Association membership is on the rise and member retention is an ongoing priority, so sending a welcome email to new members should be an onboarding goal.

Email, our standard means of communication today, allows organizations to contact members almost instantly. But it has to be an effective and strong email.

“New member welcome emails are only one part of the onboarding process,” writer Callie Walker stated on the MemberClicks Blog. “In addition to that, there are several best practices to help boost new member engagement, and ultimately, retention.”

A personalized greeting with a member’s name and a heartfelt thank you is a great way to graciously welcome someone. Including specific information about events and member benefits is also helpful.

Walker shared a sample welcome-email template that you can use for your own needs. Take a look.

Tweet of the Day

Blog following up on #SocialMedia by @ShellyJoines. Creative solutions on filters & snaps. https://t.co/7VnAfC1Bch pic.twitter.com/HbspYeaISX

— PartnersInAssocMgt (@Partners_AMC) July 26, 2016

https://twitter.com/ShellyJoines/status/758305737458286593

Social media for associations can be fun. It can keep members excited and engaged. (Good for those retention points!) But, for some, it can be stressful as the extra responsibility requires creative thinking.

Don’t fret—association social media pro Shelly Joines shared some creative strategies over at Partners in Association Management’s Partners Preceptors Blog. Check it out.

Other Links of Note

Tumblr is ready to roll out ads on blogs … and users can benefit financially. The details of the opt-in and opt-out program are still being worked out, Sarah Perez reported at TechCrunch.

Facebook claims they’re running out of News Feed ad space. Kurt Wagner at Recode shared insight on what the company will do in this little pickle, since ad revenue amounts to $6.2 billion.

Your follower count on social media doesn’t mean a thing. What really matters is the substance shared, Chris Trottier, the cofounder and CEO of Boldkick Creative Services, commented at CMSWire.

(iStock/Thinkstock)