Tuesday Buzz: Getting Members to Say “Yes” to Renewal

Membership-based organizations take a tremendous amount of time to come up with strategies for gaining new members. Devising ways to keep those members requires just as much thought.

If you’re looking to increase your membership retention rates, check out this post from VP Associations, which shares tips for creating a membership renewal series  (opens in a new tab).

Start with making sure your timing is right for sending renewal notices—they should be sent well before the membership expires. “If your association provides critical benefits, don’t wait to renew a member right at their expiration and risk their losing access to those benefits,” writes publications director Jake Smith. “While losing those benefits might *make someone *’miss you’ enough to renew, the thought of losing them should be enough.”

If your organization is sending renewal notices only via email, you’re making a mistake. It’s true that email is inexpensive, but it’s also easy for members to overlook. “A multichannel approach—snail mail, email, perhaps a phone call provided it’s from someone in the home office and an ‘authority‘* on the association*—will be sure to reach your members.”

VP Associations also makes recommendations for personalized copy, response methods, surveys, tracking, and more.

Do You Measure Up?

Check it out: the Social Media Director’s Guide to M+R Benchmarks. How do you compare? https://t.co/xZY2pPfjCy  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/geo13kX13g  (opens in a new tab)

— M+R (@MRCampaigns) August 29, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

If your social following is smaller than those of your competitors, you may feel like you’ve done something wrong. But that’s not necessarily the case.

A new M+R Benchmarks study  (opens in a new tab) says every organization needs to set realistic expectations for social performance, and you can start by examining your email list. According to the study, for every 1,000 email subscribers nonprofits have, the average group has 428 Facebook fans, 141 Twitter followers, and a measly 39 Instagram followers.

The report also provides benchmarks for earned reach, posting frequency, and engagement rates.

Other Links of Note

When it comes to meetings, event professionals are often expected to deliver a wondrous experience. Event Manager Blog shares ways to set realistic expectations  (opens in a new tab) for senior leadership.

How do you combat donor fatigue? 101Fundraising reveals some of the reasons that motivate people to donate  (opens in a new tab).

Make sure your website is polished and professional. 4aGoodCause offers web design advice for nonprofits  (opens in a new tab).

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