Top 10 Tips for Building Member Engagement
Retaining members can be challenging. Engaging with them – and keeping them engaged – is key to member retention, but that can be easier said than done. Below are some tips to increase your members’ engagement with your organization:
- Define what “engagement” means to your organization. Is it attending your annual conference, leading a committee, driving a strategic initiative, or something else?
- Leverage “connection touchpoints,” engaging with your members through your website, social media outlets, and online communities.
- Strengthen your strategic partnership with members by asking them what they need.
- Use your members as ambassadors or industry experts, and collaborate with them to develop content, products, and services.
- Develop communities – in person and virtual.
- Utilize members to help recruit new members.
- Appeal to all generations of members by creating meaningful and exclusive experiences for them.
- Build a membership dashboard to learn what products and services members are taking advantage of, determine whether and how to expand upon those that are working, identify and eliminate those that are not, and continue to provide member value.
- Continuously evolve online education and professional development, making it easy for members to engage with your organization 24-7.
- Urge members to volunteer. Support their involvement and encourage them to share their story as a way to inspire other members to volunteer.
I encourage you to engage with your members on a deeper level in 2016. It’s a sure way to foster their long-term loyalty.
Happy New Year!
Crystal O’Halloran, MBA, CAE
