3 Ways to Make the Most of your Membership Website

Membership software can change the experience your members and potential members have on your website. If you have membership software, it is important to take advantage of its full potential. Below are a few ways to make your life easier and your members happier.

Automate everything you can possibly automate!

Whether it is invoices, emails, or renewals, automating it is the way to go. It will save you time and allow you to better serve your members in other ways. Platforms like Wild Apricot have template emails for new members, event reminders, renewals, and more. You can turn this function on and even take the time to personalize them to your association. 

Keep an eye on member involvement.

Look into who is unengaged, who is attending events, who is always late renewing. Paying attention to these details can tell a lot about what you are doing as an association. It might show you some things that should change and provide a better understanding of the types of new members you should target.

Collect as much information as possible through event registration without frustrating the registrant.

Ask questions about dietary restrictions, what they are expecting from the event, and more. If you are asking extra questions to learn more, do not make these questions required.

The membership software can be your best friend when it comes to learning about your members and the direction your association should be headed towards. Take advantage of it and learn as much as possible about the platform you are using.

3 Methods for a Personal Approach to Member Onboarding

When a new member joins an association, they might feel a little lost. It is your job as a board to make them feel welcomed and ensure they have all of the resources they need to make the most out of their membership. Sure, you can send a welcome email to your new member and you should. It is important, however, to connect even further. This can be done through a mentorship program, webinar, or group meeting.

1.     Mentorship program.

Either utilize your membership committee or create a new committee that serves the purpose of welcoming new members. Each member of the committee would then be assigned to a new member. They can either reach out to the new member via a phone call, a coffee meet up, or at one of your association’s events. This designated contact will give the new member a friendly face to look for and a resource in their transition into the organization.

2.     Webinar.

If there are many details involved with the benefits of your organization, it might be a good idea to do a quarterly webinar for new members. This webinar could go over the ins and outs of their membership and would allow a time for the new members to ask any questions they might have.

3.     Group meeting.

Similar to a webinar, if you are all local to one another, try getting the group of new members together for a happy hour or dinner. This allows for conversation and questions and familiarizes the new members with one another.

Whatever approach you choose to take to further connect with new members, will help to make those members feel a sense of community in the association. This feeling when onboarding can not only make for a happier member but also a better chance of member retention.

4 Ways to Prevent Lapsed Members

Every member of an association adds value in both the experience to other members and financially. It has also been said time and time again that it is easier to retain a member rather than recruit new ones. With that being said, your board should be doing everything possible to retain members! Here are four strategies to keep those members from jumping ship. 

1.     Let them know when their expiration date is official.

They may have ignored previous emails that warned them of their membership ending. An email letting them know that their membership has officially come to an end can give them that extra push to renew. Bold the fact that their membership has expired and list all of the things that they will no longer be able to do without membership.

2.     Follow through with inactivation.

Make sure that your database is maintained accurately. Do not leave someone as a member in your website, assuming that they will pay their dues soon. Marking them as inactive will take away their access, preventing them from being able to follow through with member actions and resources.

3.     Send a past due notice.

If the member has still not renewed after three months, send them a follow-up email to let them know their membership fees are past due. Give them a new due date to pay by and provide them with contact information for any questions.

4.     Send a final message.

The final message should be a thank you for their membership. It can also include a note to the member that their involvement will always be welcomed, should they choose to rejoin in the future.

Staying in consistent communication with lapsed members is the best way to stay at the top of their minds. The goal is for at least one of these reminders to be convincing and catch them at the right time to follow through with renewal.

Impact welcomes the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations!

December 9, 2019, Madison, Wisconsin –Impact Association Management (Impact) is ecstatic to announce the signing of the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (NATHO) as their newest client.   

“After meeting with Abigail and learning more about the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations, I was eager to bring them on board! They are open to ideas and innovation which is something that we love to see in new clients. I think it is going to be a great fit and I can’t wait to see how much their Executive Administrators, Kristen and Jenna are able to do for them,” adds Jodi Fisher, CEO, Impact Association Management

About the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations

The National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations is a non-profit made up of travel healthcare organizations and associate members in the industry. The organization was founded in 2008 in order to promote ethical business practices in the industry and to set a gold standard for conduct. Members have the benefit of attending educational webinars as well as the annual conference. They also have access to members-only resources and the option to talk with the NATHO arbitration committee to solve work-related issues. The association is always evolving and growing to better serve its members.

Contact:

Abigail Tremble

abigail.tremble@randstadusa.com

www.natho.org

About Impact Association Management 

Impact Association Management was founded in 2006 by Jodi Fisher, and since then they have successfully supported many Associations in growing and increasing profits and memberships. Now expanded into a robust team, Impact consists of Social Media experts, Non-Profit Administrators and Executive Administrative Assistants with impressive backgrounds in Association support, small business operations and international corporations.  Their mission is to provide customized, efficient, and forward-thinking association management services to small and medium sized Associations with a highly skilled, dedicated team of Executive Administrators. 

Contact: 

Impact Association Management

608.210.3120 

info@ImpactAMC.com 

www.ImpactAMC.com 

4 Ways to Increase Conference Registration

Annual conferences are important to members, others in the industry, and the success of the organization. Members often see annual conferences as one of their primary benefits and the organization typically depends on it as the main source of income for the year. Because it is crucial to such a large amount of people, it is important to push registration as much as possible. We have listed 4 ways to increase registration below!

1.     Contact past attendees. If people were interested and able to attend your last conference, they are likely willing to do so again. Reach out to them via email, direct mail, or on the phone and inform them about this year’s conference. You could also provide some sort of discount to returning attendees.

2.     Discounts. People are way more likely to pull the trigger on a decision if a discount is lingering over their heads. In order for discounts to work, however, it is important to make them time-sensitive. When announcing the discount to potential attendees, always include when the discount ends. This will give them that extra push they need to follow through with registration.

3.     Use social media as a tool. When posting about your conference on social media, make sure to tag your speakers and introduce them to potential attendees, take different posts to explain different sessions, and to promote different aspects of the agenda.

4.     Utilize past resources. You likely have photos, videos, and survey results from your past conference. Use these resources to encourage new attendees to register. Place them throughout your event page on the website, in newsletters, social media, and any other communication that goes out!

Do not let registration fall to the back burner of your organization’s goals. Conferences should be an all-year process and require some dedicated time and attention in order to grow and be successful.