what does it really mean to retain your members and how do you do it?

1. Effective Ways to
Keep Your Members
Linda S. Chreno, CAE, IOM
Association Connector
Marketing General Incorporated
lchreno@marketinggeneral.com
@lindachreno

2. What I Promised:
One definition of Retention is the confirmation of the value that
members feel they have received from the organization – a
vote of confidence or no confidence. But the retention process
does not begin 3 months before the membership expires – it
begins BEFORE the individual is even a member. During this
session, you will learn the 5 Steps of the Membership Lifecycle
from awareness to recruitment to engagement to renewal
(retention) to reinstatement and how each step is necessary
and builds upon the others for the membership program to be
successful.
Linda S. Chreno, CAE, IOM
@lindachreno

3. Thank You VOLUNTEERS
Volunteer Appreciation Week April 23-27, 2012

4. I donate to
your What have
foundation. you done for
I attend your
Hello, I’m me lately?
conferences.
Jeremy.
I buy your I read your
books. magazine.
I’m much more likely to VS. UNENGAGED
ENGAGED
become a member or MEMBERS
renew my membership or
MEMBERS
be an SCTE evangalist.. I’m much less likely to
become engaged.
Follow you on I blog about
twitter. the
organization.

5. Membership Lifecycle
• Awareness
• Recruitment
• Engagement
• Renewal
• Reinstatement

6. AWARENESS and RECRUITMENT
• Awareness …when prospects first discover you.
• Awareness—recognition of the SCTE organization
by the segment or profession it serves.
• Member Recruitment and Acquisition uses a variety
of messaging formats and communications.
– Advertising
– Direct mail
– Email
– Web advertising

7. Recruitment … When Prospects Choose to
Try You
Recruitment begins by understanding target prospects—who,
what, where, when, and how they are reached. This is
arguably the most important component in member
prospecting.
Messaging evolves from the Unique Selling Proposition and an
organization’s indispensability—the one thing it does better
than anybody else—with copy that is benefit, not feature
oriented.

8. Four generations are represented in the
workforce.
NOTE: depending upon your source, the birth years might be slightly different and different names applied to the groups. As
people live longer and work longer, generational communication considerations will become even more important.
The Traditionalists (Silent Generation), those born 1922–45,
prefer inclusive language such as ―we‖ and ―us.‖ Words are
more important than body language. Avoid informal language
and rely on face-to-face and written communication.
For Baby Boomers, those born 1946–64, body language is
much more important. You can be much more open and direct
with this group, but be prepared for tough questions.
Controlling, manipulative language is a turn-off, but presenting
options and showing flexibility will be welcomed. Face-to-face
and electronic communication will be most effective with this
group.

9. More Generations
The Generation ―X‖ers, those born 1965 – early 80’s, want you
to learn their language and use it. Informality is appreciated,
and e-mail is the preferred channel. Communicate in short
sentences that are very clear. Talk straight and present the
facts. Asking for feedback will engender good feelings, as will
sharing information immediately and often.
For Millennials (Generation Y), those born 1980 –98, you
should let language paint visual pictures. Action verbs, always
important in writing, are even more important to this
generation. They may be young, but they don’t want to be
talked down to. You must show them respect if you expect it
yourself. E-mail and voice-mail are preferred channels. As with
Generation X, seek feedback. Humor is effective with this
generation.

10. Engagement
The Progression to Membership Success for SCTE
Membership
Growth
Loyalty and
Increased
Revenue
Engagement

11. Reach Out to Your Members
http://player.vimeo.com/video/40414507

12. FIRST YEAR ENGAGEMENT PLAN
Goals Sample Plan
• Multi-Channel • Orientation email
• Multi-Step • Mailed product
• Evoke second voucher
interaction • Benefits survey
• Courtesy call

13. Some Calculations
RESPONSE RATE measures the number of prospects who
responded to a marketing effort
RESPONSE RATE = Total number of responses/Total number
of prospects contacted X 100.
COST TO OBTAIN A MEMBER
The cost to obtain a member is the total costs you spent on
acquisition divided by the total members acquired.
COST TO OBTAIN A MEMBER = Acquisition costs/members
acquired

14. 2 More Calculations
RENEWAL RATE
Renewal rate measures the number of members kept over a
a given period of time – usually a fiscal or calendar year.
RENEWAL RATE = (Total Number of Members TODAY minus
the new members in the period of time) / Total Number of
Members in Previous Year
AVERAGE TENURE
Defines how long on average members stay with an
association
AVERAGE TENURE = 1 / (reciprocal of renewal rate)
RECIPROCAL OF RENEWAL RATE – 1 minus renewal rate
(also known as lapse rate)

15. Retention (Renewal)
In 2010, 6% of people who did not renew their association membership
said their reason for not continuing was ―I forgot.‖
First Year members renew from 45% - 60%
– Didn’t see the value?
– Didn’t take advantage of the benefits?
Renewals are a function of the success of the engagement process
Have you cultivated the member so that their decision to renew is a no-
brainer?

16. Lifetime Value
Defines the economic value produced by a typical member.
LIFETIME VALUE = (annual dues revenue per member +
average annual non-dues revenue per member) times Average
Tenure

17. Sample Renewal Process
Renewal Communication
Effort # Channel Date
1 Email 120 days before expire
2 Direct Mail 90 days before expire
3 Direct Mail 60 days before expire
4 Email 45 days before expire
5 Direct Mail 30 days before expire
6 Email Day before expire
7 Telephone Call Day of expire
8 Direct Mail 15 days after expire
9 Telephone Call 60 days after expire
10 Email Exit Survey 75 days after expire

18. Reinstatement
―Look not where you fell, but where you slipped‖- Chinese proverb
Expires are your best prospects
How long after a member expires do you continue to let them receive
benefits?
In general, after the grace period the process is working to reinstate the
former member
Find out why they let their membership lapse
Be sensitive that they were once a member when recruiting them back
Two-way communication in between renewal and reinstatement

19. 2011 MGI Annual Membership
Benchmarking Report
Over 650
Participating
Associations
Share What
Worked Best

20. Where Do You Fit?

21. Where do
you currently
get your
members?

22. SEO and Web-Content Management -
an Ongoing Process
Why do you need SEO:
– Attract new members
– Keep current members
– Inform the public
– Provide information/data to members public
Two Resources:
www.dailyseotip.com
www.searchenginejournal.com

23. Keywords
• Keywords are ways that you are found by
your members, customers, etc.
• Best keywords must MATCH your unique
value proposition with the words used by your
members.
• All staff should be up-to-date with keywords
being used - include in conference copy, etc.
• http://semrush.com
• Competitors, Google keywords

24. Online Research – Social Media
offers the ability to
target:
by industry
by job titles
by groups
which allows for finite
slicing and dicing of
your target audience

25. Online Research – Social Media
continued growth as a social
media platform;
documented effective
advertising outlet

26. Search Engine Marketing
1 2 3
Online Behavior Lead Gen Offers Online Media
1. Understand online  FREE Whitepaper  Co-Registration
behavior of association Offers an excerpt of the  Online News & PR
audience segments.
latest industry research.  Search Engine Ads
2. Utilize keyword and
social monitoring tools to  Ad Networks
identify key topics and  FREE Trial Membership  Article Submissions
content within target Offers a 30-Day FREE Trial  Blogs & Forum Posts
audience. Membership.  Social Media Ads
 Sponsored Links
4
LANDING
PAGE
Recruitment Campaign
SCTE
5 Web Site

27. Example – Online Lead Generation
Campaign
1 Targeted Ad Placement. 2 Data Capture on Microsite.
3 Cultivation e-mail campaign
with additional content offers.

28. Lead Generation – First Page

29. Lead Generation – Second Page

30. Why Is This Important?

31. What do
you believe
is the ONE
TOP reason
members
join SCTE?

32. Example: Lead Generation Cultivation
Series
2 3 4
1
• Confirmation E-mail • Additional White Paper • Free Video/Webcast • Free Industry Report
• Link to Download • Why Others Joined • Most Popular Benefits • Member Testimonial
• Learn More Link • Click to Join Link • Click to Join Link • Click to Join Link
Also be sure to market Conferences, Seminars and Books to your leads.

33. What are
the most
effective
membership
recruitment
channels?

34. What are the most effective social media
outlets in reaching membership goals?

35. Which of the following communication
methods to you use to ENGAGE new
members?

36. How are Your Members Engaged?

37. Overall Renewal Rate?

38. How many CONTACTS do you make before
the membership expires?

39. When do
you start
the renewal
effort?

40. When
do you
end
renewal
efforts?

41. What types of
marketing
efforts do you
use for your
renewal
efforts?

42. Do you offer renewal options?

43. Why Don’t They Renew?

44. Bonus Information
http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xen
ulink.html
Find broken links on your website
– PC ONLY
http://www.belarc.com/free_download
.html
www.websitegrader.com
Useful & free information

45. Resources:
Marketing Phrase Book
By Gail Hamilton
The Nonprofit Marketing Guide
By Kivi Leroux Miller
8 Google Tools
Jessica Meher
6 Ways to Measure Your Social Media Results
Social Media Examiner

46. More Resources:
• MGI Tipster, www.marketinggeneral.com – free newsletter
• Marketing Profs, www.marketingprofs.com – free newsletter
• MarketingSherpa www.marketingsherpa.com – free newsletter
• membershipmarketing.blogspot.com
• Email Institute www.emailinstitute.com – free newsletter
• Smartbrief on Social Media www.smartbrief.com – free
newsletter

47. 2011 MGI Membership Report
2012 Report will
Be available shortly.

48. Thank you for attending my session.
Contact Information:
Linda S. Chreno, CAE, IOM
Association Connector
MARKETING GENERAL INCORPORATED
1539 Hays Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
510.352.8197
lchreno@marketinggeneral.com
Follow me on Twitter @lindachreno