Membership

Thursday Buzz: Turn Your Members Into Subscribers

Why your members are ready for auto-renewal plans. Also: A television ad hijacks Google Home devices.

Your members are already using subscription services like Netflix, Blue Apron, and Slack, so why shouldn’t your association work the same way?

If your association isn’t already using an auto-renewal model, the Billhighway blog makes a compelling case for why you should start.

“A monthly auto-renewal payment plan allows a member to join your association for the price of lunch and start receiving benefits immediately,” writes Charlotte Muylaert. “The decision to join is easier to make at the lower monthly price, especially if a member pays dues out of their own pocket.”

Auto renewal also solves the problem of members unintentionally forgetting to renew. “As long as their credit card still works, you don’t have to worry about members in transition (personal or professional) who forget to provide you with a new mailing or email address,” says Muylaert.

In turn, auto renewal frees your staff’s time by cutting down on renewal efforts, including calls and emails. And it also provides a recurring and predictable revenue stream for your organization.

An Intrusive Marketing Stunt

Today’s innovative advertisers are strategizing ways to tap into the smart-home device market. But Burger King may have gone too far with its attempt.

Burger King ran an ad on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! that prompted viewers’ Google Home devices to read the Wikipedia entry for the Whopper, AdWeek reports. (The ads actually showed up online beforehand, drawing early buzz and leading Google to disable the trick, but the burger chain worked around the limitation by using an alternate ad on the TV shows.)

Many consumers disliked having their devices hijacked by the fast-food chain.

“Indeed, the whole stunt has raised concerns about the unauthorized hacking of voice-activated devices in an age when they are becoming more and more prevalent,” writes Tim Nudd.

Other Links of Note

Learn from the best. New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick shares his rules of leadership with CNBC.

Get people talking. CMSWire shares ways to spark conversations in your organization.

What does it take to run a successful meeting? State of Digital details audience expectations for conferences.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Raegan Johnson

By Raegan Johnson

Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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