Membership

Membership Hack: Digital Handbook

A digital handbook gives members access to the information they need about member benefits, services, and support—all in one place.

How to hack it? The American Chemical Society gives its members a digital handbook [PDF] detailing all the opportunities that membership affords, including events, products, services, and other benefits.

“Because we are a complex organization with a variety of member-only, public, and other product offerings, the member handbook is a way to comprehensively map out everything we do,” says Amelia Grana, manager for membership strategy at ACS.

Why does it work? The handbook gives ACS members a detailed view of the value of their membership, all in one place. It’s distributed by email and printed at small events. The publication is updated each year to include any changes to benefits or programs.

What’s the bonus? A handbook is an effective tool for onboarding new members, Grana says. It also increases the chances of new-member engagement, which can lead to the all-important first-year renewal. “An informed member is a more engaged member, and a more engaged member is one that tends to stick around,” she says.

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Tim Ebner

By Tim Ebner

Tim Ebner is a senior editor for Associations Now. He covers membership, leadership, and governance issues. Email him with story ideas or news tips. MORE

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