3 Reasons Why You May Be Losing Your Association Members and What You Can Do About It

April 6, 2022

Every year, members leave your organization – they change jobs or professions, go out of business, retire, or just leave because they found a better alternative. That makes adding and retaining members to your association a top priority and a never-ending project. Let’s look at some reasons why your members might be going out the back door, and how you must keep new ones coming in the front.

Your association benefits are unclear

While obvious to you, oftentimes, the benefits your organization offers aren’t clear to your potential and current members. Prospects need the benefits delivered in every interaction with your association, and members can easily forget why they joined, becoming despondent over time as well. Keeping your benefits front and center should be your rule of thumb.

What can you do? 

Convey the benefits of being a part of your association clearly. Leave no chance for your audience to second-guess their decision of joining. Here’s what you can do:

  • Make membership renewal and joining process simple and hassle-free.
  • Invite prospects to take a sneak-peek into what your association offers by inviting them to an exclusive event.
  • Showcase the real value your association provides on a continuous basis via small, regular, networking events through the year.

Your events don’t cater to your target audience

A challenge many associations face is attempting to appeal to everyone at once. There’s nothing worse for your association than gaining the wrong members that quickly churn and lead to high attrition rates. 

What can you do?

Start with defining your target audience(s). Identify and research the different segments of your target market, for example, students, early career or mid-career executives and professionals in transition. Plan your events in line with what they would want. Here’s what can help you: 

  • Use data-driven insights from each event you host. You'll get better at knowing your members with each event.
  • Know the type of content, the kind of speakers, and the preferred session formats that are resonating with the audience(s). Create your events accordingly. 
  • Take the help of post-event surveys to understand what is working and what is not. Giving members the ability to share their experiences will help you create a better one.

Hubilo

Engagement tactics have plateaued

Automatic renewals and/or free memberships may be a good tactic to retain members initially, but it might backfire when it comes to building a long-term member relationship. Members are most likely not to renew with an association because of lack of engagement.

What can you do?

Build your engagement strategy in sync with your audience's consumption behaviors and preferences. Here are some ideas:

  • Engage members by supporting a cause such as a charity or a public campaign. As members help others as a group, they’ll start building relationships with each other.
  • Use social media as a tool to start online conversations that concern your members. 
  • Bring members together in a contest that includes giveaways. Reward members who participate in a specified activity with coupons or gifts. 

Attracting new members and engaging existing ones goes hand-in-hand for your association to thrive. Download this e-book if you’re looking for some member engagement strategies for a virtual world. 

Add new comment

About text formats

Related Articles

As exhibitions and events grapple with how they are going to lay out their exhibit floors, meeting rooms and banquet areas, The Expo Group released a Crowd Density Calculator…
Teaching proper trade show etiquette to your booth staff is a must if you want to grab attendees’ attention. Properly greeting, understanding expectations and keeping…
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, released the latest edition of its Global Barometer research that took the pulse of more than 450 exhibition…
Self-service event app and event data management company Attendify has launched a new offering, Attendify for Virtual Events, that aims to transform the in-person, virtual…
Marc Lapides hopes that when in-person trade shows come back strong, he’ll be forced out of business. It’s an interesting mindset, but one that serves him well mid-pandemic…
Event and tourism industry professionals aren’t about to sit out this pandemic, as evidenced by the number of meetings, webinars and conventions taking place virtually these…
Partner Voices
Partner Voices
NO WISH IS TOO BIG AT THE ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact
Learn More