If your members are staying loyal and retention rates are high, you’re clearly delivering value. But if members are leaving or engagement is low, it’s a sign you’re missing the mark.
Creating and delivering meaningful value is the key to long-term loyalty. When members see your organization as indispensable, they stay engaged and contribute to growth.
Implementing the right strategies to demonstrate value isn’t always easy, but it’s achievable. Discover how you can boost retention, build loyalty, and create an organization your members never want to leave.
Table of Contents
- Finding Out What Your Members Truly Value
- Tailoring Your Offerings to Match Member Expectations
- Delivering Value Isn’t Enough: Consistency Drives Retention
- Beyond the Basics: Extra Touches to Keep Members Coming Back
Finding Out What Your Members Truly Value
The most effective way to understand what your members truly value is simply to ask them directly. Engage with them to understand their needs and choices and certify that your offerings resonate and drive long-term satisfaction and loyalty.
After all, the purpose of any member-based organization should be to listen to and prioritize the voices of its members. You might have ideas like offering certain benefits to your members, reducing costs for existing ones, or even adding a couple of extra perks compared to your competitors.
However, the important question is: Do your members actually need those benefits? Are the services and perks you offer truly valuable to them, or are they just extras that don’t address their real needs?
To truly serve your members, the benefits you provide must align with their preferences and expectations.
Direct Engagement
For the direct involvement of your members, you can take the following measures:
Surveys and Polls
Design surveys with specific questions about preferences and priorities.
Example: Ask your members which features they would find most valuable in a new mobile app, such as real-time event updates or access to exclusive resources.
Feedback at Events
Provide questionnaires or opportunities for feedback during events.
Example: Hand out quick feedback forms to your members at the end of a networking session to learn which aspects of the event members appreciated most.
Emails and Calls
Reach out via email or phone to ask for their input directly.
Example: Send an email asking members to rank their top three benefits from your organization and suggest any improvements.
Community Insights
Observe their discussions in community forums and track recurring themes or concerns.
Example: If members frequently mention needing help with professional development, consider offering tailored workshops or courses.
Competitor Research
Understanding what works for other organizations can also provide invaluable insights:
Analyze Competitor Benefits
Look at similar organizations and their benefits to identify opportunities for differentiation.
Example: If a competitor offers mentorship programs that your organization doesn’t, explore creating a similar initiative with unique features, like pairing members based on industry or experience.
Member Feedback on Competitors
If your members have been part of other organizations, gather insights about their experiences there.
Example: Ask new members what they appreciated most about their previous memberships and why they decided to join your organization instead.
Behavioral and Data Insights
Using analytics and testing can reveal member preferences without directly asking:
A/B Testing
Experiment with different benefits, event formats, or campaigns to see what resonates.
Example: Test two versions of a membership renewal email, one offering a discount and another highlighting exclusive perks, and see which performs better.
Behavioral Tracking
Use tools to analyze how members interact with your services and identify underused or popular features.
Example: If analytics show low usage of an online resource library, consider improving its visibility or promoting it through a campaign.
Proactive Approaches
Sometimes, members may not know what they need until they see it:
Pilot Programs
Introduce new benefits on a trial basis and check member responses before rolling them out fully.
Example: Offer a limited-time virtual networking event to see if members find it valuable before making it a permanent feature.
Educational Offers
Offer webinars or workshops that introduce new ideas and assess member interest.
Example: Host a webinar on emerging trends in your industry and track attendance and feedback to determine if similar events should be planned.
Continuous Improvement
Your work doesn’t end with a single survey or initiative:
Learn from Past Experiences
Evaluate what has worked and what hasn’t from your previous efforts.
Example: If a past benefit failed to gain traction, review feedback to understand why and adjust future offerings accordingly.
Social Listening
Monitor online discussions to uncover unspoken needs or preferences.
Example: If members frequently discuss challenges balancing work and learning, consider offering flexible, on-demand courses.
Internal and External Expertise
Capitalize on the knowledge and expertise of your team and external resources:
Feedback from Staff
Employees who interact directly with members can provide valuable insights.
Example: Frontline staff might notice recurring questions about specific benefits, signaling a need for better communication or additional offerings.
Advisory Committees
Form a small group of engaged members to provide ongoing feedback.
Example: Create a committee to review and suggest improvements to upcoming events or programs based on their experiences.
Industry Reports
Use third-party studies and benchmarks to align your benefits with broader trends.
Example: If reports highlight a growing interest in sustainability, consider incorporating eco-friendly initiatives into your offerings.
Combining direct member engagement with data analysis, competitor research, and proactive testing can help you gain a well-rounded understanding of what members truly value.
Tailoring Your Offerings to Match Member Expectations
As you have done thorough research and put in so much effort to get valuable insights, the next crucial step is to act on them. The feedback you’ve received needs to be transformed into actionable strategies.
Collaborate with your think tank and all key stakeholders to identify necessary changes or new initiatives that align with member needs. Once decisions are made, focus on execution. While it may seem simple on paper, the reality can be challenging.
To achieve successful implementation, follow these steps:
Prioritize Changes
Start with the right changes and guarantee that your efforts address the most pressing member needs while maintaining focus.
Here’s how to approach it effectively:
- Start with impactful changes: Identify which feedback points or issues resonate with the majority of your members. For example, if your members frequently mention a lack of networking opportunities, then focus on creating events or digital platforms to solve this.
- Create a timeline: Develop a phased plan to introduce updates or new offerings. You will avoid overwhelming both your team and members this way. For example, start with small improvements like improving member communication, then gradually introduce larger initiatives like new benefits or platforms.
Develop a Clear Action Plan
Execution becomes easier with a detailed roadmap. A clear plan confirms clarity around everyone’s role and the desired outcomes.
- Assign specific roles and responsibilities: Designate team members or departments to manage each part of the plan. For instance, you can ask the events team to implement new member-only workshops and direct the marketing team to communicate these updates.
- Set measurable goals: Define success metrics for each initiative, such as increasing event attendance by 20% or reducing membership churn by 10%. Progress becomes easier to track with clear and measurable benchmarks.
Test and Refine
Testing allows you to validate ideas and minimize risks before fully committing to changes.
- Pilot programs with a small group: Select a fraction of members and test new offerings. Suppose you plan to add mentorship programs, start with a few mentor-mentee pairings, see how this works, and gather feedback.
- Adjust based on feedback: Use insights from the pilot phase to make improvements. If members suggest that the mentorship program lacks structure, refine the guidelines and re-test before launching organization-wide.
Communicate Effectively
Transparent and proactive communication keeps your members informed and builds trust.
- Inform members about upcoming changes: Share updates through clear and engaging messages, i.e., announce a new benefit with details on its value and how to access it.
- Use multiple communication channels: Also, you can maximize reach by utilizing emails, newsletters, community forums, and social media. For example, send an email about new benefits, post on your website, and create a discussion thread in your member community.
Monitor and Measure Success
When you implement changes, tracking their performance becomes essential. Staying in the loop helps you identify what’s working and what’s not and allows adjustments for continuous improvement.
- Track performance metrics: Use tools like surveys, member engagement data, and satisfaction scores to evaluate the effectiveness of new initiatives. For instance, analyze if a new event format resulted in higher attendance and improved feedback.
- Iterate based on real-time data: Expect that not all changes will succeed on the first attempt. If data reveals a low engagement with a specific benefit, reassess and adjust the offering to align better with member needs.
Delivering Value Isn’t Enough Consistency Drives Retention
When you deliver value to your members or tailor your offerings to meet their expectations, they come to expect a high standard of quality across all interactions. Maintaining these standards over time builds trust and reinforces your organization’s reputation.
To achieve this, you need to take a few important steps, such as:
Set Standards for Consistency
Establish clear processes to deliver the same level of quality every time members interact with your organization. Be it attending an event, accessing a benefit, or reaching out for support, consistency is key.
Example: If you introduce a free quarterly webinar series that members find valuable, make it a priority to keep it free and consistently delivered every quarter so members trust that they can rely on this benefit.
Verify Availability Before Making Commitments
Before announcing any initiative, confirm that your organization can sustain it over time. This applies to everything from service capacity to delivering specific offerings.
Example: Suppose you announce a 10% discount with a specific bookstore for your members. Before confirming, check whether the bookstore can handle the discount volume and commit to offering it for the agreed duration.
Monitor Member Satisfaction Regularly
Track how members perceive their overall experience with your organization. Satisfaction isn’t just about meeting expectations but about addressing unmet needs and delivering on promises.
Example: Send a survey asking your members whether they find the annual conference worth the fee and what changes would make it more appealing. Use their input to refine the event offerings.
Adapt to Changing Needs
While consistency is key, it’s also important to stay flexible to evolving member expectations. Periodically review perks and services to confirm they remain aligned with current preferences.
Example: If younger members express interest in more virtual networking opportunities, consider launching an online networking platform to complement in-person events.
Educate and Train Your Team
Make sure your team is fully aware of the importance of delivering consistent value. Train them to prioritize members’ needs without compromise.
Example: Conduct training sessions for your customer support team to handle member inquiries consistently, ensuring every member gets the same high-quality service regardless of who assists them.
Be Transparent in Communication
If any unavoidable changes occur, communicate openly with your members. Explain the situation, outline steps you’re taking to resolve the issue, and reassure members of your commitment to delivering value.
Example: If a scheduled event needs to be postponed, notify members promptly, explain the reason, and offer alternative solutions where possible.
Do the Math Before Offering Anything New
Assess the feasibility of any new initiative, both financially and operationally. It’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than to compromise your standards.
Example: Before launching a new member portal, evaluate the development costs and ongoing maintenance to confirm it aligns with your budget and resources.
Maintain a Feedback Loop with Vendors
For members and third-party partnerships, establish a strong feedback loop. Regularly check in to verify that the quality and reliability are being maintained and that you have contingency plans in place if issues arise.
Example: If you partner with a hotel chain to provide discounts, regularly communicate with their team to confirm that the agreed discounts are applied seamlessly for your members.
Scale Offerings as Membership Grows
As your membership base expands, verify your perks and services can scale effectively. Plan to accommodate a larger audience without compromising the quality or availability of benefits.
Example: If you offer personalized support for members, expand your team in proportion to membership growth to maintain the same quality of service.
Highlight Success Stories
Share examples of how consistent value delivery has positively impacted member retention or satisfaction.
Example: Highlight testimonials from members who saved significantly using exclusive discounts or benefited from training sessions, showcasing how your consistent efforts improve their experience.
Commit Only When Confident
Never commit to something unwillingly or under pressure. Offer benefits when you’re confident they align with your organization’s goals and capabilities.
Example: If planning to extend operating hours for member services, evaluate team availability and confirm it can be sustained long-term.
Beyond the Basics: Extra Touches to Keep Members Coming Back
Since you are focused on providing your members with exceptional value and creating the best possible experience, there are additional strategies to consider that can significantly enhance their loyalty and long-term engagement.
These extra touches can leave a lasting impression and strengthen your relationship with your members:
Reward Member Loyalty
Retaining members is a significant achievement, and it’s equally important to recognize their loyalty. While you’ve invested considerable effort behind the scenes to make this happen, acknowledging your members directly can create an even greater impact.
Show appreciation through personalized thank-you messages, loyalty discounts, or exclusive perks. This effort will pay off many times over because loyal members tend to invest more in the organizations they trust.
Loyal customers spend 43% more money at businesses they are loyal to, and 52% go out of their way to support those they trust. The same applies to your members' recognition and rewards, which can fuel deeper connections and encourage long-term retention.
Provide Space for Member Expression
Creating avenues for members to share their insights, opinions, and experiences can strengthen their sense of belonging. Offer them platforms to communicate openly with you and their peers.
Consider building social spaces such as community forums, private groups, or dedicated portals where members can express themselves and contribute ideas. These spaces not only enhance engagement but also offer valuable feedback to guide your organization’s future efforts.
Capitalize on Technology
Take advantage of technology and make managing and understanding your members easier than ever. Advanced tools can streamline processes, track member engagement, and gather actionable insights, enabling you to focus on meaningful interactions.
For instance, a member management solution like Glue Up offers an all-in-one, AI-powered platform with features such as:
Streamlined Membership Management
It simplifies the entire membership process with tools that make it easy for you to manage member applications, renewals, and payments.
Key Features:
- Digital member applications make onboarding seamless, leaving a positive first impression.
- Customizable renewal workflows automate renewals, reducing the risk of members forgetting to renew.
- Recurring payments and automatic reminders ensure timely renewals, keeping memberships active effortlessly.
- Membership status tracking allows you to monitor active, lapsed, or pending members, enabling proactive follow-ups to retain members.
With Glue Up, members can renew their memberships with just one tap, making the process simple and stress-free, which directly boosts retention rates.
Enhanced Member Communication
Maintain consistent, personalized communication that makes members feel valued and connected, which is key to retention.
Key Features:
- AI Copilot, a writing assistant, allows quick, engaging communication to keep members informed and involved.
- Branded email campaigns certify professional, personalized messaging that resonates with members.
- Automated notifications keep members updated on renewals, events, and activities, confirming they never miss important updates.
Engaging Member Experiences
It provides opportunities for members to connect and engage with your organization and each other.
Key Features:
- Membership directory for easy networking among members.
- Private & Public Groups to inspire meaningful discussions and collaboration.
- Media Sharing and 1-on-1 Direct Chat for enhanced interaction and relationship-building.
- Custom privacy settings to create safe, trusted spaces for member engagement.
Seamless Event Management
Make your events a memorable experience for members while simplifying planning and execution.
Key Features:
- Event pages and custom registration forms for tailored event setups.
- Online ticketing, payments, and a built-in ticket scanner for smooth check-ins are available.
- Engagement analytics to measure event success and member participation.
Actionable Member Insights
Understand member behavior and preferences to continuously improve your offerings.
Key Features:
- Engagement analytics to track member activity and identify trends.
- Surveys to gather direct feedback on services, benefits, and events.
- Automatically segmented lists for targeted communication based on member behavior.
- Contact information & Engagement history for a complete view of member interactions.
Flexible On-the-Go Tools
Empower your team with tools that ensure membership management is always accessible.
Key Features:
- Free Manager Up App for real-time membership and event management from anywhere.
Capitalizing on technology will take you miles ahead compared to managing without it. Embrace its advantages to make your membership retention a breeze. Like many other organizations already benefiting from Glue Up, you can too. Request a demo today and experience the difference!
