Membership organisations can only thrive when their members are actively participating. However, like any other entity experiences – be it a business or otherwise – over time people will become inactive. At first, lapsed members may seem a problem. When in fact they represent a significant opportunity for growth and renewal. In this blog post, we’ll look at:
- Practical strategies for identifying lapsed members.
- Successfully re-engaging them through targeted campaigns and personalised outreach.
Identifying Lapsed Members
Naturally, the first step to re-engaging lapsed members is to identify who they are. Define who constitutes a lapsed member in your organisation. You could base this on factors such as length of inactivity and previous engagement levels. It’s a good idea to have a database in place to generate and segment this list. That will then give you a clearer view of your existing members.
Conducting a Survey
The next step involves understanding why they became inactive. Conduct a concise survey asking about past experiences. What did they find valuable about the organisation? How can it improve so that it resonates better with their personal values or goals?
As always, offer an incentive for completing the survey. Member feedback is an invaluable inroad to the minds and hearts of your members. In fact, surveys are integral for shaping any re-engagement strategy.
Crafting Targeted Campaigns
Use survey insights to create targeted campaigns. These must directly address the specific needs and interests of your lapsed members. Again, segment the lists in your database, focusing on common reasons for disengagement.
Tailor your messaging around these complaints, with a particular focus on the benefits of your offer. Highlight upcoming events, initiatives aligned with interests, or special offers that resonate with personal interests and needs.
Winback Campaigns
Winback campaigns are highly effective in re-engaging lapsed members through targeted incentives and personalised outreach. Assign a dedicated team to reach out to lapsed members individually, using information about their past involvement and interests to craft personalised messages.
Similarly, you can dedicate a portion of your rewards programme for lapsed members: offering reduced membership rates, exclusive discounts, pon renewal. Show that you value their membership and are genuinely interested in having them back. Offer a “welcome back” package or a special invitation to an upcoming event to incentivize their return.
Showcasing Value
Remind lapsed members of the value your organisation provides. Or, if you’ve implemented a new initiative (e.g., a loyalty programme) introduce them to it. Highlight success stories, member achievements and the impact your organisation has made.
In addition, you could share testimonials from active members. Make sure they emphasise the exclusive benefits, resources and opportunities available to them as members of your organisation. Demonstrating the tangible value of membership is a powerful motivator and appeals to our natural fear of missing out.
Continuous Engagement
Once you’ve re-engaged lapsed members, keep them actively involved to prevent future disengagement. Regularly communicate through newsletters, social media, and personalised updates. Encourage participating in events and volunteer opportunities in return for rewards and incentives.
Don’t forget to keep gathering that all-important feedback too! How else can you continuously improve their membership experience? All of these strategies should come together, culminating into a genuine sense of belonging, creating a strong foundation for long term retention.
Goodbye for good or see you later?
That’s up to you. But by following the above strategies, in time you will begin to consistently and effectively revitalise your community. By identifying inactive members to understand why they disengage; shaping your targeted campaigns and personalised outreach around those reasons – you can begin to reignite interest and involvement. Not to mention boost your retention rates, so that you never have to say goodbye or see you later again.
Contact us to learn more.
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