As anyone who has ever gone on a job interview can tell you, first impressions matter—and the member onboarding process is your association’s first impression.

With that in mind, you want to think strategically to ensure that the onboarding process sets the stage for keeping members engaged and happy over the long haul. Here are a few pieces from our archives that offer advice on how to do just that:

Six Ideas for Upgrading Member Onboarding. From messaging tips to suggestions for personalization, this article gathers ideas for onboarding. One such idea? Drop the member packet in favor of drip-marketing campaigns over email.

Six Ways to Make New-Member Digital Onboarding a Success. How has the pandemic changed onboarding? Lia Zegeye, senior director of membership at the American Bus Association, hosts webinars for new members that introduce them to the association and bring a personal touch to a virtual connection. “It’s a great way for me to connect with our members,” she says.

‌Small-Scale Ways to Improve Member Onboarding. This piece, by Ashley Uhl, CAE, of Association Think, argues that onboarding is really a form of member retention, just at the beginning of the process. “Individuals do not typically join to be passive members,” she says. “They are ready to get involved and get the most out of their purchase, so your onboarding program should be ready to engage them immediately.”

‌The Do’s and Don’ts of Member Onboarding. An association might understand the importance of a good onboarding program and double down on its efforts, but there’s a risk of hitting folks with too much at once, says consultant Scott Oser. “Pace your onboarding communications so that members receive information in digestible chunks,” he says. “If you don’t engage them in a way that they can handle, you risk overwhelming them, which will ultimately lead them to ignore or block your attempts to communicate.”

First-Year Renewal Issues? Tweak Your Onboarding Strategy. Based on research from GrowthZone, this piece makes the case that a poor onboarding strategy can keep members from renewing early on. “It’s extremely important that new members understand the value you bring to their lives,” says the company’s Amy Gitchell.

 

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