Build Membership Retention: Small Member Rewards Equal Big Results

What if there was a cost-efficient, easy, fun and effective way to increase member value and build membership retention while creating a positive impact that they’ll remember and talk about with friends and colleagues?

Surprise! Well, actually surprising and rewarding association members for joining, renewing, taking an active role, attending annual meetings or just for being a member can pay significant dividends to revenues, new member growth, retention and more.

Here are just a few of the association benefits surprise member rewards can generate along with reward giving strategies and other easy ideas to create the best possible member experience.

How Member Rewards Build Membership Retention

Rewards programs are an effective way to guide member behavior through incentives. A surprise rewards strategy takes that a step further into the WOW factor that can open a new door for you to:

• Connect with members on a personal, positive level.
• Attract new members through word-of-mouth.
• Employ win-win marketing.
• Generate non-dues revenue from for-profit partners.
• Increase engagement.
• Solidify loyalty (member retention).
• Improve your association’s image.

At its most basic level, a member who receives a surprise reward will remember how great the experience is and will anticipate when the next surprise may happen.

Plan When and What to Give for Maximum Effect

There are a number of attractive reward strategies that will make members feel special and increase loyalty including:

Membership Anniversaries: A personalized card mailed, sent via e-mail or even quick phone call thanking a member for his/her continuing support is a surprise that can work wonders with retention the next year.

Association Participation: Recognize and reward those who take an active role in furthering the work of your association. Special recognition and a plaque at association meetings, listing their accomplishments on your website, or congratulating their efforts via social media to members can serve to reinforce active participation.

Pre-Registering for Annual Meetings: Surprise members who pre-register for annual meetings with special early bird pricing. Then add to the surprise with perks like putting early registrants first in line for the most popular breakout sessions or place free association merchandise in their hotel rooms upon arrival.

Early Membership Renewal: The cost of a surprise reward for those paying dues early is absolutely negated by the costs and the expenditure of internal resources to retain expiring memberships. Surprise early renewals with free association merchandise or team with an outside partner to offer discounts on the products/services your members enjoy.

Online Contests: Offer member rewards through your member e-mail list, FaceBook, Twitter, etc., by staging a friendly, ongoing online contest. If a member answers a trivia question correctly or offers the best association-building suggestion, for example, they win a special prize from a partner or association merchandise. This will increase interaction on the cheap while the reward gives them a reason to become an everyday visitor to your online presence.

Give, But Plan to Get

If you want to get something from a member – annual dues, active involvement, word-of-mouth endorsements – you have to give them something beyond basic association functions.

You understand your membership and what type of surprise reward will generate maximum impact while remaining cost-sensible. Try it – you and your membership will be pleasantly surprised with the results.