In today’s digital world, member expectations are higher than ever before. Associations and peak bodies are no longer just competing with similar organisations—they’re also up against the highly personalised experiences members receive from companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify. These platforms have mastered the art of tailoring content and communication, and members now expect the same level of personalisation in all aspects of their lives, including their memberships.
For associations, the key to delivering these personalised experiences lies in data. By collecting and analysing member data—such as preferences, engagement history, and behaviour patterns—you can create highly tailored communication strategies that keep your members engaged and satisfied. In this blog, we’ll explore how to use data to drive personalised member experiences and improve retention and engagement.
1. Collecting the Right Data
To create personalised experiences, you first need to collect the right data about your members. This goes beyond basic demographic information like age or location—although that’s still important—and dives into their preferences, behaviours, and interactions with your organisation.
Types of Data to Collect:
- Membership Preferences: What types of content are your members interested in? What events do they prefer attending? Do they want communication via email, SMS, or another channel? Understanding these preferences allows you to tailor your outreach.
- Engagement History: Track how your members interact with your organisation. Which events have they attended? What resources have they accessed? How often do they open your emails? This provides insights into what members value most about their membership.
- Behavioural Data: Monitor patterns of behaviour such as event attendance frequency, response to surveys, and engagement with your newsletters or emails. Understanding these patterns helps identify opportunities to improve their experience.
By collecting this information, associations can build a detailed profile of each member, which forms the foundation for creating personalised experiences.
2. Using Data to Segment Your Members
Once you’ve collected data, the next step is to use it to segment your members into distinct groups. Segmentation allows you to send targeted, relevant communication to different segments of your membership, ensuring that each message resonates with its intended audience.
How to Segment Your Members:
- By Interests: Group members based on their interests or engagement with specific content. For example, some members might be more interested in professional development events, while others may prefer networking opportunities or industry news.
- By Engagement Level: Segment members by their level of engagement with your organisation. Highly engaged members might receive different communications than those who are less active. You can also target disengaged members with re-engagement campaigns tailored to their specific needs.
- By Member Tenure: Consider segmenting members based on how long they’ve been with your organisation. New members may need additional onboarding support, while long-term members might be looking for leadership opportunities or advanced resources.
Example: If you know that a group of members consistently attends your webinars, you can segment them as "webinar attendees" and send them personalised messages about upcoming webinars or related content. By focusing on what they’re interested in, you increase the likelihood that they will remain engaged.
3. Tailoring Communication Strategies
Now that you’ve segmented your members, it’s time to use that data to create personalised communication strategies. Tailoring your messages improves engagement, enhances retention, and provides a better overall member experience.
Personalisation Strategies to Consider:
- Personalised Email Campaigns: Use your data to send targeted emails to different member segments. For example, if a member regularly attends your networking events, send them early invitations and personalised recommendations based on their preferences. If another member prefers online learning, highlight upcoming webinars or online courses in your communications.
- Personalised Event Invitations: Tailor event invitations to the specific interests of your members. For example, if you’re hosting an event that focuses on professional development, send personalised invitations to members who have previously attended similar events or expressed interest in that topic.
Example: If your data shows that a member has frequently attended industry-specific workshops, you can send them a personalised invitation to an upcoming workshop with related content, making the communication highly relevant and valuable to them.
4. Tracking and Analysing Member Behaviour
The work doesn’t stop once you’ve implemented personalised communication strategies. It’s important to continually track and analyse member behaviour to refine your approach. By using data analytics, you can gain insights into what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to make data-driven decisions to further improve personalisation.
Key Metrics to Monitor:
- Email Open and Click Rates: Monitor which members are opening and clicking through your emails. This can give you insight into which content is resonating with each segment and help you adjust your communication accordingly.
- Event Attendance and Engagement: Track which events members are attending and how engaged they are during those events. If certain segments are showing high levels of engagement with specific event types, consider offering more events in that category or personalising follow-up communication based on their participation.
By continually tracking this data, you can refine your personalisation efforts and ensure that you’re meeting the evolving needs of your members.
5. How a CRM Can Help
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is the cornerstone of any successful data-driven personalisation strategy. With a CRM, you can automate data collection, segmentation, and personalised communication, all in one place.
Key Benefits of Using a CRM:
- Data Centralisation: A CRM allows you to store all your member data in one place, making it easy to access and analyse.
- Automated Segmentation: Automatically segment your members based on their interests, engagement levels, and behaviour, ensuring that the right message gets to the right person at the right time.
- Personalised Communication: A CRM can automate personalised email campaigns, event invitations, and other communication, saving time while delivering relevant content to members.
By leveraging a CRM, you can streamline the process of collecting and using member data, making it easier to deliver highly personalised experiences that drive engagement and retention.
Conclusion
In a world where personalisation is expected, associations and peak bodies must use data to create tailored member experiences. By collecting the right data, segmenting your members, and tailoring your communication strategies, you can deliver relevant, meaningful interactions that keep your members engaged and satisfied.
With the help of a CRM, personalisation becomes not only achievable but scalable, allowing you to build stronger, more personalised relationships with your members. The result? Higher engagement, improved retention, and a more loyal membership base.