Professional Associations and Membership Retention

Professional Associations Are Losing Members; Is Yours?

• For many professional associations, the perceived value of membership is dwindling causing a tremendous impact to member retention and revenue. Why is this happening? According to a study by ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) (What is ASAE) and the Center for Association Leadership, of the 56% of association members who did not renew their memberships some of the top reasons were:

  • The value they expected to receive from the association was not delivered
  • The value they expected to receive from the association was not delivered
  • Members were dissatisfied with the association’s performance
  • Their employer stopped paying membership dues

  By not communicating the true benefits effectively, associations are damaging their organization’s brand and losing disengaged members.

  All hope is not lost - there are controllable and predictable factors that associations can anticipate and influence with their members.

  The Solution for Professional Associations

  Rather than experimenting or guessing, start with BeaconFey’s proven Association process:

  1. Identify who chooses your association and why

  When you are able to better identify the members of your association that are satisfied, you can create organic and on-line marketing methods to attract the right association member.

  2. Determine what member segments are not choosing you and why

  Is their a particular niche that you feel would be good to become part of your association, however they are not choosing to join your group? All is not lost, we just need to identify what this particular group is looking for and ensure that there is a market to message match.

  3. Show how your brand promise compares to the competition

  Its all begins with value. When you are able to show how your associations brand provide more value that they can receive elsewhere or where you can pique their curiosity to take a look, you are well on your way to increased association membership.

  Case Study:

  BeaconFey Marketing & Communications worked with an association client to identify where losses in membership were occurring. By first evaluating the potential universe of members and the size of their employers, we were able to pinpoint the client’s ideal prospect: marketing professionals in firms with less than 10 employees, which made up 95% of the marketplace for this particular industry and client.

  Upon a thorough review of the client’s database, we determined only 8% of their membership base met the criteria of their largest potential market universe. Lack of insight into valuable membership data meant this client wasted precious marketing dollars and resources on areas that were not beneficial to the financial health of their association and their brand value.

  Working with a brand expert who understands the challenges membership organizations face is critical. Developing a program that will create true value and content, inspire current members to stay, attract new members to join and drive future growth are all key when evaluating your marketing needs.

  BeaconFey Marketing & Communications has more than 30 years of experience in translating complex data into actionable marketing programs that create true value and content, inspire current members to stay, attract new members and drive future growth for professional associations. Our award-winning team is skilled in a variety of disciplines to ensure your marketing dollars are well spent and your message reaches the right audience at the right time.

  BeaconFey wants to know what you think. Please visit any of our social media sites and leave a comment to let us know what you are experiencing or just let us know your thoughts.