Making membership matter: how to attract, engage and retain members

Events, training, CPD, advice, research, networking, industry representation and member-only resources can all be part of the offer but a long list of benefits doesn't automatically make membership feel, well - all that useful... If people can't quickly understand what's relevant to them, find it when they need it or see how it helps in real life, much of that value can go unnoticed.

For professional bodies and membership organisations, that means thinking carefully about how the brand, website, content and member communications all work together across the full member journey.

Stop selling a list of benefits

Most membership pages start with what the organisation offers:

• Access to CPD

• Networking events

• Industry updates

• Member discounts

• Training

• Advice

• Resources

All of those things may be useful, but they still leave the reader with one important question: Why does any of this matter to me personally?

Perhaps a more useful way to present membership is to explain what those benefits actually help somebody to achieve. For instance:

"Access to CPD resources" = "keep your skills and knowledge up to date"

"Member networking events" = "meet other people facing the same challenges as you"

The effect of rephrasing those benefits can be much stronger because you're talking about the outcome rather than just the feature.

A useful exercise is to review your main membership landing page or advert and ask yourself "so what?" next to every benefit you list. If the answer isn't obvious, the wording probably needs more work.

Different members will see value in different things

A student joining a professional body may be looking for confidence, career support and a way into the industry. Someone with twenty years of experience may care more about specialist knowledge, influence, leadership or connections.

Trying to sell both people exactly the same membership story will inevitably make it weaker for everyone. This is where audience-focused pages can be very useful.

You might create different routes for students, early-career members, experienced professionals, employers or particular sectors. You could then tailor content around those routes, roles, membership levels or reasons for joining.

If your current membership offer is feeling too broad like you're trying to be all things to all people - start by identifying the three or four main member groups and checking whether each of them can quickly find information that feels relevant to their world.

Help people see themselves

People are more likely to feel that membership is for them when they can see people like themselves present in your content. It sounds obvious but many professional body websites still rely on the same cheesy stock photography and generic information.

Authentic and relatable member stories can offer so much more than this. Show different career stages, sectors, backgrounds and reasons for joining (using real photography/video where possible). Let members explain in their own words - what they have found useful and how membership has helped them.

A brand to belong to

For professional bodies, branding needs to feel credible and established, but it also needs to feel relevant to the people joining today.

A long history can be a strength but if the brand feels dated, formal or closed off, it may make it harder for newer members to see themselves as part of it.

The big question is: Does this feel like an organisation I'd be proud to belong to?

That comes through the visual identity, tone of voice, photography, website, events and member communications. A good membership brand should feel like it represents the people inside the profession - not just the organisation that sits above them.

The onboarding process

A lot of work can go into getting someone to join, then once payment is made the experience suddenly becomes much less considered. The first few weeks are a good chance to help someone see the value you can bring straight away.

Rather than sending them everything at once though - pace yourself. Give them a few clear next steps, then point them towards a useful resource, then maybe suggest an upcoming event, introduce a group they can join or explain one or two benefits they may not know about.

A simple onboarding journey might look like:

• Welcome and explain what happens next

• Recommend three useful things to do first

• Introduce relevant events or resources

• Check in again after a few weeks

The aim is to help a new member feel that joining was a good decision before the initial excitement has worn off.

Stop talking about yourself - keep content useful

Many membership organisations use their news or insights area mainly to talk about what the organisation has been up to recently. This might include new hires, award wins, AGM updates, event announcements etc. For the most part this sort of news is only really interesting for the people that are affected by it directly (i.e. the internal team) - rarely is it actually valued by members.

People will be far more interested in what is happening in their profession or sector and what it means for them. That might include:

• Industry commentary

• Practical guidance

• Policy changes

• Career advice

• Research

• Case studies

• Member stories

• Useful tools

• Expert opinion

Retention starts long before renewal

If a member has seen very little value throughout the year, a well-written renewal email probably won't be enough to change their mind. Value and retention are built through the small experiences that come throughout the year - regular reminders of what membership gives them.

That means renewal shouldn't really be treated as one campaign at the end of the year. Think instead about how you can remind members of value throughout the whole membership period.

As renewal approaches, it can also help to make that value more personal. Where possible, show things like the events that individual attended, CPD completed, resources used or upcoming opportunities they still have access to.

In conclusion

Most membership organisations already have plenty to offer - the challenge is making sure that value doesn't stay hidden.

Good branding, marketing and website design can help connect the dots by making the offer clearer, helping different audiences see what's relevant to them and making the member experience easier from joining through to renewal.

If your organisation is reviewing its brand, website or member communications, we'd be happy to join the conversation and see what opportunities you have to make the value clearer to your members.