Membership to an association boils down to one thing, the benefits offered. Each member likely joined for a variety of reasons all based on a mixture of benefits that your association can provide them. It’s important to make sure that your benefits are front and center to both potential and current members, ensuring recruitment continues and retention is consistently in mind.
Make benefits one of the first impressions that outsiders have of your association. Plaster your member benefits on the homepage of your website. Potential members should not have to search through your website to find what they are looking for. There should be a clear button that leads to the list of benefits. The imagery on the home page can also leave this impression. If one of your benefits is members attending the annual conference, share images from previous conferences.
Keep members informed of new benefits as they are developed. If your association is working on a white paper to advocate for an issue in the industry, keep your members in the loop. This is something that benefits them and reassures them of their choice to join the association.
Create a video highlighting your association’s benefits. Pull your volunteers together to grab some footage of members utilizing benefits whether it be an event, photos of people connecting through the association, or an awards ceremony. Slap some inspirational music onto it and share it on social media, your website, or at an annual meeting.
Prepare your volunteers with an elevator pitch of member benefits. Although your volunteers should be aware of member benefits, when put on the spot of why someone should join, they might freeze up. Prepare them for moments like that with a few bullet points and help them to connect it to how they have enjoyed the benefits.
At the end of the day, all communications to members and potential members should come back to the benefits. That is what is going to sell them on staying in or joining the group.