How to attract them
to your association

Now you know:

• Who your future member is
• What age they are now
• Where they are in their professional and academic journey
• Some of the challenges they are going to face
• How you can help them

How to attract them to your association

The following actions will help you attract new members to your association.

• Meet them where they are
• Ask sincerely and listen hard
• Your authentic voice
• The value proposition

Meet them where they are/go to them.

Where does your ideal member exist in the digital landscape? You need to understand the digital world they live in. Once you know where, build your brand there with purpose, sincerity and consistency by using relevant content and targeted messaging. This is purposeful audience engagement and brand awareness. First impressions matter and what you build over time within the digital channels allow you to set the first and long-term tone.

Ask them what they think.

Ask sincerely what they think. Don’t survey everyone you can find. Talk to prospective members, those in the online communities and those in the personas you’ve identified. Ask them what they believe their future holds. DON’T sell the membership yet; it’s too soon.

Find your association’s authentic voice.

Your current sincere and member-centric voice may not resonate with future members. You may need to identify a new authentic voice for your organization.

Who is the best messenger for your association? You may need to test messengers and you may need multiple messengers for each segment and communication channel. This is to introduce your brand, not sell memberships.

Evolve your value proposition.

Define your value proposition and then evolve it to better address future member pain points.

Consider the following areas that impact your value proposition:

• Education and training
• Communication and news
• Government affairs and political advocacy
• Networking and career advancement
• Your “X” factor

Each area makes members' lives better, but how do they help their careers and communities — and when in their professional journey does one area help more than another?

What is your X factor? What does your association have and do that members can't get anywhere else? How can you leverage your “X” factor for the future?

Make sure you have a value proposition that resonates now, and one you will shape for the future to better resonate with future members.

Member needs

Current members

Don’t forget your current members. Address the value proposition with a retention first mindset to meet the immediate and short term needs of your current members.

Future members

There’s room to improve or experiment with your value proposition with either a pilot program or reboot of a current program. How are you beginning to address the developing needs of your members?