Planning for long-term membership retention with the right association CRM tools

Planning is key

Picture this: you’ve invested time and energy into attracting new members to your association. They sign up, attend events, and you’re hopeful about their long-term involvement. But months later, you notice your renewal rates are lower than expected, and some members drop off without a word. What went wrong? Well, without a solid membership retention plan, even the best new member recruitment efforts can lose steam over time.

A membership retention plan could be your secret weapon for keeping members engaged, satisfied, and committed for the long haul. A well-structured plan can help you stay proactive rather than reactive, ensuring members continue to see value in staying connected to your organisation. In this guide, we’ll walk through a step-by-step process for building your own retention plan, with a focus on creating strategies that are practical, achievable, and aligned with the goals of your association. Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Assessing your current retention rates

Before jumping headfirst into creating a retention plan, it’s important to know where you stand. This means evaluating your current membership data to establish a baseline. You need to answer a few key questions:

• How many members are renewing each year?
• Are certain member categories (e.g., new members or long-term members) more likely to leave?
• What is your retention rate overall, and how does it compare to industry standards?

Powerful tools in SwiftFox can help you gather and analyse key retention metrics such as renewal rates, event attendance, member satisfaction, and any feedback you’ve received from members about their experiences. By looking at these figures, you can identify trends. For instance, are your new members dropping off within the first six months? Or are long-term members disengaging due to a lack of value in your offerings?

With this data in hand, you can set clear goals for where you want to improve and track your progress as you implement your retention plan.

Step 2: Defining clear objectives

A solid retention plan should always start with clear, measurable objectives. After all, it’s much harder to improve something that you don’t actively measure. Set goals that are both ambitious and realistic for your organisation. Here are a few examples of measurable objectives:

• Increase renewal rates by 10% over the next 12 months
• Decrease new member drop-off rate by 15% within the first year of membership
• Improve event attendance by 20% by offering more tailored events

These objectives provide a goal for your roadmap and retention strategy, but it’s important to make sure they align with the overall mission of your organisation. For instance, it makes sense that if your association’s primary goal is professional development, your retention plan should probably include strategies that highlight how members will gain access to valuable educational resources. This ensures that your retention objectives reinforce the long-term goals of the organisation aside from simply increasing retention.

Step 3: Implementing targeted strategies

Once your goals are clear, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and implement strategies that directly support those objectives. This is where the fun begins - turning those ideas into action!

Here are some key strategies that can help boost retention:

1. Personalised communication
Nobody likes receiving generic emails that feel like they’re sent to a mass list. To increase engagement, use member data to segment your audience and personalise your communication. For example, new members might benefit from a welcoming series of emails that guide them through your offerings, while long-term members might appreciate a personal thank-you note highlighting their contributions. SwiftFox’s CRM tools allow you to send targeted messages based on member interests, activity, or tenure with the association.

2. Enhanced onboarding processes
The first few months of membership are crucial for building loyalty. A strong onboarding process ensures that new members feel welcomed and understand how to make the most of their membership. You might include a series of automated emails introducing your organisation, a personalised call from a membership coordinator, or even an in-person orientation session. These efforts help new members feel connected right from the start, which can significantly reduce early-stage churn.

3. Engaging member benefits
The benefits you offer to members are a big part of why they stay with your organisation. Think about your most successful programmes and services. Are they fulfilling members’ needs and interests? You may want to regularly review and refresh your offerings to ensure they remain relevant. For example, members interested in professional development may appreciate exclusive webinars, industry insights, or a members-only online course. Offering value through tailored benefits ensures that members feel they’re getting something worthwhile from their membership.

4. Community-building events
Members often stick around because they feel like they’re part of a community. Offering a variety of in-person or virtual events can help build that sense of belonging. Consider hosting networking mixers, professional development workshops, or even casual social events. SwiftFox’s event management tools can help you schedule and promote these events, making it easier to get members involved and engaged. And don’t forget to send personalised invites to make members feel special!

5. Feedback and involvement opportunities
Members appreciate when their opinions matter. Regularly ask for feedback through surveys, suggestion boxes, or direct conversations. You could also offer opportunities for members to get more involved by volunteering for committees, speaking at events, or contributing content to your website or newsletter content development process. This not only makes them feel valued but also strengthens their connection to your organisation.

Step 4: Regularly reviewing and adapting your plan

A membership retention plan isn’t something you set and forget. It’s essential to continuously monitor your progress and adjust your strategies as needed. Regularly review your retention metrics, check in on member feedback, and evaluate whether you’re meeting your objectives. If a particular strategy isn’t working, don’t be afraid to tweak or replace it with something else.

SwiftFox’s CRM tools offer powerful reporting features that allow you to track progress over time, helping you identify trends and make data-driven decisions. You may discover, for example, that a certain group of members is particularly responsive to a specific type of communication or event, while another group is disengaging. This gives you the insights needed to adapt your plan for maximum impact.

Step 5: Building a strong retention culture

The final step in creating a successful membership retention plan is to foster a retention-driven culture within your organisation. From your staff to your leadership team, everyone should be invested in the retention process. Member retention is a team effort, and everyone needs to be on the same page to make it work. Regularly highlight the importance of retention in your internal communications, and celebrate successes along the way.

Incorporating retention into your organisation’s values will also help guide your strategies and ensure consistency in your efforts. It’s not just about keeping members around - it’s about making them feel heard, valued, and engaged for the long term.

Developing a retention plan that works

Creating a membership retention plan may seem like a big task, but by following these simple steps, you can build a strategy that drives long-term success. Start with a solid understanding of your current retention rates, set clear goals, implement targeted strategies, and be prepared to adjust your plan as needed. By continually refining your approach, you’ll be able to cultivate a community of loyal members who feel connected and committed to your association.

And with powerful tools built directly into SwiftFox, the process of tracking and adapting your retention strategies becomes far easier and more effective. With a little effort and the right strategies in place, your membership retention efforts can turn into one of your organisation’s greatest strengths. Happy planning!