Get Strategic: How to Connect with Members in a Digital Age

Colleen DilenschneiderChief Market Engagement Officer

IMPACTS Research@cdilly

Overview of topics covered

• Who are members?

• Why discuss digital engagement with regard to membership?

• How have these platform changed how we cultivate members?

• What needs to be done to cultivate and retain members (and donors!) using digital platforms?

• When should our membership team consider social engagement strategies?

Social media is critical for increasing the type of affinity that yields improved membership retention, supports transitions to more premium membership levels, and supports larger donations.

WHO are members?

Members are critical stakeholders that play an important role in the long-term solvency of your organization.

Visitors

Corporate members

DonorsIndividual members

Supporters

Partners

HPV = High Propensity VisitorPersons with the demographic, psychographic, and behavioral attributes that indicate an increased likelihood to attend a visitor-serving organization (zoo, aquarium, museum, etc.)

US CompositeUtility Index

Schedule 147.9

Cost 121.3

Travel distance (proximity) 120.5

Special events 118.8

Reputation 117.5

“Family-friendly” 116.4

Nightlife 110.0

Climate 107.7

“Friends and family” 105.3

Safety 102.6

Specific activity/attraction 101.9

Ease of access 100.2

Western Europe CompositeUtility Index

Schedule 203.5

Reputation 181.2

Travel distance (proximity) 129.5

Ease of access 120.4

Planning convenience 116.3

Climate 112.9

Special events 108.0

Specific activity/attraction 107.8

Travel loyalty programs 105.6

Nightlife 103.3

Fine dining 102.7

Cost 100.4

Utility Index

Reputation 208.3

Schedule 140.1

Special events 137.8

Ease of access 127.7

Planning convenience 118.0

Nightlife 116.5

Travel distance (proximity) 108.7

Specific activity/attraction 108.2

Safety 103.1

Climate 102.6

Fine dining 102.4

Cost 101.3

High-Propensity Visitors

What influences the decision-making process?Discretionary decision-making utility model

Diffusion of Messaging

Diffusion of Messaging

Reviews from trusted resources (“Q”) have a value 12.85x greater than that of paid media (“P”).

Public sources of informationOverall Value: What are the weighted, relative values of the respective information channels?

Web

Socia

l med

iaW

OMEm

ail

Mobile w

eb

Peer r

eview

web

Telev

ision

Radio - s

atellit

e and te

rrestr

ial

Newsp

aper

- prin

t

Periodica

ls and m

agazi

nes - p

rint

Direct

mail0

100

200

300

400

500

600

269 274 282

239

54

101

226 16

34

1

228

457

234

123

241

205

175 10 19

0

Jun 11 Mar 14

HOW has digital changed how we attract and cultivate members?

1. Empowers potential members to make decisions based on real-time information

2. The membership “product” desired by the market/how we communicate the optimal messaging is changing

3. Opportunity for personalized “touch points”

1) Empowers potential members to make decisions based on real-time information

• Makes impact more visible• “Show, don’t tell” platform• Difficult to “hide” failures

• Increased expectations of transparency• Prescription vs. participation• Tuition vs. admission• Institution vs. community

• Increased expectations of accessibility• Social care

Source: Nielsen, 2012 State of Social Media Report

Source: Edison Research, 2012

What about Twitter?How quickly do you expect a response on Twitter?

Source: Lithium Technologies, 2013

Benefits of social care

Source: Lithium Technologies, 2013

When brands provide customers and stakeholders with timely responses:

• 34% are likely to buy more from that company• 43% are likely to encourage friends and family to buy their

products• 38% are more receptive to the brand’s advertisements• 42% are willing to praise or recommend the brand through

social media

2) The membership “product” desired by the market is changing

• The desired membership product may be changing• Are you offering what your potential members actually want?

• Organizations that market mission outperform those marketing primarily as attractions

• Reputational equities have a relationship with revenue efficiency

Evolving membership programs and structures What is the primary benefit of membership?

AGES 18 – 34(lexical analysis, top five by descending frequency)

1. Free admission2. Belonging to the organization3. Supporting the organization4. Supporting conservation5. Making a positive impact on the environment

AGES 35+(lexical analysis, top five by descending frequency)

1. Free admission2. Priority access3. Members-only functions4. Advance notice of upcoming activities5. Member discounts

AGE 18 – 34(lexical analysis, top five by descending frequency)

AGE 35+(lexical analysis, top five by descending frequency)

Creating participation opportunities for “active impact”What is a better way to contribute to the conservation of the

world’s ocean than to join [become a member]?

1. Participate in a beach cleanup2. Stop using plastics (single use)3. Support better environmental protections4. Make better seafood choices5. DNK

1. DNK2. Join other conservation organization3. Support better environmental protections4. Educate children about conservation5. Make better seafood choices

Attitudes and usageThe primary benefit of membership is feeling like you

positively contribute to the health of the world’s ocean.

June 2008 Sept 2012 July 2013 June 20140

20

40

60

80

100

74 76 76 77

68 68 67 67

Age 18-34 Age 35+

MEAN RESPONSE

A scalar variable indicates a level of agreement with a statement.

Strongly disagree

Strongly Agree1 100

Sept 2012 July 2013 June 20140

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

72 73 7369 69 6868 67 66

Age 18-34 Age 35-44 Age 45+

MEAN RESPONSE

A scalar variable indicates a level of agreement with a statement.

Strongly disagree

Strongly Agree1 100

Attitudes and usageI would strongly consider becoming a member a zoo, aquarium or museum.

US Museums – 3Q 2013Relative Revenue Efficiency and Reputational Equities

AB

C

D E

F

GH

I

J K

L

M

N O

AB

C

DE

F

G

H

I

JK

L

MN O

Revenue Efficiency Reputational Equities

MORE

LESS

*Of assessed US museums with an admission basis

3) Opportunity for personalized “touch”

• Quality of fans > quantity of fans• Allows for more active cultivation than ever before• Ability to communicate by driving interest/passion• Supporters want to share their passion and experiences

Why do people share content?And what are the benefits of sharing content?

• 68% of people share to give others a better sense of who they are and what they care about

• 84% share because it’s a way to support causes or issues they care about

• 73% process information more deeply, thoughtfully, and thoroughly when they share it

• 94% carefully consider how information they share will be useful to the recipient

• 73% share because it helps them connect with others who share their interests

Source: New York Times Consumer Insight Group

Social media isn’t just for the PR team

• A member online is a member offline

• “Special” treatment still extends to online space

WHAT needs to be done to cultivate and retain members using digital platforms?

1. Treat online like “IRL”2. Provide opportunities to share3. Communicate the benefits of membership

1) Treat online like “IRL”

• Integrate with broader engagement and cultivation strategy• Biggest misunderstandings happen when we think of “digital”

as a skillset instead of an engagement funnel/part of strategy• Online donors are still donors (i.e. so send thank you)• Add more traditional “touch points” to the mix, too. • BE ACTIVE

Be active

1) Start identifying your members online• Build list over time for current members

– This may take time as individuals self-identify• Note this information in membership CMS

2) Use private Twitter lists to your advantage • Make private Twitter lists of current members• Make private Twitter lists of potential members• Make private Twitter lists of potential donors/ high

engagement individuals

Be active

3) Prioritize interaction with these individuals• Retweet or @reply them• Send DMs for birthdays, etc.• Comment on Instagram photos • Comment or email “thanks” on blog posts

4) Continue to show “special treatment” • Tell members first (email, generally)

5) Explore personalization by passion• Email list for members with special interests/more

personalized or targeted communications • Opportunity to “go deep” with members or parallel audiences

2) Provide opportunities to share

• Encourage sharing at membership events• Provide all digital tools needed

• Have the hashtag for the event before it starts• Consider special events for members who are most digitally

active

3) Communicate the benefits of membership

• Make sure you are communicating what truly motivates your org’s members

• Often wise to align membership with mission impact• Opportunity for Facebook boosting to regional audiences for

specific membership events

WHEN should our membership team consider social engagement strategies?

Right now.

• California Academy of Sciences• European Union• European Union Cultural Consortium• Google• Harvard University• IMPACTS Research & Development• MAXXI, Museo Nazionale delle Arti

del XXI Secolo• Monterey Bay Aquarium• Musée du Louvre• Musée d'Orsay

• National Aquarium• National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration• Nicholas School of the Environment

at Duke University• Stanford University• Tennessee Aquarium• The Ocean Project• United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization• US Department of State

THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO:

Have questions or ideas?Please contact me!

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