It’s the Little Things – Focus Improves Member Acquisition and Retention

Successful association membership is not always about the Big Reveal.

One of the most common  expectations of a strategy firm like Association Laboratory, is The Big Membership Idea, The Silver Bullet. The new thing that will completely turn things around. The innovation that nobody else has ever thought of before.

Current TV shows constantly show us the Big Reveal. This trains our members, volunteers and staff to think that the famed silver bullet exists.

Associations Waste Time and Money by Focusing Exclusively on the Big Picture

Unfortunately, for most associations, these types of ideas are not only rare but, often, counterproductive.

I say counterproductive because while we search far and wide for the magical elixir that will save our associations, the real answer is much closer at hand. The great quest blinds us  to simpler, easier and more effective strategies that are well within our means to implement.

Consider the following.

1 Simple Step to Improve Membership Acquisition

One of our clients, following an extensive value proposition process, discovered that a substantial portion of the people in their database thought they were members even though they were not.

The solution? They invoiced these individuals reminding them about owing their membership dues. The outcome? The association raised, on this singular simple campaign, more than 3 times the cost of the entire value proposition strategy process.

That my friends is a solid ROI.

Prioritize Your Focus to Improve Retention

Another client discovered through our data mining that if they could get a new member to log onto the website, the odds that this person retained membership increased by 50%. By creating a list of tactics simply designed to generate this login activity, the association positioned itself for much higher retention.

The better you are as an association, the more difficult it becomes to make big improvements. Too many people have worked too hard and for too long. The big idea simply isn’t the best use of anyone’s time.

By narrowing your focus to effective use of key data, the odds that you can improve your association’s business outcomes go up substantially.

Since it’s spring, my final in a long list of metaphors will involve baseball.

Stop swinging for the fences. Play small ball. It’s more important to get runs than to take swings.

You can always find great content on membership strategy at the Association Laboratory Knowledge Center.

Good luck.