--- title: "Daily Buzz: Time to Check In on Member Relations" id: "45861" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-time-to-check-in-on-member-relations" published_at: "2019-03-06T20:42:23+00:00" modified_at: "2019-03-06T20:42:23+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/03/06/daily-buzz-time-to-check-in-on-member-relations/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/03/06/daily-buzz-time-to-check-in-on-member-relations.md" excerpt: "Members join associations for the value they bring, but they may not feel the benefits long term. Auditing your organization’s member relations function can change that. Also: Is your email worth it?" taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Member Engagement" - "member relations" - "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/) » Daily Buzz: Time to Check In on Member Relations Members are the backbone of every association, but when is the last time your organization checked in on its member relations? “The relationship your association has with its members can make or break a lot of important metrics for your organization including member retention, satisfaction, and much more,” [says Audra Hopkins on the WebScribble blog (opens in a new tab)](https://www.webscribble.com/improve-your-association-member-relations-3-tips/) . “The work you put into onboarding new members will be lost if you can’t keep those members content with what you offer them and how you treat them over time.” To improve the dynamic, start by making it a priority and assigning specific staff roles to it. “With a trusted member of your team steering the ship, you can be sure that relationship building tasks will be taken seriously and be carried into fruition,” Hopkins says. From there, make sure to check in from time to time to ensure that your association is providing the value that members signed up for. “If you want to nurture a healthier relationship with members, you’ll want them to feel like they’re getting only the best and most exclusive inside information from you that can help them further grow their career and life paths,” she says. A great place to start: Compile a master list of resources that members can turn to when they’re in need of help. “For example, are your members having trouble moving up in their career?” Hopkins asks. “Consider making a master list of educational and professional resources that those looking for it can refer back to.” ### When to Send an Email > “Think critically about each email you send. Is this email contributing to the health of your email communication channel or is it degrading it?” @SmoothThePath sheds light on research and tactics to help emails be more engaging! [https://t.co/gvySKs7bpN (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/gvySKs7bpN) > [pic.twitter.com/dzXVKWc1Ep (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/dzXVKWc1Ep) > > — Sidecar (@sidecarglobal) [March 5, 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/sidecarglobal/status/1102979591612891136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Email is often the most used** form of communication for associations, though Amanda Kaiser writes on *Association Success* that email is in trouble. “Our members, unfortunately, are predisposed to ignoring our email messages,” [she writes (opens in a new tab)](http://associationsuccess.org/article/association-email-is-dying) . “They receive 100 to 200 emails a day, so the quicker they can process all that information the happier they are.” That means, in order to be read, your emails should present critical, valuable information. Before sending out any online communication, Kaiser recommends asking the following question: Is this email contributing to the health of your email-communication channel, or is it degrading it? If the information is essential and is presented without clickbait, sent it. If not, skip it to preserve your email reputation. ### Other Links of Note **Weddings and business meetings** are very different—but [there are some ideas the latter can borrow from weddings (opens in a new tab)](https://www.bizbash.com/steal-these-2019-wedding-trends-for-corporate-events/new-york/story/36932#.XH_jLS2ZOTc) , from *BizBash*. **Improve your nonprofit’s video skills** with [these three tips from the Bloomerang blog (opens in a new tab)](https://bloomerang.co/blog/3-steps-to-scripting-a-memorable-nonprofit-video/) . **The role of a mature leader** [fits into five archetypes (opens in a new tab)](https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_five_roles_of_the_mature_leader#When:17:15:00Z) , according to *Stanford Social Innovation Review*. (DrAfter123/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#Member Engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-engagement/) [#member relations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-relations/) [#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/) - [VideoMembers Are People Too!October 7, 2011](https://associationsnow.com/2011/10/07/members-are-people-too/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [VideoCEO to CEO: When Members DissentMarch 26, 2010](https://associationsnow.com/2010/03/26/ceo-to-ceo-when-members-dissent/) ## 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%2F2019%2F03%2F06%2Fdaily-buzz-time-to-check-in-on-member-relations%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !