Best Practices for Retaining Members

Members are associations’ best asset. The people who make up and represent your organization bring it purpose and life. While recruiting is important, keeping your members around is just as crucial. On average, it costs 7 to 10 times more to win a new member than to keep an existing member. In this post, we will go over some tips on how associations can retain their members.

1. Conduct surveys: People want to be heard, and if you’re a great leader, you certainly want to hear from your members. Short surveys can be a great way to get a feel for what your members want and how they are feeling as part of the organization. The Membership Guys recommend sending out regular surveys so that you are not playing guessing games about what your members want.
2. Provide a content calendar: Your organization’s content and events are great pull factors for potential members and great reasons to stick around for those who are already members. Reminding members what you offer and what they can take part in will show them how they benefit from staying in the organization. The Membership Guys explain that even if they cannot attend an event on the calendar, it creates the “fear of missing out” if they leave.
3. Pay attention to engagement levels: Catch lack of engagement early. It’s so important to keep tabs on social media engagement, newsletter opens, and event registrations to see how much your members are engaging with your organization. If you see it start to fall off, check in with your team and see how you can get things back on track before it is too late. Member Clicks suggests reaching out to members individually and seeing what they think would help get them more engaged with the organization.
4. Emphasize member benefits: Let people know you are the only organization that can provide the benefits that you offer. Glue Up recommends consistently promoting your offerings to remind them of the resources they have. This will remind them of your association’s value.
5. Be open to communication from members: Your association was made for your members, so it is very important to remain open to suggestions from members. Member Clicks explains that every member should feel comfortable giving feedback to the organization. Make it clear that you are open and ready to hear feedback — and make it easy for members to stay in touch.

Your association was built around your members. Putting time and care into the people who are part of it will help them stick around and grow your organization even more.