Stop the Decline: Why Your Membership Strategy Isn’t Working (and How to Fix It)

How old is your association’s membership dues structure?

Be honest.

Is your current model working? Are you reaching your members with relevant, timely, and dynamic communications? Or are you clinging to outdated tactics, hoping for different results?

According to Marketing General’s 2025 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report  (opens in a new tab), 56 percent of associations — professional and trade alike — have either plateaued or declined in membership over the past year. Only 51 percent have seen membership growth over the past five years.

The optimist in me says, “We can fix this.”

The realist in me says, “WTH(eck) are we doing?”

Even more puzzling, 57 percent of association professionals believe their value proposition is “compelling” or “very compelling.” Yet the numbers tell a different story. If your value is so clear, why isn’t it translating into sustainable growth?

Of course, one can (and should) go deeper to assess lifetime value, retention, satisfaction, engagement, net-promoter score, market share, etc.

The Digital-Only Trap

One of the biggest missteps I see repeatedly is an overreliance on digital-only strategies — specifically, email. Sure, it’s convenient and measurable. But are you communicating with every single member?

Data from Constant Contact  (opens in a new tab) and HubSpot  (opens in a new tab) shows that email open rates vary between 32.5 percent and 50 percent, depending on industry. Even under ideal conditions — with highly curated and engaged lists — you’re still missing up to half your audience. That means a significant portion of your members aren’t seeing your messages and have no idea what’s going on.

And let’s be real: If your email is one of the 392.5 billion sent globally every day (according to Statista  (opens in a new tab)), you’ve got about 10 seconds to make it count — or be ignored.

Now’s the Time to Pivot

Sustainable membership growth doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from bold thinking, fresh strategies, and a willingness to test and evolve. Below are five practical opportunities to help you do just that — and jumpstart your membership growth engine:

Audit and Rethink Your Membership Model
Are you operating on a legacy structure built for a different generation? If you haven’t reassessed your model in the last three to five years, you’re overdue. Dig into the data, survey your members, and look at generational shifts.

As a geriatric millennial, I’ll be blunt: I don’t want to pay a lump-sum annual fee. I’d rather choose a monthly payment, or even an à la carte structure. Lower upfront costs plus the flexibility to add on services? That’s a win in today’s economy.

Diversify Your Membership
Tiers
Inclusivity drives reach. Yet too many associations prioritize exclusivity, thinking it protects brand value. The result? Missed opportunities and limited market share.

You don’t need dozens of tiers — but you do need a thoughtful structure that reflects your audience’s needs and budgets. Get strategic. Understand each persona’s spending power, and design tiers that make your association a home for everyone in your profession.

Upsell Like a Pro

If the private sector can upsell, so can we. Offering tiered packages — basic, plus, and premium — gives prospective members choice and lets them self-select their engagement level.

In one of my previous roles, we introduced a premium membership tier and saw a 20 percent uptake, generating $900,000 in new revenue. Upselling not only drives dollars — it creates intentional engagement pathways. No more “spray and pray” emails to members who just aren’t as interested as others.

Downsell With Purpose

Post-COVID, many associations have dabbled in downselling — think virtual event passes as alternatives to in-person attendance. But are we truly being strategic?

A downsell isn’t a downgrade — it’s an on-ramp. It allows future members, future attendees, and future advocates to engage on their terms. If someone’s not ready to commit to full membership, don’t shut the door. Give them a lighter lift and start building that relationship now.

Stop Sending Boring Emails

Membership marketing is still marketing. And yet so many associations default to stale, jargon-heavy communications that wouldn’t motivate a goldfish. Membership promotions alone, quite often, still require the prospect to infer future value of government affairs, a webinar library, annual conference, educational sessions, networking, and more.

Remember: “No” is easier than “Yes.” If you want someone to join, renew, register, or refer — you have to show the value. Spell it out. Make it visual. Make it emotional. Make it impossible to ignore.

Porch Group Media  (opens in a new tab) reports that 40 percent of consumers have over 50 unread emails sitting in their inbox. Average click-through rates (indicating whether content is compelling enough for users to go further) are just 1.3 percent globally. If your message doesn’t resonate (and activate) in the first 10 seconds, it’s gone.

Bonus Tip: Test. Test. Then Test Again.

Every new idea is a hypothesis. Don’t wait three months for results — pilot it in three weeks. Whether it’s a new membership campaign, pricing model, or engagement strategy, the goal is to learn quickly and iterate fast.

Fail fast. Learn faster.

Final Word
Growth, sustainability, and relevance start with action. Rethink your model. Elevate your marketing. Give your audience choices. And for the love of member engagement — stop playing it (too) safe.