New Book Release: The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

I wanted to share the news: my latest book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, is now available on Amazon!

Over three decades of working with professional and trade associations, I’ve been invited to countless meetings with one recurring question:

“How do we turn around our declining or stagnant membership numbers?”

While working with nearly 100 associations, I’ve observed a familiar pattern: the challenge isn’t due to a lack of effort. Association leaders and membership teams tirelessly listen to member feedback, manage chapters, deliver board reports, send renewals, and much more. Yet, despite their dedication, the results often don’t match the effort.

As one association staff member put it:

"Our biggest impediment to growth is telling our own story. We get so bogged down in day-to-day operations that we forget not everyone knows what we do, how we benefit them, and why they need to be a part of it."

This frustration is like the child in the classic story who frantically plugs leaks in a dam, only to have new ones appear.

Why The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing?

In my consulting experience, I’ve found that a better solution exists. It’s not about fixing every leak. It’s about pausing to identify what’s causing the leaks in the first place. Once the root causes—or barriers to growth—are clear, you can create a strategy to address them and achieve sustainable membership growth.

My previous book, Membership Recruitment: How to Grow Recurring Revenue, Reach New Markets, and Advance Your Mission, provided a comprehensive framework for building membership programs. However, many associations struggle with specific challenges that weren’t covered in depth.

That’s why this new book focuses on identifying and solving the core obstacles preventing membership growth. These obstacles, or “deadly sins,” are the recurring issues I’ve seen over decades of consulting and supported by over 16 years of research with data from thousands of participating associations from Marketing General Incorporated’s Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report.

What Are the Seven Deadly Sins?

Remarkably, the barriers to membership growth have remained consistent over time. Many associations fall into the trap of quick fixes, such as:

·       Rushing to send emails to boost short-term membership numbers.

·       Resigning themselves to believe that “we’ve tried everything, and it didn’t work.”

Instead of applying temporary solutions, associations must address the systemic roadblocks holding back their programs. This concept, drawn from systems thinking, focuses on identifying high-leverage points in the membership system where targeted action can unlock meaningful growth.

In the book, I identify and explore seven core barriers to membership success, including:

·       Failing to define a compelling value proposition.

·       Neglecting consistent recruitment efforts.

·       Overlooking the power of omnichannel marketing.

·       Underfunding critical membership initiatives.

Each chapter includes practical strategies and actionable takeaways to help associations overcome these obstacles. Real-world examples and bulleted steps will guide you and your team to focus on solutions that deliver results.

A Roadmap to Sustainable Growth

The membership model remains one of the most effective ways to build a thriving, engaged community. However, common “deadly sins” often prevent organizations from realizing their full potential.

Focusing on the root causes of membership challenges—not just their symptoms—can help create a strategy that drives meaningful and lasting growth.

Order your copy of The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing today and take a step toward transforming your membership program.

Order Now on Amazon.

Membership Marketing in a Digital Age: Evolving Tools, Unchanging Principles

Imagine transporting a membership marketer from 1988 to 2024. They would marvel at our digital tools—email, websites, social media. However, looking closely, they would realize that the core challenges and opportunities are unchanged. The foundations of membership marketing have remained remarkably consistent over the decades. The core principles of providing value, planning effectively, and testing remain the levers for growth as they did in the past. 

The Evolution of Marketing Technology

Here is a short list of the most significant marketing technology developments over the decades. 

• Email. This ubiquitous marketing tool did not come into common usage until the mid-90s. Today, the median number of weekly emails sent to members is three, and associations rate email as the most effective recruitment channel.
• Internet. The ability to make purchases and conduct financial transactions began in the late 1990s, with the first recorded secure transaction in 1994. Today, virtually all associations allow members and customers to purchase through their websites. 
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Google founded its AdWords program in 2000, focusing on keyword-based advertising and pay-per-click (PPC). Today, 32 percent of associations have search engine marketing as part of their marketing mix.
• Social Media. The ways we now commonly connect online developed in the early 2000s, with LinkedIn in 2003, Facebook in 2004, and YouTube in 2005. Today, 68 percent of associations use social media for their membership recruitment marketing campaigns.
• SMS. Companies began to use text marketing in the mid-2000s. Today, 13 percent of associations use texting in their marketing efforts.

This evolution of marketing technology is a crucial aspect of our field, and staying informed about these changes is essential. However, let’s also look at examples of how leading association marketers in the past have described the core aspects of membership marketing. They remain relevant to us today. By combining the opportunities presented with technological innovations and actively addressing the foundational principles of membership marketing, we can make significant progress in building a powerful membership program. 

The Enduring Need for Membership Value

Decades ago, the critical need to maintain a powerful value proposition was at the forefront of association challenges. In the 1995 publication Keeping Members: The Myths and Realities, Arlene Farber Sirkin and Michael P. McDermott highlighted the critical requirement of a powerful value proposition. They wrote, “Simply put, members will want to retain membership in your organization if they believe it’s valuable to them.” 1

ASAE’s 2007 landmark study, The Decision to Join, affirmed the critical nature of membership value. The study's data confirms, “As you might expect, the failure to deliver the expected value is by far the most prevalent reason for dropping membership.” 2

The value issue also dates back to the earliest Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report. The 2009 Report noted that the number one reason members did not renew was the “perceived lack of value.” Focusing on a powerful value proposition continues to serve as a priority to establish and sustain membership growth.

The Ongoing Challenge of Effective Planning and Sustained Outreach

Planning challenges were also present decades ago. Even in a somewhat less complex period, the paralysis of analysis plagued the implementation of marketing efforts. The ASAE book Membership Marketing highlighted this challenge. In the chapter on planning by Lauren L. Corbin and Rick P. Whelan, they explained to readers that “Doing something is better than doing nothing. Don’t let the process of producing an annual marketing plan take the place of marketing. Marketing must be a continuous process in today’s marketplace.” 3

The Continued Importance of Tracking, Testing, and Analysis

The critical requirement for market testing and tracking goes back to the 1920s. Claude Hopkins, one of the first direct marketers, maintained that “Mail order advertising is traced down to the fraction of a penny. The cost per reply and cost per dollar of sale show up with utter exactness. One ad is compared with another, one method with another . . . So no guesswork is permitted.” 4

For years, the need for these practices held a critical place for many associations. In the 2008 edition of ASAE’s Membership Essentials, we see the essential nature of market testing and tracking. “Perhaps the most important but most overlooked discipline in membership recruitment is testing and then tracking the results of marketing tests. Effective testing and tracking point you to where you can best deploy your resources most effectively and economically among the vast array of marketing options available.” 5

Without testing and tracking, we cannot discover the best approaches and offers to acquire new members.

The landscape of membership marketing has transformed dramatically with the rise of digital tools like email, social media, and search engine marketing. Yet, despite these innovations, the core principles—delivering a solid value proposition, sustained recruitment, and regular testing—remain as crucial as ever. As association marketers, we must embrace the latest tools while staying grounded in the principles that drive growth.

This article is an edited excerpt from the forthcoming book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing.

---

[1] Sirkin and McDermott, Keeping Members.

[2] Dalton and Dignam, The Decision to Join.

[3] Nicholais, Membership Marketing.

[4] Hopkins, My Life in Advertising & Scientific Advertising.

[5] Jacobs and Assante, Membership Essentials.

Coming Soon: The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

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

Why Another Book on Membership Marketing?

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

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

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

Solving the Core Challenges

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

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

A Real-World Example

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

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

The answers revealed the problem:

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

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

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

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

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