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Member Recruitment Strategies For Associations

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Membership turnover is inevitable, especially as Boomers retire. You can never stop recruiting, which means you’re constantly trying to attract membership prospects and nurture them along your recruitment pipeline.

 But today’s members don’t always join for the same reasons Boomers did back in the day. While their logical mind compels them to seek and verify value, their emotional mind just wants a place to belong.

Membership prospects can find information and education from many sources elsewhere. They know your association lobbies for them whether they’re a member or not. They’re looking for something different: value and experiences they can’t easily find elsewhere. Your membership recruitment efforts must convince them they’ll find what they’re looking for—and maybe even what they didn’t expect—at your association.

 

Member recruitment strategies

Keep this marketing principle in mind when developing member recruitment strategies: to persuade a potential member to join, you must appeal to both their emotional and logical minds.

Refine your value proposition based on member feedback.

If it’s been more than a year since you’ve reviewed your association’s value proposition, it’s time for a reevaluation. You need to understand why people are joining now and what they find valuable. Recent members can provide valuable insights into current market conditions.

Different membership segments are attracted by different benefits:

  • Early-career members typically seek career resources and professional development
  • Late-career members often prioritize advocacy and information

Gather feedback through:

  • Regular surveys and pulse polls
  • Behavioral data (searches, reads, clicks, downloads)

Use this intelligence to tailor your recruitment messaging to what current members find most valuable. Remember that the definition of value continuously evolves as members’ needs change alongside shifts in the economy, technology, and workplace.

See the membership journey through the prospect’s eyes.

As a staff member, it’s nearly impossible to view the joining decision through a prospective member’s eyes—you simply know too much. To gain fresh perspective:

  • Conduct a new member journey mapping exercise
  • Interview recently joined members about their decision process
  • Ask what caught their attention on your website
  • Identify what made sense and what didn’t
  • Learn what influenced their decision
  • Understand what closed the deal and what caused hesitation
  • Evaluate their experience with your membership application and payment process

Note the differences in perspectives among different membership segments to refine your approach accordingly.

Treat prospects like they’re already one of your own.

Help prospects see your association as a community of people like them, not as a faceless organization. Take the risk and anxiety out of joining by giving them a taste of membership:

  • Send segmented newsletters (by career stage, business size, etc.)
  • Include information they can’t easily access elsewhere
  • Promote relevant programs and highlight membership benefits
  • At in-person events, assign nonmembers a volunteer “buddy”
  • Use distinctive badges for nonmembers so others can easily spot them
  • Follow up with automated email campaigns

Become indispensable by providing news, opinions, education, and insights—just like you do for members, but leave something in reserve. Give them the “what,” not the “how,” so there’s still an incentive to join.

Ask and reward members for referrals.

Word-of-mouth is powerful—91% of B2B buyers are influenced by it when making purchasing decisions. Create a year-round referral program:

  • Personally ask existing members to talk with colleagues about joining
  • Prepare them for the recruiter role by helping them reflect on membership’s impact
  • Address common objections to joining
  • Schedule occasional competitions to energize your recruiters
  • Reward successful referrals with credits for purchases and registrations
  • Celebrate recruiters at exclusive events
  • Create systems for anonymous referrals for members who prefer privacy

Focus on membership retention.

Understanding why members don’t renew is crucial. Common reasons include:

  • Lack of engagement (52%)
  • Simply forgetting to renew (34%)
  • Perceived lack of value (34%)
  • Leaving the field, industry, or profession (33%)
  • Employer no longer paying dues (25%)

Look for non-renewal clues in members’ records, including engagement history and demographics. Implement re-engagement campaigns for lapsed members:

  • Segment your lapsed member list to ensure relevance
  • Highlight benefits they’ve lost access to
  • Only promote membership after reestablishing a connection
  • Try alternative contact methods if emails aren’t working

Use AMS data to craft emails that build relationships with prospects.

Emails are the most effective recruitment channel for associations, but they must be relevant and valuable. To build credibility and trust:

  • Collect data about prospects’ interests, career stage, business type, and position
  • Track email engagement and tag interests in your AMS
  • Develop targeted nurture campaigns for different segments
  • Focus on providing valuable job-related information, not just selling membership
  • Build trust gradually, demonstrating the value of joining over time

Better understand prospects by creating member personas

Develop descriptions of the various groups within your target market who seek different things from membership:

  • Core professional members vs. supplier members
  • Students and early-career professionals vs. mid-career and C-suite professionals
  • Professional specialties
  • Size and structure of members’ businesses

Working with member volunteers representing different segments, create personas focused on:

  • Job, career, and/or business needs and challenges
  • Professional interests
  • Goals and aspirations
  • The role of the association in solving problems and helping achieve goals

This exercise deepens your understanding of prospective members and helps you market membership more effectively.

Create a home base for prospects on your website

When prospects click on email links, direct them to landing pages specifically created for them:

  • Deliver what your email promised: relevant information and resources
  • Promote a “next step” to deepen their connection with your association
  • Focus website copy on benefits and impact, not features
  • Include testimonials representing different demographics, personas, and segments

Take full advantage of relationship-building at conferences

Conferences are the second most effective recruitment channel. Attendees who aren’t members are warm leads who have already invested in your community:

  • Offer new member registration packages that include discounts
  • Add new members to specialized onboarding campaigns
  • Use AMS data to enhance conference experiences for different attendee groups
  • Maintain a visible membership team presence in a prime location
  • Create a membership hub or lounge that attracts attention
  • Offer coaching sessions about how membership can help attendees
  • Host talks on hot industry topics
  • Provide comfortable spaces for networking

Follow Up After Events

Capitalize on the momentum after conferences and events:

  • Add non-member attendees to follow-up email recruitment sequences
  • Create special campaigns for first-time attendees
  • Continue the relationship-building process started at the event
  • Reinforce the value they experienced firsthand
  • Offer a limited-time joining incentive related to their event experience

Host Inclusive, Guest-Friendly Events

Create low-pressure opportunities for prospects to experience your association’s value firsthand:

  • Organize “bring a friend” meetings where members can introduce colleagues
  • Host family-friendly gatherings that accommodate various schedules
  • Arrange casual meet-ups at convenient locations like coffee shops
  • Train members to be welcoming ambassadors who engage with guests
  • Focus on creating authentic experiences rather than membership pitches
  • Follow up with personalized messages referencing specific interactions

These events help prospects envision themselves as part of your community, making the decision to join feel natural rather than forced.

Remember: A great member recruitment strategy forms the foundation for excellent member retention. By implementing these eleven strategies, you’ll not only attract new members but also build a stronger, more engaged association community.

Promote Your Association Through Local Media and Social Channels

Expand your association’s visibility through strategic media presence:

  • Place targeted advertisements in local newspapers, radio stations, and community newsletters
  • Develop a consistent social media posting schedule across platforms relevant to your target audience
  • Share member success stories and testimonials to showcase real benefits
  • Create engaging, shareable content that highlights your association’s value
  • Partner with local businesses for cross-promotion opportunities
  • Utilize paid social media advertising to reach specific demographics
  • Monitor engagement metrics to refine your approach and content strategy

Consistent presence in both traditional and digital media helps keep your association top-of-mind when professionals are considering membership options.

Remove Barriers to Entry with Trials and Easy Online Sign-Ups

Simplify the joining process to convert interested prospects into members:

  • Offer trial or introductory memberships at reduced rates
  • Create a streamlined online application that takes less than 5 minutes to complete
  • Allow for flexible payment options including monthly installments
  • Implement a mobile-friendly sign-up process that works on any device
  • Eliminate unnecessary form fields that create friction
  • Provide instant confirmation and immediate access to member benefits
  • Design a clear, intuitive membership page that answers common questions

The easier you make it to join, the more likely prospects will take that final step from interest to membership.

Craft Compelling Messaging Using Stories and Clear Pitches

Develop messaging that resonates emotionally while clearly communicating your value:

  • Train members to deliver concise 30-second elevator pitches about why they value membership
  • Collect and showcase authentic member success stories across your marketing materials
  • Use before-and-after testimonials that highlight specific, tangible benefits
  • Create video testimonials featuring diverse members to increase relatability
  • Incorporate storytelling elements that follow a problem-solution-outcome structure
  • Focus on transformation narratives that prospects can envision for themselves
  • Balance emotional appeals with clear, factual statements about membership benefits

Stories create emotional connections while clear pitches provide the logical justification prospects need to make the decision to join.

Empower and Incentivize Member Referrals

Transform your members into effective recruiters through strategic incentives and tools:

  • Create a structured referral program with clear rewards (discounts, exclusive access, recognition)
  • Provide members with ready-to-use email templates and social media messages
  • Design digital referral cards members can easily share via email or messaging apps
  • Implement a tiered reward system that increases with multiple successful referrals
  • Host special events or recognition for top referring members
  • Simplify the tracking process so members can see their referral status
  • Offer both the referrer and the new member incentives to join

Members who feel equipped and appreciated will be more motivated to share your association’s value with their professional networks.

Tailor Recruitment Offers to Specific Groups

Design specialized membership offerings that address unique segment needs:

  • Create student memberships with reduced rates and career development resources
  • Develop corporate packages that allow companies to enroll multiple employees at a discount
  • Offer early-career professional rates with mentorship and networking opportunities
  • Design retired/emeritus memberships that leverage their experience and institutional knowledge
  • Structure family memberships for relevant associations to increase household participation
  • Implement graduated pricing tiers for small businesses based on company size
  • Highlight specific benefits that resonate with each target demographic in your marketing

Customized membership structures demonstrate that you understand the distinct challenges and opportunities facing different professional groups, making your association more relevant to their specific situations.

Membership Growth: The Long-Term View

By implementing these sixteen strategic approaches to member recruitment, your association can build a sustainable pipeline of engaged new members who see genuine value in joining your community.

Remember that successful recruitment isn’t just about adding numbers—it’s about finding the right people who will actively participate and contribute to your association’s mission and growth. Investing time in these proven recruitment techniques now will yield dividends in member satisfaction, retention, and organizational vitality for years to come.

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