Your members pay their dues and belong to the Association. There are certain benefits they expect to receive with their membership. They look to you to provide valuable information – information that will help better their business, ensure that they’re operating up to code or industry standards, info that could increase productivity and maybe increase networking opportunities that will ideally generate revenue possibilities.
When members first join, many are eager for information from their association. But by the end of the year, many may have become less enthused and even disenchanted with correspondence from their Association. Why does this happen? Because the information that they have received is often uninteresting or worse yet, completely irrelevant to them.
When Nick’s Painting received the 4th fax about plumbing classes, the 5th email blast recruiting volunteers for the economic affairs committee, or the 6th email about WHATEVER, you’ve lost him. Just like the boy who cried wolf, when the Association really does have pertinent and valuable information for Nick, he’s going to miss it. There has been so much irrelevant information sent to him that Nick has become weary of the “junk mail” and now, he just ignores or deletes all incoming emails from his association.
The only way to rectify and prevent this from happing is to make every message count. Segment your members. I know that this may take some time, but once you’ve categorized your members into “niches” the end result will be significant. If only builders received faxes about building code updates, only painters received information about painter networking roundtables and only plumbers received coupons or special offers from a plumbing supplier, more of your messages will be read. That is a retention tool.
If a member feels that the Association really knows who they are and cares about them because they really do receive valuable information, then they will be more apt to renew. Sharing pertinent information with your members shows that you know them and care about them. By communicating with your members on a personal or “individual” basis, you are demonstrating that you “know” them and that they are not just one company out of 800 member companies – they are special. Creating this type of bond is a powerful and effective retention tool.
Make your message matter. Sending “blast” emails and faxes to your entire membership is ineffective, impersonal and borders on spam. Yes, your members provided their email addresses when they joined, but it wasn’t to get bombarded with irrelevant information. All day long we are continuously hit with marketing messages. If your association is part of that flood, there is no way the message is getting through unless you figure out a way to stand out and make it matter. Sending out useless information 8 out of 10 times is not the way to break through the clutter.
When they joined, your members gave you permission to communicate with them to build relationships and provide valuable information that will help them. It is your job to deliver these services.
Side Bar: From Kate O
Having been a part of associations and having heard from so many leaders and staff talk about how busy your day gets and how fast the day goes by I have a couple of fail safe tasks to make sure that you really are sending what “They – Members” will benefit from and stay away from wasting their time. And if you are the EO and have staff sending out these members make sure everyone is on the same page here – It’s ALL about the renewals – RIGHT!
STOP before you press end, fax, or mail and ask yourself:
1. Is this the right group or groups to receive this message?
2. Will I be wasting a members time by sending this message or could it beneficial to their business?
3. Have I segmented the list to verify the needs and interests of our members before mass-blasting information?