We know that properly informing proposed strategies and tactics for membership growth requires a high level of audience research. When we fully understand our existing audience, it allows us to effectively target like-minded individuals, equalling a higher new member conversion rate. But what are some of the best ways to accomplish this? 

We recommend leveraging online studies, undertaking social analysis, primary research and utilising industry intelligence tools.

In order to find new audiences, knowing your existing audiences inside out is the most constructive place to start. Ways you can achieve this are through:

  • Understanding the landscape including competitor organisations

  • Understanding the brand

  • Understanding your existing audiences’ motivations and behaviours

And

  • Gathering a full understanding of…

    • Your existing audience demographics

    • Why your members joined and why they renew, or don’t

    • Your current audience’s needs and motivations.

What are the best research platforms and approaches you can use to understand your audience?

Google

Whilst the #1 recruitment tool you have is your website, Google Search and Adwords can help with passive audience recruitment in directing the content you are planning.

Google Search Console (GSC)

This helps you see what your search visitors were actually looking for when your website was listed in results vs. what you think they want.

AdWords & Google Keyword Planner

AdWords allows you to try new areas of attracting audiences quickly by running tests to small groups of targeted visitors and Google Keyword Planner helps you research keywords for your search campaigns.

You don’t have to be running paid ads to use Keyword Planner. This free tool can help you discover new keywords related to your business, see the demand of terms/content ideas and how competitive they are.

TIP Don’t forget the Bing equivalents (found in webmaster tools) as these can prove very insightful too.

Brandwatch

Dive deep into online conversations on social media platforms to discover who’s talking about your brand or its ethos. Brandwatch allows you to build detailed user personas based on real interactions and user sentiment. This tool can help organisations gain useful insights into customer sentiment and identify emerging trends.

SparkToro

SparkToro is an incredibly useful tool that businesses looking to grow their membership should consider. It allows insights into who your audience is, what they talk about, and where you can reach them. Similar to Brandwatch (as previously mentioned), SparkToro utilises social media to analyse your audiences, crawling over 80 million social profiles across billions of web pages. It provides comprehensive intelligence into audience demographics, interests, behaviours and text data.

Vuelio

This platform offers comprehensive insights on media, journalists, and influencers to help ensure your PR comms are effective. Vuelio offers both real-time and historical data, allowing your organisation to track trends and changes over time in the media landscape. It helps brands to understand who is important to its audience and how best to engage them. Features include sending content, monitoring results, measuring social media impact and analysing effectiveness, all in one place.

TGI (Target Group Index)

For in-depth consumer insights, TGI from Kantar is another useful audience research tool. Providing information on consumer behaviours, preferences, and attitudes, it can help membership organisations uncover detailed information about who your consumers are, how they behave and the drivers behind decisions that they make.

GWI (GlobalWebIndex)

GWI’s research platform gives you the answers you need for your target customers. Some of the world’s biggest brands rely on GWI to shape their thinking, as it’s a powerful platform that gathers data on the behaviour and perceptions of consumers across the globe. Their vast, survey-led research provides brands with deep, actionable insights on their audience, making them an ideal research tool to help membership organisations.

Data Science

Data Science is used to leverage existing audience data and identify future trends. It allows the prediction of website interest and key content topics before needing to react to the market, make informed decisions utilising market data at scale, allowing membership organisations to stay ahead of trends.

How can Data Science help you increase your members?

  • It helps you fully understand your customers’ behaviour

  • It aids in predicting trends, which can be used to inform marketing strategies

  • It provides greater visibility on your business pipeline, meaning you can budget more effectively

What opportunities await businesses that utilise research and social listening tools? 

  • You can improve display and social ad targeting
  • Find impactful PR opportunities
  • Discover content gaps beyond SEO
  • Identify ideal co-marketing partners
  • Spot trends before they become mainstream

Did you know?

The inability to effectively communicate member value is one of the top 10 challenges for membership organisations.

Summary 

By utilising a blend of the tools available, membership organisations are able to get under the skin of their audience, learning precisely what their goals and motivations are. This can be used to provide more effective marketing tactics that are impactful, resonate successfully and help grow and retain members.

The MTM Agency help membership organisations transform, grow and support their members by creating intelligent strategies to help them have a greater understanding of member needs, which translates into improved retention and adoption. For more details, contact [email protected]

Wesley Maynard
Wesley MaynardDirector of Operations, The MTM Agency