Optimum Contact’s own Colin Perry recently participated in an Answers for Associations webinar alongside Murphy Woods, the Business and Campaigns Manager at Australian Primary Healthcare Nurses Association (APNA), discussing membership retention in 2020. The discussion focused on bringing value to your members during COVID-19 and the recession to improve membership retention. As Optimum Contact have been partnering with APNA for their call campaigns, a lot of the examples discussed throughout the webinar were from firsthand experiences we have been encountering since March.
If you would like to watch the webinar in full, you can do so here, on the Answers for Associations website. If you are not already a member, you will need to create a free account to view the recording. Answers for Associations is a supportive online community and a valuable resource for any association.
In summary of the webinar, we’re sharing three ways that you can bring value to your members during and after the recession.
Provide Hardship Options
There are a number of different reasons why associations may see memberships lapse during COVID-19 and the recession – some are due to hardship and not being able to afford the renewal fees, while others may have been relying on their employer’s corporate membership which has also lapsed. Colin wrote about this in more detail in his recent article The Walking Dead: Beware the Zombie Member.
In situations like these, it’s important that associations take the lead and offer hardship options or extra benefits for their members. Murphy explained that APNA were able to provide support to their members in a way that was still beneficial to their association. They were alerted to any members who were experiencing hardship and allowed them to continue to access resources for three months after the lapse of their membership.
APNA also continue to provide support for members who were still unable to renew after the three-month period by allowing them to have access to one of their most valuable services – the Nurse Support Hotline. By looking after their “zombie” or lapsed members during this time of hardship, it ensures that the members will be more likely to renew once they are financially able to. It also breeds greater loyalty and commitment to being a member as the person knows that APNA is looking out for them and supporting them when they need it most.
Verbal Support
In addition to financial support, it is important for associations to provide extra verbal support to their members to ensure that they feel connected in every way during what is a difficult time for everyone. At the end of the day, associations are designed as a support network for workers, so this mentality needs to be kept at the core of every business decision.
Regular phone calls with your members to ensure that you are providing the services that they want and need right now, as well as to help them find the information or events on your website that they are most interested in is a great way to make your members feel valued. It also ensures that they are engaging with you and continue to see value in your services.
A recent industry study by Community Brands titled ‘From Disruption to Opportunity’ found that many associations are experiencing increased levels of engagement from their members at the moment. A lot of this is due to more webinars, conferences and events being held online – so touching base with a phone call to let members know that these events are available is a great way to start a conversation with them and find out how they’re really feeling.
Give them a Reason to Renew
In addition to providing support, it’s important to give your members a reason to renew their membership. This includes offering benefits that are truly valuable to your members needs and aren’t just novelties. The best way to do this is to go to your members and ask “what benefits do you think we should be providing to you?” this way, you’ll be able to directly meet your member’s needs and prove that you listen to their feedback. If you haven’t conducted a membership survey since the start of the year, this is something that you may wish to consider doing now. Your members’ situations and priorities have likely shifted significantly since the last survey – and you should be shifting yours to match.
Some benefits that Optimum Contact like to suggest to our clients include offering loyalty memberships for longstanding members (10,15, 20 years), as well as inviting members to write for your magazine or present a webinar for exposure. Providing mentoring opportunities for less experienced members is also another great opportunity. These benefits add real value to your members and shows them that the longer they remain a member, the more benefits they will receive. Benefits like these are far more valuable than offering discounts on flights and tickets to theme parks.
Get in Touch:
Optimum Contact provide tailored services specifically for associations and membership-based organisations. Our sole focus is to help keep your members engaged with regular calls and check-ins, leading to greater to renewal numbers. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you achieve some great results, get in touch with us on 1300 017 213 today.
