Associations and their members went through a number of trials and tribulations in 2020. At Optimum Contact we conducted calls on behalf of associations for a variety of reasons, and as a result we have heard first-hand what some of the expectations, frustrations and concerns of members and their associations are going into 2021.
Last year threw a number of curveballs to associations and their members, beginning in January with the widespread bushfires, followed closely by COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, redundancy, income loss, and a recession. It’s important to understand the needs and expectations of members have changed drastically in the last two years.
To help your association discover how its behaviours should shift going further forward into 2021, we are sharing four of our biggest membership trends for 2021.
Combination of Online and In-Person Conferences
In 2021 the looming threat of COVID-19 will still have to be taken into account when organising events and conferences; however, the approaching rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination could mean a rise in conferences and exhibitions for associations and their members.
The last 12 months of increased isolation and online participation for conferences, work, study and even social events means that members are ready to be able to talk to one another face to face. In 2021 we could very well see a boom in these face-to-face conferences and meetings. The promise of meeting with like-minded individuals face to face, instead of at a computer screen, may be enticing to people who usually don’t plan on attending conferences or events and we may very well see an increased interest in these events on previous years.
With COVID-19 restrictions still in place in some states and territories, smaller and more niche events may pop up in the association space. These smaller events will allow for greater input and value from sponsors who are used to their traditional pop-up stalls at association events.
On the other hand, associations received a taste of the ease and convenience of digital events throughout 2020. Opting for digital events means the out-of-pocket costs are greatly reduced and the planning process is far more streamlined. It will be tempting for a number of associations to plan digital events to cut expenditure and remain cautious of an unexpected outbreak.
This year might be the year of a mixed conference model – planned association events that are partially in person, lived streamed, or a mix of in person and live streamed.
Whatever the choice of associations in the year to come, the focus should definitely remain on adding value to their members. Associations should be asking themselves “what value are my members going to get out of this?”. Will a cheaper, wholly online event mean greater engagement, greater value and eventually greater retention than another conference model?
Rise of the Personal Care Call
The 2020 Association Economic Outlook saw 93% of associations change the messaging they delivered to their members, almost double the numbers from 2019. Of these associations, 90% focused on sharing information crucial to help members or their companies through the crisis and 73% focused on emphasising with members. These numbers illustrate a change in mindset and direction from associations towards their members. Focusing more on engagement and care calls leads to members feeling personally cared for by an association while helping associations understand what their members truly need, both now and in the future.
Care calls also allow members to ask discretionary questions that usually don’t amount to an inbound call. These calls increase the engagement of members who are wanting to access specific offerings or services from their associations.
If associations are finding a large proportion of their members aren’t engaging with their specialised services, care calls can help to increase the engagement levels through tailored directional scripts. With the rise of work from home, members have had the opportunity to look at their own careers and determine what will take them in their desired career direction.
Retention of Members with High Engagement
Last year’s pandemic and recession brought with it a lot of job uncertainty and even job loss. Going into 2021, a large number of association members who either pay for their own association membership or have lost the positions that had previously paid for their membership will have to weigh up the costs vs the benefits of the associations they currently subscribe to; due to this it’s important to make sure members are getting as much value out of their association membership as possible.
Members who are more engaged with their associations will receive far more value from renewing their membership than those who are disengaged. Engagement calls, or information calls, show members the sheer volume of resources their association membership grants them. Using a tailored call campaign to reengage and provide information to members can be the deciding factor come renewal season.
Key points to highlight in a call campaign to increase member engagement:
- Check if they have accessed and used free resources, member portals and forums granted to them by their membership.
- Remind them of their minimum CPD requirements, and any additional units they can access.
- Point out tax deductible higher education they can enrol in to improve their career options and skillset.
Ensuring that the benefits members receive from an association are relevant to their needs and circumstances is paramount to ensuring they find value in their membership come renewal season.
Greater Complacency Equals Less Retention
The biggest trend to avoid following is being complacent. There are some associations that have bunkered down and are just trying to get through the next few months without adding any additional benefits or services to their members; but it’s a far better strategy to keep members informed and engaged.
If 2020 has taught us anything about association members it is that they won’t always be there. If an association isn’t there for their members, members won’t be there come renewal season.
Associations should make sure to maintain contact with their members, offer them services, events or benefits that add real value to their membership. There have been a number of associations this past year who have increased engagement calls, added job boards, created online networking opportunities, or offered extended membership to pre-emptively increase their renewal numbers.
Another point to take away is that greater communication doesn’t necessarily mean valuable communication. Bombarding members with emails and phone calls will encourage members to ignore their messaging. Associations are much better off investing in targeted and planned call campaigns to engage members and provide that much-needed care call.
Get in Touch:
At Optimum Contact we provide tailored call services for association and membership-based organisations. Our focus is to keep your members engaged with planned, regular phone calls and check-ins to engage your members well-before renewal season. If you’d like to get in touch with us to learn how we can achieve some great campaigns together, call us on 1300 017 213 today.
