4 Great Member Appreciation Strategies to Boost Renewal Rates

Member appreciation leads to member retention. Follow these 4 awesome strategies to keep members happy and boost renewal rates

No matter who you are or what you’ve been through, we’ve all experienced a lack of appreciation in our lives. Whether it’s from your association, employer, friends, family or something/someone else that’s important to you, it’s not a fantastic feeling.

Remember how you felt when you weren’t being appreciated for your effort, work or contributions? You probably stopped caring — at least for a little while — about that particular relationship, right?

Unbeknownst to you, some of your association’s members might feel the same way.

The Protech Associates team recently proposed four member appreciation strategies on Associations Now, and we felt it appropriate to reiterate them here. Why? Because an underappreciated member is less likely to:

Volunteer for committees or boards
Attend association-sponsored events
Feel engaged in association activities
And most importantly, renew their membership

4 Member Appreciation Ideas to Keep Members Happy

1. Celebrate Member Achievements

Most people don’t join associations just to get a membership card.

Association members are go-getters. They want to earn certifications, advocate on behalf of their industry, and learn from their peers.

These are the kind of people who will have plenty of success in life, successes which are often relevant to your association’s industry. So why not help them celebrate?

We suggest one of the following:

Host a special event at your annual meeting to honor member accomplishments
Organize local member appreciation events
Create a “Member of the Month” program, offering a professional development course or a complimentary event registration for a highly engaged member each month

2. Scale Up Your Social Media Engagement

Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Instagram. Or even Snapchat, for the more trendy associations. There are so many avenues for professional or trade associations to highlight a member.

If you hear of a member doing extraordinary work in their career or personal life, simply giving them a shout-out on social media can make them feel like a real part of your association’s community.

Other easy suggestions:

Encourage members to contribute content you can share on social media
Host a public Q+A on Facebook, making sure to answer as many member questions as possible
Follow a few members every week on Twitter, showing them you care about what they have to say

Member Appreciation Through Social Media — One easy avenue to engage with members and show them you care: social media

3. Start at Onboarding

The best tip to ensure members feel appreciated? Start as early as onboarding.

Check out our piece on Associations Now for more on this…

The short version? Keep members engaged from the start and you’ll never have to worry about member appreciation again.

4. Provide Multiple Ways to Get Involved

Your messages of gratitude and appreciation for members will feel more meaningful if your association weaves in specific mentions of their involvement. For example, you might thank them for attending your conference or for volunteering at a fundraising event. By giving members more opportunities to get involved with the association, you’ll have more chances to thank them.

Try the following ideas to get started:

Ask influential members to organize events. Long-time, well-connected members have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to fellow members’ interests. Ask them to organize workshops, networking events, webinars, and other gatherings based on what members want and expect from your association. Not only will these events appeal to their interests, but your association can show that it values member input and empowering members to lead.
Set up interactive webinars. Interactive webinars educate your members while enabling them to connect with one another. The best part is that they can make new connections with fellow professionals from around the country or even the globe, all from the comfort of their homes. Make sure to provide plenty of opportunities for members to ask speakers questions, discuss topics in small groups, and engage in networking activities.
Spread awareness of CSR programs. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to a company’s responsibility to give back to its community and to causes dedicated to social good. Many organizations offer volunteer grants and corporate giving programs in which they match their employees’ donations to nonprofit organizations. If your association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, it may be eligible to receive matching donations—share about these opportunities with your members and volunteers to encourage them to engage with fundraising efforts.

When sending your thank-you messages, analyze data from your CRM to identify the platforms that members engage with most often. You can show your appreciation with a customized eCard, give them a phone call, or even send them a handwritten card or letter.

Final Thoughts on Member Appreciation

Member appreciation is such an easy form of member engagement. And when it comes to member engagement, how could you pass up on what’s easy? It’s that member engagement success that leads to quick renewals.

Want to learn more about making member engagement easier? Download our e-book, “Association Experts Share the Hidden Truths to Member Engagement,” to see how six associations are increasing their member interactions.