Transcript Slide 1

MARKETING 101:
MEMBER RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Alumni Leadership Connection
June 11, 2011
GOALS FOR
TODAY
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Session Overview
• Membership Philosophy and Approach
• Membership Today
• The Decision to Join
• The Basics
• 10 Steps to Growing Your Program
• Idea Exchange/Q&A
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Membership Defined
mem·ber·ship, n.
• A group of individuals who come together to support
a common cause
Membership = Engaged Communities
• Membership should support the enduring values of
your organization and the promise of your
experience
• Access is easy … but membership is complex, diverse,
and ever-changing
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MEMBERSHIP TODAY
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Key Trends Impacting Groups
• Members are in-charge
• More splintering and blurring of loyalty
• Convenience and ease are all-important
• Members are more self-directed
• Members are more critical, seeking guarantees
• Changing workforce dynamics, demographic , and
consumption habits
• Time is currency
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Approach to Membership Development
• Membership development is a continuous
process of testing new ideas and adjusting the
variables that affect response and improve ROI
– Monitor performance of segments, lists, media, offers,
creative, message
– Analyze membership data to unlock opportunities
– Research to uncover trends
– Apply learning and gained knowledge
– Results through innovation
• Drive high-quality membership through strategic,
integrated marketing campaigns
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WHY JOIN
Why Join
The Decision to Join
“Membership” should answer four key questions
Pride
1. Why should I join?
2. What do I get?
Obligation
Benefits
Membership
3. What do you do
with the money?
Affiliation/
Networking
Mission
4. Why should I stay?
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THE BASICS
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Key Considerations
Mission
Organizational Goals
Data
Market (Audience)
Message/Offer/Timing
Media/Distribution
Experience
Level of (Perceived)
Risk
Brand/Recognition
Budget
Before You Begin
• Membership is a process—not an event
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Single appeals are no longer enough
Tactics/channels cannot operate in a vacuum
Cultivation and involvement are key
Not every communication is about asking for money
• Great programs provides a continuous outlet for
individuals to support your organization or cause
– Builds rewarding relationships
– Allows you to communicate with lots of people over time
Features of Great Membership Marketing
• Strategic
– Orientation has shifted from siloed to integrated
• Integrated
– Across multiple channels
– Within an organization
– Throughout the member experience
• Specific and focused
– Measurable
– Scalable
– Results-driven
• Data driven
– Should generate a response
– Both data-generating and data-collecting
• Frequent and Consistent
Engagement Channels
Events
Email
Welcome Kits
Publications
Engagement
Website
Direct Mail
Member Calls
Social Media
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Factors Influencing Response
Timing
10%
Offer
25%
Audience
50%
Creative
15%
• Who are your best
members today?
• How did they find you?
• What are they doing for
you?
• Who do they know?
• What do you give them?
• Why do you need more?
Impact: A data driven approach can increase results by 10-30%
and allow your organization to minimize risk and optimize
investment
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10 STEPS TO GROWING YOUR
MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
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Organizational Checklist
1. Take stock in your organization
2. Know your audience
3. Set goals
4. Start small
5. Create a plan
6. Make membership relevant
7. Be a broken record
8. Provide access and choice
9. Engage the right people
10. Rinse and repeat
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1. Take Stock in Your Organization
• Understand business priorities
• Internal review of marketing activities, results, and
data assets
• External review of best practices across multiple
verticals
• Illustrate concepts and financial impact of decisions
• Make short-term and long-term recommendations
2. Know Your Audience
Timing
10%
Offer
25%
Audience
50%
Creative
15%
• Who are your best
members today?
• How did they find you?
• What are they doing for
you?
• Who do they know?
• What do you give them?
• Why do you need more?
Impact: A data driven approach can increase results by 10-30%
and allow your organization to minimize risk and optimize
investment
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3. Set Goals
Net
Growth
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4. Start Small
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5. Create a Plan
Part 1: Develop a strategic marketing program that provides profitable results
• Understand overall marketing objectives
• Understand historic direct marketing initiatives (media, frequency, spend levels, etc.)
• Identify various customer segments and review trends in customer behavior
• Review any key demographic, psychographic, and/or attitudinal information
Part 2: Create a communications roadmap
• Which segments are most responsive to direct mail or other channels
• What types of offers can be efficiently offered to whom
• What is the “right” communications frequency by segment
• Determine the impact of various offers by segment
Part 3: Continually measure results and improve performance
• Customer value metrics
• Overall ROI by program and segment
• Results by campaign, segment and offer
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Sample Plan
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Project Name
Date of the effort
Audience or segment
Effort name
Channel(s) or media used
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Quantity
Project costs
Response
Members
Revenue
Net
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6. Make Membership Relevant
Impact: Personalized communications can increase results by
as much as 25% versus non-personalized communications
7. Be a Broken Record
Announcement/
Launch
Reminder
Reminder
Last Chance
Impact: Frequency and consistent
communications have a multiplier effect
on overall results
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8. Provide Access and Choice
Impact: Multi-channel
contact yields better results
– adding a response channel
can improve overall
response by 20%- 30%
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“Other” Choices
Response
Mechanisms
Channels
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Online
BRE
Events
In Person
Length of
Membership
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Mail
Email
Phone
Social
Messages
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Partial
Annual
Multi-Year
Life
Billing &
Payment
Member
Types
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Auto renew
Bill Me
Installments
ACH/EFT
Benefit-driven
Mission-driven
Peer-driven
Industry-driven
Free
Basic
Enhanced
Discounted
9. Engage the Right People
• Motivate them with “why” membership is important
– Help them understand the organization’s story
• Help them get in touch with their own story of how
membership has influenced their life and success
• Tell them “how” they can be involved
– Focus on the strengths of your volunteers
• Help them establish a plan of “what” to do
– Create a written plan of action
– Set specific goals
10. Rinse and repeat
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The Real #10 ….
Ask for help
Remember….
Acquisition
Retention
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• Offer renewals early and often
• Try more efforts
• Renew in unexpected
places/media
• Segment renewals to match
acquisition strategies
Tell a story and use specifics
Ask early, ask often
Test, test, test
Frequency = success
Use multiple channels
Best Practices
Best Practices
• Programmatic programs
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(e.g. annual membership drive)
• Member-get-a-member
• Event-based recruitment
• Incentives/premiums
Personalize (e.g. handwritten note)
Call lapsed members
Put it in an envelope
Renewal incentive
Multi‐year renewals
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Final Thoughts
• Great membership programs are strategic, integrated,
focused, data driven, and measurable
• Communicate with people when they want, how often
they want, and in the manner that they are most
comfortable
• Data contributes to the ongoing dialog with members and
provides a foundation for greater interaction
Final Thoughts
• Identify characteristics of your best members and use that to
find new members and markets not reached
• Engagement is not joining, so get members involved on
Day 1
• Start slow, but don’t be afraid to challenge convention
QUESTIONS
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IDEAS TO GROW MEMBERSHIP
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Idea Exchange
• Research
– Conduct annual brief survey
• Programming
– Develop programming and events based on members’ input
– Segment or create new programming to attract specific segments and
retain current members (family, young, career networking)
• Communications
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Welcome e-mail to new members
Welcome phone call with follow up information by email
Announcement of new members at next chapter meeting
New member webcast or online chat
Send link to recorded welcome video from Chapter President
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Joe Fiochetta
Penn State Alumni Association
814-863-2307
[email protected]
THANK YOU
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Membership is….
… a way to stay connected to Penn State and show
your Penn State Pride
… an investment in Penn State, the community
… a vote for the enduring value of a Penn State education
… a way to preserve the past and ensure a vibrant future
… another way to give back to and support the University
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