Membership renewal is mission-critical to healthy and sustainable growth for associations. But the pandemic and its impact have created new challenges for associations of all sizes. 

According to the 2021 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, 47% of associations reported declines in total membership, while 50% have reported that members are most likely not to renew because of a lack of engagement. Enabling meaningful engagement in an increasingly virtual and distraction-laden world is quite a challenge!

Here are some actionable tips to ensure a member-centric engagement plan for 2022:

1. Create personalized plans for engagement

According to Evergage’s Trends in Personalization Survey, 99% of marketers said that personalization advances customer relationships. It is time to identify member segments based on their interests, experience or preferences, to deliver personalized experiences. For example, studies have shown that by segmenting your email campaigns, revenue from emails can see a multi-fold increase.

2. Activate more small, on-demand events

The conventional event calendar is no longer relevant for the new normal. In a survey by YourMembership, 69% of respondents preferred several small events throughout the year vs. few larger events spread out. 

Virtual and hybrid event technology can help you meet their expectations with a fraction of the cost and effort, compared to the budget needed for more traditional, in-person events. You can also make the content from events available on demand, even after the event ends.

3. Design year-round networking opportunities 

If you explore the power that comes with virtual and hybrid event technology, you will find that you can design a range of formats for networking — from one-to-one audio/video meetings to breakout rooms with multiple participants. You can even enable your sponsors and exhibitors to design their own networking lounges tailored to their brand.

Ultimately, you’ll be able to deliver content that invites discussion - from short engaging videos to just-in-time, on-demand and in-depth online courses. We hope you get to test some of these strategies as you plan your year ahead. 

Excited to deliver a year-long engagement for your members in 2022? Chat with the experts at Hubilo. Hubilo offers an intuitive platform with multiple networking options, coupled with all the support you need to hit the ground running and execute your plans.