How Email Newsletters Can Help Recruit and Retain Members

If you’re not using your email newsletter as a marketing tool, then what are you using it for? Yes, email newsletters are a great way for you to share top industry news and announcements for your association, but are you taking advantage of the additional tools you have? Let’s think about this for a second.

You can use your newsletter for the following:

1. Membership renewals
2. Membership acquisitions
3. Event registrations
4. And more!

Email newsletters work because it’s based on permission. The subscribers that opt in are allowing you into their inbox, so you know your email is going to get to them. Combined with the data in your AMS about members and prospects, you’ll be golden for winning the marketing game.

Speaking of data … let’s talk about the reasons to put it at the forefront of your strategic and operational thinking. Useful analysis of data can help every team within your association – from membership to communications, from events to education – uncover insights that weren’t possible prior to the dawn of digital recordkeeping. Logically, the more data you collect about members, the better your chances to provide them the membership experience they’re looking for when they send over that dues payment.

A robust database allows you to segment membership, which in turns opens the door to better and more precise targeting and personalized communications. As importantly as targeting members based on what they might want, you can avoid overcommunicating with communications they won’t want.

Detailed data can also unveil trends within your organization. What events are influencing recruitment or retention? Which activities don’t justify their investment of resources? How much do certain members or vendors contribute to the overall big picture through sponsorships or donations?

Combined with the detailed analytics you receive for your email newsletter – like within Multiview’s Partner Portal – you’ll not only be able to tailor your email newsletter messaging accordingly, but you’ll also be able take advantage of the outpouring data and begin using personalization.

Queue up Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” tune and let’s get personal!

Personalization allows you to target members that are coming up for joining, renewal, or are past due with paying their membership dues. Because there is no “standard”, you can include as much info as you’d like or use this capability to target around any capacity. It doesn’t need to be specific to membership, although the example below describes renewals and acquisitions. As long as you have the data, you can get creative and display or link anything from a designated section of your newsletter. 

In addition to membership opportunities, you can target non-attendees and promote conference registration, discounts, webinars, etc. You would just need to know what the opportunity is and who needs to be targeted. Take it a step further and segment based off specific locations!

No matter where you’re at in the personalization tools of your newsletter, know that there’s no wrong answer. That said, there’s no better time than the present to begin this tactic for your marketing teams.

Want to learn more about personalization and analytics available within newsletters? Multiview can help! Contact us to learn more.