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What Members Want, by
Timothy Schneider, Publisher, Association News
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 Los
Angeles, CA – July 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / The
support of members is absolutely critical to the health and vitality of
most trade associations and professional societies. While attracting new
members should be a top priority, it’s equally important to keep your current
members satisfied. In both cases, an association should know the value
it provides and how it can best cultivate that value in a way that serves
its members, both new and old.
A recent
study from Abila, a provider of software
and services to nonprofit organizations and associations, explored the
issues related to member engagement. Here are some of the key findings:
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Attracting
Members. According to Abila, 62 percent of members join an association
within the first five years of beginning their professional careers— the
key acquisition period. Their top motivations for joining include job opportunities,
socializing and certification. Association executives surveyed believe
that members join to take advantage of conferences, networking and advocacy
(in that order), indicating a slight disconnect to which association executives
should be attuned.
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Keeping
Members Engaged. Members do not value the same benefits early in their
careers as they do in the middle and later stages of their careers. Although
the study produced a variety of answers depending on career stage, the
general consensus is that professional development, networking and receiving
specialized information are the top ways members feel engaged with an organization.
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Maximizing
Communications. Associations need to know how and what to communicate
to their members. Across all generations, email remains the preferred method
of communication and members report that monthly contact is optimal. As
for what to communicate, members value updates on changing industry standards
and upcoming meetings, conferences and networking opportunities tailored
to their profession in their local area.
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Targeting
Communications. Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity for most associations
centers on the data required to target and personalize communications.
According to the study, 81 percent of associations use type of membership
as the primary — and oftentimes only— data point for executing member communication
campaigns. In reality, members have higher expectations of how technology
can be used to personalize their membership experience. Instead of relying
on their own data points, associations should be listening to their members
and allowing them to indicate their preferences for what information they
want to receive and how they want to receive it. Doing so will improve
the overall member experience, as well as increase member engagement and
retention. To access the complete study, please visit abila.com.
Elsewhere
in this issue, you can learn more about how one of the travel industry’s
key associations is recommitting itself to member service by reading our
exclusive interview with DMAI’s new President and CEO Don Welsh. The interview
is featured in our annual destination marketing supplement, which
begins on page 19.
|
 Timothy
Schneider is the publisher of Association
News and SportsTravel
magazines, which serve group travel planners responsible for generating
106 million hotel room nights annually. Schneider
Publishing also organizes Meetings
Quest, America's longest-running series of trade shows for meeting
planners, and the TEAMS Conference
& Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers.
TEAMS ’16 will be held September 26–29, 2016, in Atlantic City. For further
information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free
877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if calling from outside the United States.
The
current issue of Association
News can be viewed in digital format online by clicking
here.
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|
Media
Contact:
Timothy
Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider
Publishing Company, Inc. |
