--- title: "Monday Buzz: Customizable Memberships" id: "42290" type: "post" slug: "monday-buzz-customizable-memberships" published_at: "2018-04-16T21:32:17+00:00" modified_at: "2018-04-16T21:32:17+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/04/16/monday-buzz-customizable-memberships/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/04/16/monday-buzz-customizable-memberships.md" excerpt: "Could adding more membership levels attract more people? The MemberClicks blog reveals how. Also: Amanda Kaiser makes the case for a “frictionless” member experience." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Member Engagement" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Monday Buzz: Customizable Memberships You’ve heard the old expression: You get what you pay for. But these days, people pay only for what they want—not everything they could get. We see that come to life with cable cord-cutters who don’t want to pay for channels they don’t watch. So, as consumer offerings become more personalized and flexible, your membership offerings should keep pace. “By offering a variety of membership levels at your association or chamber, you’re giving people the opportunity to customize their membership (thus boosting the chances they’ll stay with your organization),” writes Callie Walker in a [new MemberClicks blog post (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.memberclicks.com/one-size-does-not-fit-all-the-value-of-membership-levels) . Walker goes on to provide a few ways to create new levels. Start by considering how many levels you should offer and what they should cost. “It’s recommended to have at least two or three membership levels, but depending on your staff size and the makeup of your organization’s membership, you may need more in order to sufficiently meet the needs of your varying membership segments,” she writes. ### Seamless Experience > When the interaction is easy, intuitive, and maybe even fun members engage. Add friction, and they don’t. [https://t.co/klgqOg0MnP (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/klgqOg0MnP) > [#ASAE (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASAE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#AssnChat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssnChat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Amanda Lea Kaiser (@AmandaLeaKaiser) [April 16, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/AmandaLeaKaiser/status/985911127623249920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Are you unintentionally making it difficult** for people to sign up or stay with your organization? A new *Smooth the Path* post from Amanda Kaiser explains why your organization has to [provide a “frictionless” experience (opens in a new tab)](http://www.smooththepath.net/2018/04/12/better-member-retention-from-frictionless-experiences-designed-for-your-association/) . In order to do that, she says your organization needs simple membership tiers, easy access to other members, professional development resources, and “timely, valuable new member messaging that solves the problem they currently have.” ### Other Links of Note **In order to grow subscribers,** some [publishers are providing access (opens in a new tab)](https://digiday.com/media/publishers-membership-programs-often-include-access-editorial-staffers/) to editorial staffers, according to *Digiday*. Could this type of approach work for your organization? **Don’t miss out on the latest educational resources.** *Reid All About It* lists [helpful articles and webinars (opens in a new tab)](https://deirdrereid.com/2018/04/13/association-brain-food-weekly-4-13-18/) . **Keeping up with the latest event tech** can be exhausting. Here’s a roundup of mobile audience [engagement apps from Event Marketer (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmarketer.com/article/eventtech-411-mobile-audience-engagement-tools/) . (Jirsak/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#Member Engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-engagement/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F04%2F16%2Fmonday-buzz-customizable-memberships%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !