Lapsed memberships are not something any association wants to see. But member retention is a challenge for most organizations. The latest Momentive Software research found 88% of association professionals prioritized improving membership retention. And the same study discovered that technology’s role in member retention is significantly more important than in member acquisition (27 points higher.)
The question is: How will your association boost member retention?
You might consider being proactive by investing in modern association management software (AMS) that empowers your staff and members. You’ll want to look for an AMS with innovative features that prevent lapsed memberships and offer a superior member experience.
The connection between innovative technology and member retention
Momentive Software research found that associations must continue to demonstrate member value and put modern technology to work to keep member loyalty and retention going strong. Association professionals are excited about advancements in technology, including AI, automation, and new digital tools, to enhance member experiences, organizational efficiency, and expansion in membership.
Momentive research discovered an increased emphasis on member retention and creating value for all members. Among available technology solutions, association professionals view events related tools as most helpful with driving revenue, AMS/CRM tools as most helpful with driving member acquisition and retention, and webcast/ webinar tools and online communities as most helpful with driving member engagement. Almost 50% of association professionals say their AMS helps with membership retention.
Two effective ways to improve member retention
Don’t wait until members leave to try to win them back. Here are two effective ways to boost member retention at your association:
1. Leverage artificial intelligence and predictive analytics
Choosing an AMS with artificial intelligence (AI) can give you the necessary tools to meet and exceed your association’s strategic goals. AI is highly customizable, empowering your organization to address specific pain points to boost member retention. With AI, you can predict which members are at the highest risk of non-renewal. Then, you can reach out to save them before they leave.
For example, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) chose to leverage Nimble AMS and AI tools to gain better insight into its membership data to understand retention and engagement efforts.
With the help of Nimble AMS and predictive analytics tools, AOSSM discovered that low membership engagement led to a lapse risk. The largest risk indicator of low engagement was missing profile information. With this helpful discovery, AOSSM could anticipate member behavior, work to boost engagement, and act before a lapse.
2. Leverage automation
Keeping members engaged and helping them see the ongoing value of their membership requires consistent, thoughtful interactions. However, members are often at different stages in their journey and have varying needs, making a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective. With a modern AMS and automation tools in place, you can streamline more than just communication, you can automate administrative processes, personalize member experiences, and reduce repetitive staff tasks. From renewing memberships and sending reminders to triggering custom workflows based on member behavior, automation helps deliver a more responsive, efficient, and scalable member experience without adding to your team’s workload.
As members join, consider automating your onboarding email communications to ensure new members feel welcome at your association and understand the value of your member benefits. Choosing to automate onboarding emails is a great way to enhance your member orientation process and guarantee new members feel like they’re part of your association’s family.
For example, the American Composites Manufactures Association (ACMA) leveraged Nimble AMS and automation tools to streamline key membership renewal processes, including member communications. By leveraging automation and ensuring members have all the information they need during the renewal season, ACMA increased member retention by 12%.
With automation, you can build personalized member journeys so your members will receive relevant messages based on the action they take (or don’t take) in each email. As members get closer to their renewal date, automate a personalized renewal email series to remind members of benefits they’ve leveraged, the benefits they haven’t yet utilized, and any exciting upcoming events or opportunities they’ll miss if they don’t renew.
