Christensen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The authors in <i>The Innovators DNA </i>did eight years of research
to understand the crucial skill and practices that drive innovation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The outcome was identifying five specific skills
that power innovation. These are skills
that you can learn and cultivate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
they share, “we believe that you can find ways to more successfully develop the
creative spark within yourself and others.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are the skills that drive innovation and creativity. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Associating: A theme for associating is that one
+ one = three. There are very few completely new discoveries. Instead, new
ideas build on existing experiences and concepts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Innovators “connect wildly different ideas, objects,
services, techniques, and disciplines to dish up new and unusual innovations.” One
method to do this is to journal to capture your ideas and review them to
connect them to new thoughts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Questioning: Innovation is supported by asking
questions that challenge the status quo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Questions include “What is the current status?”, “What is the cause?”, “Why
and why not?”, and finally, “What if?” These questions do not create innovation
but set the platform for change. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Observing: While questioning is very active,
observing is more passive. By watching people, techniques, and processes, you
gain insights into what works well and what does not work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can observe customers and members as they
do their jobs, visit and watch how other associations go about their work, and
broaden your vision by going to different cultures to understand how they
function. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Networking. Many people feel they are good at networking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the purpose of their networking focused
on finding their next job or selling their services. Networking as an innovator
is different. The goal of this networking is not to build a career but to
discover new ideas. How can you do this? Attend conferences and events. Build
relationships with experts in the field. Exchange ideas with people outside
your community. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Experimenting. I recently read Thomas Edison’s
biography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We typically think of him as
an inspired genius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he did not view
himself this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He saw his inventions
as inspiration by perspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To find
the proper filament for the lightbulb, for example, he and his team tested
6,000 different materials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
associations, the marketing realm offers a beautiful laboratory for testing and
experimentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything from product
ideas to value propositions to messaging can be tested, analyzed, and
optimized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the year ahead, the saying that “The only thing that is
constant is change” may be more accurate than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Developing the skills to respond to that
change with new innovations is the best hope for dealing with what is to come. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-71778506333617216272020-11-10T10:53:00.000-05:002020-11-10T10:53:40.817-05:00Advocating for and Improving Membership Programs<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu643cfLzDR4zCx_jHTJR3gk0EUCW-eh1gS1L9Vzi8DEzcseuJPR6qeG8uQKKGpJaRUXSkeWNX2_fL3bo3mrQCIeEueYrBSeKjesj6XwkaKyMQ75qe2hrckolmlPiS-3yKls9uW48N0o/s1920/Advocating+for+Membership.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu643cfLzDR4zCx_jHTJR3gk0EUCW-eh1gS1L9Vzi8DEzcseuJPR6qeG8uQKKGpJaRUXSkeWNX2_fL3bo3mrQCIeEueYrBSeKjesj6XwkaKyMQ75qe2hrckolmlPiS-3yKls9uW48N0o/w200-h133/Advocating+for+Membership.png" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />During difficult economic times, the pressure to abandon or
diminish membership's role may be advocated by some. However, I believe the
exact opposite should be the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to write
some articles highlighting the benefits of membership to an organization and
the importance of keeping a membership program resilient through continual
innovation. I thought that I would share the first <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/10/26/the-power-of-the-membership-relationship.html?iana=cco_landing_news">here</a> and the second <a href="https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2020/october/associations-build-membership-resilience-through-innovation/?MessageRunDetailID=3467766662&PostID=20426913&utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io">here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/10/26/the-power-of-the-membership-relationship.html?iana=cco_landing_news">first piece </a>discusses why membership programs are
essential to building a vibrant organization and how it is mutually beneficial
to both the member and the membership group. The <a href="https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2020/october/associations-build-membership-resilience-through-innovation/?MessageRunDetailID=3467766662&PostID=20426913&utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io">second piece </a>focuses on how to
sustain a thriving membership program through innovation. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-69895407450842999302020-11-06T14:21:00.000-05:002020-11-06T14:21:12.372-05:00Podcast: Pandemics Impact on Associations<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fifteenminutes.fireside.fm/13" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqch90sOLJ1u-v3yuig5SXiP4usRLu6K3xRiaBp2HDKwjcxDEQlEHrtHUuSwxT_OJfgjoFHcvsF6W0LnerGNfoKeNiEKfV6p5tRD_JYUNB1vhBji08__ey8fDhl8rK6_rXheblHuApRnk/w400-h266/Podcast+Post.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The pandemic and recession have had a stunning effect on professional and trade associations. I share both the hardships and hopes in our<a href="https://fifteenminutes.fireside.fm/13" target="_blank"> latest podcast</a> highlighting how associations are managing these challenging times. The podcast draws on the research presented in our Association Economic Outlook Report with over 500 participating associations. Please give it a listen using <a href="https://fifteenminutes.fireside.fm/13" target="_blank">this link.</a> </span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-7613828378244042142020-10-27T10:31:00.000-04:002020-10-27T10:31:06.226-04:00Webinar: Insights from the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our webinar “</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZU3PVBa2ow&feature=youtu.be" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Challenges and Hopes: Insights from the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">” is now available on YouTube. It provides the top insights coming out of this research and practical advice to help meet today’s membership challenges.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYj8hyphenhyphenw5eQiUUmXhsRjeXB8EbS6DlyO7MVmM2_Pf6Qy7mlNpnysBdPeBkRYfAiYucwGRGZpusaM_fGQJ7kwy8EWh6DZCRTdmVRlZbWuWyItXeHvCNO4yZ5QOOzkA6YlKcEOEWQnEVxmiw/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYj8hyphenhyphenw5eQiUUmXhsRjeXB8EbS6DlyO7MVmM2_Pf6Qy7mlNpnysBdPeBkRYfAiYucwGRGZpusaM_fGQJ7kwy8EWh6DZCRTdmVRlZbWuWyItXeHvCNO4yZ5QOOzkA6YlKcEOEWQnEVxmiw/w200-h113/image.png" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over 800 associations shared their experiences and
outcomes for the annual <a href="https://www.marketinggeneral.com/knowledge-bank/reports/" target="_blank">Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report</a>. The report's
goal is to help associations better understand what is working in membership
recruitment, engagement, and retention. Providing these insights comes from cataloging
the tactics of responding associations and cross tabulating the survey
responses against the outcomes that associations achieve. As a result, the
report guides the best practices that correlate with increased member input,
higher renewal rates, and total membership growth.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The webinar runs 60 minutes and includes a time for questions. You can access the webinar with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZU3PVBa2ow&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">this link</a>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p>
</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701810422851568415.post-84751417013400560742020-10-23T11:26:00.000-04:002020-10-23T11:26:03.482-04:00New Report Highlights Impact of Pandemic on Associations<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the just-released <a href="https://go.marketinggeneral.com/2020aeo" target="_blank">Association Economic Outlook Report</a>, over 500 association executives shared how the pandemic and the recession have impacted their organizations.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They reported substantial disruptions.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">78% canceled or postponed their in-person
events this year<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">39% see their membership as going down by the
end of the year<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">20% cut the salaries or hours of their
employees<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">18% reported layoffs with no intention to
bring back those staff members<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nevertheless, associations have responded
forcefully to address these circumstances. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most notably, the present challenges
have decreased the impediments to change and innovation experienced by
associations. A year ago, in the 2019 Economic Outlook Report, respondents said
that some of the barriers to change were institutional resistance to risk and
the slow pace of board and senior executive decision making. As this chart highlights this year’s data
shows that some of those impediments have substantially declined.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbL82T1MQTdR7-qUICcv1UYanAQjMl9DLPlUGDFjNkccOwVpT9XKRFOU6On2MvF3lPLvK5_5sXcM5mkQ-EnDoSZ6Q0vg5OW1J4IcHbohSOIVg5Yvm5wkABj2zYBVDuJn2xwy8Ukd1uwg/s847/Association+Barriers+to+Innovation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="847" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbL82T1MQTdR7-qUICcv1UYanAQjMl9DLPlUGDFjNkccOwVpT9XKRFOU6On2MvF3lPLvK5_5sXcM5mkQ-EnDoSZ6Q0vg5OW1J4IcHbohSOIVg5Yvm5wkABj2zYBVDuJn2xwy8Ukd1uwg/w405-h197/Association+Barriers+to+Innovation.jpg" width="405" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In response to the current challenges, associations
are making adjustments.</span></p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">84% have increased their virtual professional
development opportunities<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">78% have developed new products and services
to assist members and member companies<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">77% of those that canceled their in-person
events replaced it with a virtual event<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">72% have reevaluated and streamline internal
processes<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As associations deliver essential
services to members, they see the impact. Fully 69% say that member engagement has
increased during this year. For those willing to provide critical information,
networking, and community to members during hard times, the results can be increased
loyalty and organizational resilience. The message is, do not waste the
opportunity for innovation and change that challenging times bring. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can download the full <a href="https://go.marketinggeneral.com/2020aeo" target="_blank">EconomicOutlook Report here</a>. </span><a href="https://go.marketinggeneral.com/2020aeo" target="_blank"><o:p></o:p></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">The Membership Marketing Blog is written by Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President of Marketing General, Inc.
For more information, contact Tony at Tony@MarketingGeneral.com.</div>Tony Rossellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288238496792646049noreply@blogger.com0