Member engagement is a critical part of any association’s success, as it helps build loyalty, which in turn leads to growth. But in order to grow your association, you need to get members on board as soon as possible — and the best way to do that is through member engagement.
This means giving people something to connect with, so they can feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves. When you create that sense of belonging, you build trust in your organization, which means that when it comes time to ask for money or support, your members will be willing to step up and help. It’s a win-win for your association and the member.
In fact, with a strong member engagement you’ll be able to:
- Identify the most engaged members and prioritize them for exclusives
- Create high-value member experiences to keep them happy and coming back
- Improve your ability to convert leads into paying members
- Gain access to more accurate data about your membership base so you can make better decisions about where to allocate resources
- Increase the likelihood that current members will refer new members
Engaged members know that being comfortable isn't enough — they want to grow and improve themselves every day. This is especially true with the younger generations becoming a part of your organization. They want to learn new skills and adapt when necessary so they can move up in their career paths. When members are engaged with their organization, there is a greater sense of community as well as an increased feeling of belonging within the industry.
In order to succeed in engagement though, you need to find out what they want and give it to them. The key here is knowing what works best for your association and its members by asking questions and listening carefully. That said, consider a few ideas on most popular ways to engage:
- Professional development: Offering training courses on topics relevant to your industry, as this allows members who are interested in learning more about the subject matter an opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge while also promoting your organization as a leader in its field.
- Sense of community: A lot of people think that you need to have the perfect conference, website, social media presence, but those things are just tools. The real key is making your members feel like they're part of a community. That's what makes them want to come back and become more involved in the organization, because then they feel like they're getting something out of it!
- Open dialogue: Make sure you have constant communication with your members, where they can share their concerns and positive feedback. When you engage with members on a regular basis, you're showing them that their voices matter — and when you do this in an authentic way, the result is stronger loyalty and greater trust between you and your organization's supporters.
- Encourage participation: Encourage members to participate in activities related to your industry, which could include attending conferences or networking events at which they can meet other professionals who share their interests and goals.
Members are the lifeblood of your organization. You need them to be engaged with you, so they'll continue supporting your mission and actively participate in your activities. And if they're not engaged or don't feel like their needs are being met, they may not stick around.
