Engaging the Next Generation: Tips for Membership Organisations to Attract Younger Demographics

In the UK, Millennials and Generation Z now make up most of the workforce. Membership organisations need to attract these demographics to ensure long term sustainability. But that’s easier said than done. The expectations of traditional audiences are very different from generations brought up or born in the digital age.

Understand Your Audience

The first port of call is to learn what younger demographics want from membership organisations. Our surroundings often shape our expectations. With that in mind, most Millennials and all Gen Zers are digital natives, which studies show has had some bearing on their expectations. They expect some degree of:

Digitalisation (when it comes to interacting with your organisation).
A basic level of online functionality.
Incentives for their loyalty.
eLearning and dynamic educational content.
Flexible membership models.
A stronger sense of community amongst members.
Engaging technological features e.g., gamification.

Of course, the demographics your organisation considers “younger” probably differs from the next. Plus, the services you offer will affect the age groups you attract. Hence why you should conduct market research to gather insights.

Conduct market research

Distributing member surveys, feedback forms and questionnaires help organisations better understand their members. You could also try monitoring any existing channels such as social media and online forums.

Conducting market research gives you invaluable insights about your members’ sentiments towards your organisation. This will help you understand their needs, preferences and where you’re meeting their expectations and areas that need improving.

Embrace Digital Platforms

Membership organisations that undervalue a strong online presence clearly do not recognise the significance of the internet. The world is fast approaching a global population of 8 billion people. It’s been estimated that 5.3B people and 4.95B currently use the internet and social media, respectively.

As the internet and social media has become more widespread, the expectations of users has shifted significantly. Younger members want to use social media to interact with organisations and benefit from the convenience of user-friendly websites.

Provide content that resonates

Recent studies show that Millennials rely on social media to predominantly consume image-led content. Whereas Gen Zers prefer video content. Membership organisations should incorporate such content, in addition to webinars, podcasts and other interactive forms of content.

Just remember to diversify your channels. For example, webinars could be part of a course and podcasts could be hosted on video platforms like YouTube. Using dynamic channels and high value content will ensure long term engagement.

Give them freedom & flexibility

The majority of Millennials and Gen Zers rely on subscription-based model businesses as part of their daily lives. Groceries, entertainment, self-grooming, hobbies and interests, all can be delivered via a subscription.

As a result, this has shaped the expectations of younger demographics. Rigid subscriptions are considered a thing of the past and do not align with the freedom mindset of digital natives. So, if you want to prevent turning off potential members, avoid cutting off their freedom of choice.

Consistency in community

On the other hand, community is one constant that younger demographics yearn for. They want to connect through shared values and are purpose-driven. It’s no coincidence that the podcasts and e-learning courses have exploded in popularity.

People who’ve grown up with the internet want to leverage it to better their prospects and grow. It’s for this reason why cultivating a community around your membership organisation will boost acquisition. As it will be identified as a place where people come together for a single cause.

Let expectations guide your growth

Younger demographics expect seamless technology, omnichannel communications, flexible memberships, and a place to discuss their values, grow their networks, develop their skills and progress in their careers.

Meeting their expectations will win the hearts and minds of younger demographics for a lifetime. And with the internet being the biggest ever forum to exist, you should strive to make your organisation the topic of positive discussion.