MEMBERSHIP MARKETING 101

Queirra Rankin

Understanding the Membership Lifecycle to improve membership growth

Membership Marketing is just like being in a relationship

Get dressed up to go out

Know how to say sorry

Celebrate anniversaries

Plan amazing dates

Have a great pick up lineRecruitment

Engagement

Renewal

Reinstatement

AwarenessTHEMEMBERSHIP

LIFECYCLE

It’s Friday night and you have plans to go to a local cocktail lounge with a few of your other single friends. How do you prepare?

Scenario

Pick out a nice outfit

Brush your teeth

Shave

Go to the ATM

You also have to practice your pick up lines.

What will you say to spark your prospect’s interest?

Scenario

pick up line #1

I’m a thief,

and I’m here to steal

your heart.

… when you prepare to help your prospects discover you.Awareness

Before organizations can

begin recruiting members,

they must have clearly stated

value propositions.

Value Propositions are

statements that clearly

illustrate what you have to

offer from the prospects point

of view.

Value Proposition

How does my offer help them?

Who is my target audience?

Can I prove it?

Useful OfferYou have years of travel tips & advice

Target AudienceAttractive woman who likes to travel

Proof of ValueTravel photos in your wallet

It’s Friday night and you have plans to go to a local cocktail lounge with a few of your other single friends. You’re getting dressed and trying to think of a good conversation starter.

Scenario

The perfect conversation starter

Have you taken

any great

vacations lately?

… when you prepare to help your prospects discover you.Awareness

Top 3 Questions

Your Organization

Must Answer

The key in the

Awareness Stage

is preparation!

A strong Awareness Campaign proactively answers these

questions with through multiple prospect channels.

Website “content for contact” tools Social media channels Online press releases

Who are you?

What do you have to offer?

Why should I care?

When you get to the local cocktail lounge, you’re immediately noticed by all your prospects near the bar. Now you need a plan of action!

Scenario

1. Who will you approach?

2. What will you offer?

3. What will you say?

… when your prospect decides to take you for a test drive.Recruitment

Target Market

• Start with the prospects, meeting attendees and nonmember product buyers in your internal record database.

Offers

• Think of creative offers that will match the prospect’s potential objections

Messaging

• Use language that very practically answers the question:• Why should I join your organization?

Marketing Channels

• How will you send your message to your prospects? • Email is cost effective but direct mail can break through the clutter.

Testing & Tracking

• Effective testing and tracking will tell you how to optimize the methods, messages and channels you’re using.

You’re at the cocktail lounge and execute your plan of action

Target Market

• You target the most attractive woman

Offers

• You offer her a drink

Messaging• She tells you her favorite vacation spot

was to Morocco and you share your attractive knowledge about the world Marketing Channels

• You two exchange phone numbers

Testing & Tracking

• And talk on the phone 3 nights a week for the past month

You have successfully recruited your next relationship!

Scenario

Now it’s time to plan those amazing dates!Scenario

How frequent and extravagant does the

date need to be to achieve success?

How will you begin to reveal all the other

qualities that make you a great person to be in a

relationship with?

… when members want to do things with you.Engagement

Better engagement with new members mean better renewals!

• A welcome letter or phone call

• Mailing them a coupon for dollars off their next purchase

• Emailing a use of benefits survey

• Courtesy call to answer member questions

… when members want do things with you.Engagement

Give special attention to your first-year members. They are taking your organization for a test drive so show them the membership value that justifies the dues they paid.

The more frequent and more positive the interactions are with the first-year members, the higher the renewal rate.

It’s a year later and you have successfully developed a romantic relationship!Scenario

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

If you have done everything right,

when you ask her to continue

on your life journey together,

she should say yes.

That all depends on if you

ask her the right way.

… when members decide to keep you.Renewal

This is the moment when your member evaluates the value of your organization and if it’s worth continuing the relationship.

Most members simply

forget - so they job of

renewals is to remind

them often.

 The most effective renewal processes are based around multi-media channels:

An early bird reminder email – offering an early bird discount

A direct mail notice during timed intervals before the member expires

Reminder phone calls during the month the member expires

… when members decide to keep you.Renewal

Consider more convenient payment options:

Automatic credit card renewal

Automatic electronic funds transfer (EFT)

Monthly or quarterly credit card installment billing

What happens if you completely blew the anniversary date?Scenario

She never wants

to hear from you

again and all you

want is another

chance?

Then ask for it!

… when former members decide to give you another chance.Reinstatement

This is the perfect opportunity for members to reconsider their decision to end the relationship.

The most likely member to return, is the one who most recently left – so early reminders are key!

Try win-back campaigns! Since you already had an established relationship with former members, you have all the information necessary to communicate with them.

Email

Direct

Mail

Phone

… when you prepare to help your prospects discover you

… when former members decide to give you another chance

… when members decide to keep you

… when members want to do things with you

… when your prospect decides to take you for a test drive

Recruitment

Engagement

Renewal

Reinstatement

AwarenessTHEMEMBERSHIP

LIFECYCLE

Do you have a great membership marketing idea?Ask yourself which membership lifecycle stage it matches

Questions?

Resources

Marketing General, Inc., The Five Step MGI Membership Lifecycle Marketing Model, MGI Tipster Vol. 9-10 Issue 1-12, retrieved January 4, 2011, http://www.marketinggeneral.com/blog/category/tipster/