--- title: "Welcoming Members: A Switch From Print to Digital" id: "10357" type: "post" slug: "welcoming-members-a-switch-from-print-to-digital" published_at: "2017-12-18T05:00:00+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T02:48:54+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/12/18/welcoming-members-a-switch-from-print-to-digital/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/12/18/welcoming-members-a-switch-from-print-to-digital.md" excerpt: "The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association wanted to increase engagement with first-time members but also save time and money on its welcome kit. It wasn’t an easy challenge, especially when one-in-three OTLA members typically will not renew, says Membership Development Coordinator..." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "ASAEcenter" - "Digital Engagement" - "Member Engagement" - "Member Services" - "Membership" - "Membership Recruitment & Retention" - "welcome" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Welcoming Members: A Switch From Print to Digital The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association wanted to increase engagement with first-time members but also save time and money on its welcome kit. It wasn’t an easy challenge, especially when one-in-three OTLA members typically will not renew, says Membership Development Coordinator Jeff Hanlan. The solution: Go digital. Hanlan stopped mailing welcome kits and opted for email. “Our members were immediately interested in the e-kit, mainly because it was timely and relevant,” he says. “After year one, we had about a 50 percent open rate and a 40 percent click-through rate, about twice the industry average.” Here’s what goes into the welcome e-kit: **1. Message from the president.** A personalized note from OTLA’s president talks about the value proposition of membership. “Keep that message short and concise to let the member know you’re here to help,” Hanlan says. **2. Link to top benefits.** New members want access to the best benefits. OTLA’s e-kit links to the four benefits that members have said are most valuable: a member listserver, a lawyer directory, continuing legal education courses, and a dashboard for news and information. **3. Provide a direct phone line.** Switching to email doesn’t mean you cut off other communications. Hanlan lists his phone number at the bottom of the e-kit. He also follows up with each new member on a check-in call one month in, which is followed by a one-on-one call from a member volunteer. —T.E. [This article was originally published in the *Associations Now* print edition, titled “Rules of Engagement: A Digital Welcome.”] [Tim Ebner](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/) Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor. 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