Member Engagement & Retention

Here's a stat that should make every membership professional sit up: 52% of you cite events as your top-performing recruitment method. Brilliant, right? Wrong. Well, not entirely wrong. Events are fantastic. But here's the problem: you're spending thousands on conferences, webinars, and networking sessions, collecting hundreds of email addresses... and then what? According to [...]

Free online communities are thriving in membership organisations, but low conversion rates remain a challenge. This article explores how freemium models, trials, and clear value propositions can convert free subscribers into fully fledged, paying members. Why Free Communities Matter  Free online communities expand an organisation’s acquisition funnel, boosting visibility and giving prospects a “taster” [...]

Most membership organisations fall into one of three scenarios: spending money on Google and LinkedIn ads that appear successful but deliver no growth, considering whether paid advertising could work for them, or avoiding paid advertising altogether despite needing new growth channels. If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone, and more importantly, there’s [...]

Imagine a member seeking assistance only to be bounced around various departments, needing to describe his or her circumstances at each touchpoint. When they finally arrive at someone who can assist them, that person can’t access their entire membership history.  This frustrating member experience is a result of data silos. You can’t give your [...]

Membership organisations rightly devote time and energy to listening to their members. Member surveys and consultations provide valuable insights into satisfaction, needs, areas for improvement, and opinions on important subjects and developments within the profession. But often, one group’s voice is missing: non-members. Non-members may not complete your regular surveys or attending your events, [...]

Futureproof your organisation by investing in the next generation — now. I recently collaborated with a forward-thinking membership body that truly values its student members. They don’t just offer free membership — they invest in it. The result? A dynamic, engaged, and loyal future member base. If you’re in a membership organisation and you’re not [...]

Stop segmenting for convenience - Start segmenting for impact Segmentation has become a buzzword in the membership world, but the way many organisations approach it is fundamentally flawed. Too often it’s a tidy admin exercise: categorising members by age, career stage or geography and calling it done. This type of segmentation might keep the [...]

Online communities are an integral part of any cohesive membership organisation. An active community expands reach to prospects, invokes a sense of belonging in existing members, and can even make USPs all the more compelling. In a recent podcast, discussion of the 90-9-1 rule highlighted a major challenge of online communities. The majority of [...]

The thought of visiting the local Blockbuster store with your membership card in hand, brings a warming sense of nostalgia for an 80s child like me.  But what’s the story behind the demise of this iconic membership business? In its prime in 2004, Blockbuster boasted 9,000 stores worldwide, with revenues of $6 billion and [...]

The landscape of membership is changing. Retention is tough, and attracting new members is even tougher. Simply offering benefits no longer guarantees loyalty or success. According to the 2024 MemberWise Digital Excellence Report, around 34% of membership organisations have seen a decline in membership numbers over the last year. On top of this, over [...]