Benefits of rethinking your association’s membership models

Changing your association’s membership models takes time and effort. So why bother? Here’s why it can be well worth it.

As a membership organization, your association must stay relevant with your members. Today’s members have come to expect the same type of tailored experiences that they get as general consumers. So, if your membership models are one-size-fits-all, or if they haven’t been updated in a while, they might be falling short of member expectations.

Here are some member expectations to consider:

• Technology – As technology continues to evolve, members are becoming accustomed to convenient and streamlined online experiences.
• Personalization – In addition to expecting modern online experiences, members also expect the types of tailored benefits, content, and recommendations they get from companies like Amazon and Netflix.
• Career stages – Members seek different resources and support as they move through their careers. Those who are students or new graduates have different needs from those who are later in their careers.

By rethinking and reworking your membership levels, you can offer more tailored experiences that better align with individual’s needs – ultimately leading to greater membership acquisition, engagement, and loyalty. For example, you can offer flexible membership options that support various career stages and learning preferences. Using modern association management software (AMS), you can also provide a more streamlined membership experience.

6 benefits of rethinking your association’s membership models

Updating your membership models involves adapting strategies and technology to appeal to your members’ modern expectations. But when you have a small staff, you might ask yourself, “Is it really worth the time and effort?”

Here are six ways that your members and your association can benefit from updated membership models and modern technology:

1. A familiar online experience – Members can easily find and select the membership level that best suits their needs, and then sign up easily and quickly online.
2. Convenient automatic payments – Members can pay for dues annually or via budget-friendly installments, automatically, via credit card.
3. An easier membership renewal process – Members can have the option to set up their membership to automatically renew each year.
4. An increase in membership growth and retention rates – Modernizing your membership levels and member experience leads to happier members who stick around longer.
5. A way to appeal to younger members – Students, recent graduates, and those early in their careers – your next generation of members – see your organization as current, not outdated.
6. An opportunity to focus association staff on more critical initiatives – Online and automated membership processes can free staff members’ time for projects and programs that deliver greater member value.

Learn more
Your association must explore new paths of engagement to stay relevant with your members. Even when you have a small staff, it’s important to continually assess how your membership models are meeting (or not meeting) your members’ needs, and then make adjustments to meet members’ expectations.

Learn more tips and insights about how to update your association’s membership offerings to stay relevant with members: Read the guide, Rethinking Your Association’s Membership Models