Many associations have been seeing a dip in membership lately, and it’s not just happening to a specific type or in a certain location—it’s a widespread issue.
Why’s that?
In the digital age, many people find online communities and virtual events more accessible and convenient than traditional associations.
Economic downturns or financial constraints are also leading individuals and organizations to cut back on optional spending, including association membership.
To tackle these challenges, associations need to get creative with their offerings and really connect with both current and potential members to show off their value.
A well-crafted growth strategy is crucial for expanding association membership and ensuring the long-term sustainability and impact of your organization.
Ready to jazz up your membership game? Let’s dive into three strategies that’ll help your association shine and crush those recruitment goals.
1. Rock Digital Marketing
In the digital world, having a strong online presence is key to reaching new members. Digital marketing for associations is budget-friendly and super effective. You can precisely target a specific member type through tailored digital ads and content marketing, while also reaching new geographic areas using innovative geofence advertising techniques.
Here’s more reasons why it’s a game changer:
Cost-Effectiveness: Digital marketing usually costs less than traditional methods like print ads or direct mail. Marketing tools like social media, email marketing and SEO can give you great results without breaking the bank.
Data-Driven Insights: Digital marketing lets you dive into detailed analytics. You can keep an eye on engagement, conversion rates and other key stats to spot what’s hitting the mark and what’s missing the target.
Real-Time Communication: Digital marketing facilitates quick communication and updates. Associations can respond to inquiries, share news and promote events in real time, keeping potential members informed and engaged.
Community Building: Social media platforms are like virtual hangout spots where potential and current members can mingle and connect. This creates a sense of community and belonging, making it tempting to join and stick with your association.
By tapping into digital marketing magic, associations can totally rev up their recruitment game, streamline their operations and skyrocket membership with clever, efficient strategies.
2. Host Engaging Events and Webinars
Events and webinars are fantastic for drawing in new members. They can boost your association’s visibility and credibility while making your community more engaging. They are like the ultimate networking playground—where you can strike up exciting new business connections and discover golden opportunities for education and training, all while enjoying the camaraderie.
Here’s more reasons to host in-person events and webinars:
Expertise and Credibility: By sharing top-notch content and juicy insights, you turn your organization into a thought leader, making it very attractive to potential members.
Proven Success: At these meetings, you can wow the crowd with member success stories, case studies and glowing testimonials to show off just how valuable being a member can be.
Personal Connection: Events and webinars are like backstage passes for potential members to meet your team, current members and leaders up close. This personal touch builds trust and helps prospects picture themselves as part of your awesome community.
Lead Generation: Events and webinars are gold mines for snagging contact info from interested folks. Gather a list of hot prospects to send personalized messages and keep the engagement party going.
3. Effectively Communicate Your Member Benefits
Demonstrate the real impact of your association’s member benefits by sharing member success stories to prove why joining is a no-brainer. Showcasing members’ achievements in vibrant video testimonials and eye-catching graphics is like having a superpower for your association—boosting membership by turning real achievements into irresistible invitations to join.
Highlighting your member perks is like rolling out the red carpet. It grabs attention and makes your association the place everyone wants to be.
Here’s more reasons to comprehensively highlight your association’s member benefits into your marketing and outreach:
Builds Credibility and Trust: When your current members talk about their professional and organizational development thanks to your association, it really shows off the impact you’re making. This builds trust with potential members and proves that your association walks the talk.
Differentiates Your Association: Spotlighting effective networking and educational opportunities can help your association stand out from others in your field. It shows how your events and trainings are distinct within your industry and valuable compared to competitors.
Enhances Member Engagement and Retention: Showing how your member benefits result in leadership opportunities, industry visibility and crucial connections makes individual and corporate members alike feel like they’re part of something special. When they see your association’s well-laid path toward strategic industry positioning in front of them , it keeps them engaged and excited to stick around, knowing they’re always getting something valuable.
Strengthens Your Association’s Brand and Positioning: Branding your association as the ultimate hotspot for growth and success boosts your visibility and makes you stand out in the industry.
Rocking digital marketing, hosting engaging events and webinars and showcasing your value can really make your association shine and attract new members. By investing in these strategies, you’ll pull in new members and create a lively, supportive community that’ll set your association up for long-term success.
For example when the New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) wanted to deepen its connection with current members and reel in some new ones, CMA jumped in with an electrifying marketing campaign that kicked off with a dynamic social media blitz.
Over 12 months, CMA worked its magic and boosted NJSNA’s social media followers by 1,066. Impressions went through the roof, jumping from 601,481 to 1.34 million.
But we didn’t stop there. We gave NJSNA’s Nurses Weekly e-newsletter a major makeover, leading to a surge in website traffic to their blog posts. The number of readers rocketed from 6,951 to an impressive 60,141.
We also turned up the volume on media placements, cranking them up from 49 to 67 and expanding their reach from 1.1 million to a staggering 4.1 million.
NJSNA’s membership soared, with 783 new members joining the ranks.
Are you ready to elevate your association to new heights and expand your member base with precision? Partner with CMA to create a tailored member recruitment strategy that aligns perfectly with your goals and resonates with your target audience.