Member Engagement

Earlier this year, GrowthZone surveyed 332 associations and other member-based organizations across the U.S. and Canada for insight into the challenges and concerns of today’s association professionals. The results show several interesting trends impacting today’s associations, here are some key findings: Member growth and engagement are primary concerns for most associations, followed by issues related to time management and revenue generation. Lack of engagement is a key reason for members not renewing, along with factors like time constraints, perceived value, […]

There are several surefire ways to make sure your email stands out in members’ inboxes. By employing even one of them, you increase the chances of sending something your members will open. Remember these important tactics when crafting an association email: Be Mobile Friendly With the surge of mobile email readership on smartphones, consider how your emails display on mobile devices. It is also important to keep in mind that mobile screens are smaller, so your subject lines should be shorter […]

Surefire ways to make sure your association’s email stands out in members’ inboxes: Write a Great Subject Line Never underestimate the importance of the subject line. In the battle of the inbox, you’re fighting for attention. An engaging subject line makes all the difference. It should catch the association reader’s attention and give them a reason to open your email. See more ways to win the battle of the inbox in The Fundamentals of New-Member Communications. Use a Recognizable Sender […]

Expert advice from membership expert, Frank Kenny. Are you getting sales on a regular basis from your Association website? If no, it might not be the membership product that is the problem, it could be the way you are trying to sell. To sell memberships through your website on a regular basis, you must do two things. Get qualified traffic to your website. Many associations don’t prioritize this. You can get free traffic to your website by regularly posting valuable […]

What Are Association Tools? Association tools help automate the day-to-day operations of membership-based organizations. These productivity tools are part of association management software (AMS) and help streamline database management, financial administration, event planning, member communications, and more. The primary goal of best-in-class AMS is to help business, trade, and professional associations and chambers of commerce grow revenue, productivity, and member value. Association Management Tools for Revenue Generation Patience is a virtue – except when it comes to increasing revenue. Today’s […]

GrowthZone surveyed 470 chamber of commerce professionals across the U.S. and Canada at the beginning of 2024. The results show several interesting trends impacting today’s chambers, highlighted below are some key findings: Despite engagement challenges, a majority of Chambers experienced a net increase in membership in 2023. Lack of engagement and time constraints are cited as primary reasons for members not renewing their memberships. Offering automatic credit card renewal could help mitigate these issues and improve retention rates. While many […]

Association Management Software (AMS) offers associations, as well as other member-based organizations, the tools to run their day-to-day operations and provide services to their members. The most popular association management software and membership management software (MMS) saves associations time and money by improving their membership management and increasing efficiency in addition to growing and retaining membership, engaging members and streamlining tedious tasks. A powerful AMS offers the following features: Association Contact Management Easily view and manage your individuals and organizations, including […]

Sending emails without consideration to how they impact your organizations and your members is risky. Email filter systems track the Sender’s Reputation (IP address) based on several factors, and like any kind of reputation, bad decisions can cause a loss of credibility. Even worse, if your sender’s reputation is damaged, it can damage the sender’s reputation of members who receive and forward your email. Low open rates, deletions without opening, or moving an email to junk are a few negative […]

The team at GrowthZone continuously hears there is improvement in year-over-year association engagement rates. In this installment of our association blog series on member engagement, we explore the specific focus and strategies used by organizations with strong member engagement rates. Utilizing everything from data analysis to updated new-member onboarding plans, these associations are well-informed about what is and isn’t working in their engagement strategy. Learn How to Measure Association Progress >> How they did it: Deliberate Strategy and Dedicated Focus: […]

Five out of every six phone calls go straight to voicemail. For busy association professionals, this can be not only frustrating but also a huge time-sucker. Better your chances of getting a call back by mentally composing your message before each call. To improve your chances of getting a callback, try these tactics: Begin by saying your name and your organization’s name. Assume the person you’re calling doesn’t have your number, so say your phone number twice. People hate it when […]

Hate selling memberships? You’re just human. Whether it’s membership renewals, event sponsorship, or convincing people to serve on the board, people in the association and chamber worlds are always selling. And for most people, selling is just plain uncomfortable. Consider this: If you don’t like to sell, you’re perfect for the job. You just need to stop thinking that sales are bad for the customer. How Associations Increase Membership Sales >> How to talk with people about your organization: Chances […]

Simple things to keep in mind can make all the difference in whether a blog post gains traction. Utilizing these three concepts as part of a larger strategy will help increase your association’s followers. When blogging: Be Helpful, Instructional, Compelling, Interesting, and Entertaining Find the answers to the questions your audience is asking Develop an angle by taking a boring topic and asking yourself the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, and why) Use facts, numbers, and data Address the […]