Membership Marketing Summit What We’ll Cover This Afternoon 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What’s working in membership marketing Tactical Best Practices by Channel How to Promote SHRM Membership Understanding Your Value Proposition Tools & Resources Available to You Membership is an ongoing process… 2014 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report 865 participating trade, individual, and hybrid associations Tells what is working in membership marketing Only benchmarking research regularly conducted to determine the current best practices for the association industry Sixth year FREE at www.marketinggeneral.com/resources 2014 Benchmarking – Top Reasons for Joining an Association Most Effective Methods for Building Brand Awareness Recruitment – Top 3 for Individual Membership Organizations Other top methods include: Promotion to event attendees & personal sales calls Engagement - Top Methods for Onboarding New Members SHRM Onboarding E-mail series Dear Jane, Jane, Welcome to SHRM! Congratulations on choosing a career partner that is one of the largest and most influential Welcome to SHRM! professional societies in the world. Explore the SHRM Website critically important role .ofSave helping Templates & Samples time and effort with As a human resources professional, you have accepted the responsible and customizable, ready-to-use resources—free to organizations and employees succeed. The work of HR professionals helps improve the fabric of our online society. members only. Download sample forms, policies, Now, you have made another important decision in achieving those goals—joining SHRM SHRM. spreadsheets, job descriptions, training presentations, how-to guides, and more. We believe that in becoming a member of SHRM, you’ve made a deliberate and thoughtful choice to invest in your Ask An HR Advisor. Our most popular resource! Pose any HR-related question toand our staff of Knowledge career and to make yourself the best professional you can be. We take your decision very seriously pledge to Advisors—certified former HR practitioners with an make your success our highest priority. average of 15 years’ experience—for quick answers, personalized research assistance, clarifications, and second opinions. SHRM’s commitment to its members has allowed us the privilege of guiding and developing thousands of business leaders for the past 65 years. Legal Issues. Obtain critical compliance resources covering federal and state employment laws, regulations, and court cases, organized by HR discipline. We look forward to continuing that heritage with you. Thank you for adding us to your personal and professional development team, and best wishes for a successful year ahead. Sincerely, Dear Jane, Would you like to get more out of your SHRM membership? Become a member of your local SHRM chapter. As a member of your local SHRM chapter, you will be able to: Belong to a community of your professional peers. Network and share information. Lead and participate in hands-on programs not possible on the national level. Get involved in rewarding activities that develop skills and grow your circle of professional contacts. Check out our website orientation video Maximize your career opportunities by joining a SHRM-affiliated chapter. Learn more about SHRM chapters and consider joining one in your area. Choose Your E-Newsletters For more information and to join, visit shrm.org/localchapter. A variety of free SHRM e-newsletters feature informative articles, practical tips, networking opportunities, and other professional resources. Opt in now to start getting regular updates! Henry G. (Hank) Jackson, CPA SHRM President and CEO 762 Employee Relations & Engagement Staffing Management HR Week California Employment Law Compensation & Benefits Diversity Renewal Programs that Start 3 Months or More Before Expiration Have Higher Renewal Rates Which Channels Generate the Most Membership Renewals? What is the ONE Top Reason Members do not Renew Their Membership Practices Correlating with 80% or Better Renewal Rates 1. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WORKS - Few associations are using the “volunteer or staff welcome calls” or “mailed welcome kits” 2. LISTEN TO YOUR MEMBERS – Significantly more likely than those associations with a lower renewal rate to say they added member research. 3. START EARLY - Start Renewals 3+ Months Prior to Expiration 4. KEEP COMMUNICATING - Extend Renewal 3+ Months After Expiration 5. DIRECT MAIL WORKS - Significantly more likely than those with lower renewal rates to say direct mail is the most effective membership renewal channel (59% vs. 50%). MGI Experience in Testing Member Incentives 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Discounts on 1st-year dues work the best Research reports and surveys Webinars Books - “The Essential HR Desk Set” Free months of membership (15 months for price of 12) 3rd party gift cards – Starbucks, Amazon, etc. E-mail Best Practices Today’s e-mail World: The total worldwide e-mail traffic will grow to nearly 207 billion e-mails per day by the end of 2017 (The Radicati Group) Subscribers only spend 3 your email. (Litmus) - 4 seconds deciding whether or not to open 33% of email recipients open e-mail based on (Convince & Convert via Salesforce.com) subject line alone. The good news is… E-mail marketing has an ROI of 4,300% (Direct Marketing Association) Personalized e-mails had a 29% higher open rate and 41% unique click-through rate. (Experian) E-mails that include social sharing higher click-through rate. (GetResponse) buttons have a 158% Email Best Practices: Subject Line Character Count (25 or less) Short (can be just 1 word) – Invitation Emails with 4 to 15 characters in the subject line have the – Your Status Pending highest open rate and clickthrough rate (MailerMailer) – Can we help? How About These Long Ones? – Paid Leave, Overtime, Health Care, Criminal Background Checks and Longer More subject lines can work too if you use relevant key words! – Employee Appreciation Day, New FMLA Poster, Daylight Saving Time and More E-mail Best Practices: Subject Line Urgent Use Actionable Words – 2-Day Membership Sale ‒ Download I-9 How-To Guide – Your 3 Recert Credits Expire ‒ Register for Employee Conflict Friday Chat Personalize (e.g. Include your readers’ first name) – Tracy, Your Invitation Avoid SPAM Triggers: Free, Cash, !!!, $, ALL CAP Email Best Practices: Call to Action Be Clear and Obvious: Click Here Submit Now Register Today Email Best Practices: Call to Action Above the Fold Remember the 3 seconds rule! Email Best Practices: Pre-Header Copy Email Best Practices: Design Pretty is not always better. Test using a clean and consistent template and focus on your offer and messaging. E-mail Best Practices: Sender Which one gets the highest open rates from SHRM e-mails? – Chantal Rotondo, SHRM – SHRM Membership Team – SHRM Test what works for you! It depends! Email Best Practices: Offer & Messaging Clear Value Proposition: – What is it that they will get? – Find different ways to explain ROI: SHRM Membership is $185 a year Or $15 a month Or less than 50 cents a day Or $3.75 a week Email Best Practices: Offer & Messaging Short, Limited Time Offer – Short deadlines make people act quicker (1 day offer; 48 hour discount, registration ends tomorrow, etc) Ask What Your Current Members Think – Why did they join? – Why did they renew? – Use their feedback for your campaigns and pitch Use Your Own Personal Experience – Why did I join? Why do I like being part of this chapter? CASE – Copy and Steal Everything Sign up for and learn from others in the same space Email Best Practices: A/B Testing 1. Decide what component to test 2. Define success 3. Send test to part of your list 4. Send the winning version to the rest of your list Offer Testing - Choose offers to test (discounts, incentives, etc) - Number of members or revenue: $10 or $15 discount? Offer Responses Response Rate Net Revenue $165 – $15 Discount 472 .38% $25,305 $170 – $10 Discount 407 .33% $16,297 E-mail Best Practices: How to Measure Success Key Metrics: Nonprofits Email Marketing Benchmarks Open Rate Open rate Click-through rate Conversion rate Unsubscribe rate 25.30% Clickthrough Rate 4.20% Unsubscribe Rate (Source: Silverpop) Make sure to compare apples to apples! 0.16% Let’s practice! Use a simple template Tell them why you’re emailing right away and create urgency Tell them what’s in it for them. KISS: Keep it short and simple Repeat the offer again Use the right person to sign this email to give it a personal touch How to Grow Prospective Member List: – Run a member-get-a-member promotion – Encourage current members to bring a colleague – Get in touch with lapsed members − Reach out to local universities How to Grow Prospective Member List: Events and Promotions – Invite local employment attorneys to speak – Hold a value-driven webinar – Partner with other local associations – List your upcoming events online – Consider changing the time of an event How to Grow Prospective Member List: Website and E-mails – Create an e-mail signup form/box. – Encourage your current email subscribers to share your emails – Include a “Subscribe” link – E-mail Signature How to Grow Prospective Member List: Social Media – LinkedIn messages. Search and message local HR professionals directly. Be professional and be personal. – Share content on your social media pages and encourage sharing How to Promote SHRM membership FROM SHRM: Information and Knowledge, Peace of Mind – Access to Knowledge Advisors. – Samples. – HRWeek & HR Magazine. FROM A CHAPTER: – Connections, Community. – Discussions on Local Challenges. How to Promote SHRM membership We’ve run the numbers for you: 10 Issues of HR Magazine $70 Reading 3 of the more than 50 research reports $299.85 Participation in 12 webcasts from other organizations $1,500 Savings by not having to pay some consultant fees Your estimate Full access to SHRM sample forms, policies, how-to guides and presentations $300 SHRM Membership Value = $2169.85 or higher You Pay Only $185 for 1 year full professional membership Defining a Value Proposition Understanding Your Value Proposition What is ? Value is a Perception “The message . . . is that no company can succeed today by trying to be all things to all people. It must instead find the unique value it alone can deliver to a chosen market.” Treacy and Wiersema, The Discipline of Market Leaders, page xiv The Things You Have FEATURE Continuing Education Programs Certification Programs Members-Only Discounts Newsletter or eNewsletters Monthly Magazine/Journal Webinars Face-to-face lunches/dinners/meetings Benefits: What People Gain from the Feature FEATURE BENEFITS Continuing Education Programs Keeps you knowledgeable and relevant as a professional Certification Programs Validates your capabilities Members-Only Discounts Saves you $$$$$$$ Newsletter or eNewsletters Easy access to timely information Monthly Magazine/Journal Covers the hottest topics and trends around <your profession> in your area Webinars Convenient learning at your fingertips Face-to-face lunches/dinners/meetings Networking with other professionals like you to discuss and solve common problems Avoidance: What People Don’t Want to Experience FEATURE BENEFITS AVOIDANCE Continuing Education Programs Keeps you knowledgeable and relevant as a professional Missing out on essential knowledge for professionals Certification Programs Validates your capabilities Getting passed over for a higher position Members-Only Discounts Saves you $$$$$$$ Paying too much somewhere else! Newsletter or eNewsletters Easy access to timely information Wasting time searching for critical information Monthly Magazine/Journal Covers the hottest topics and trends around <your profession> in your area Not being on top of major employer concerns Webinars Convenient learning at your fingertips Costs of travel, room and board for educational needs Face-to-face lunches/dinners/meetings Networking with other professionals like you to discuss and solve common problems Working in isolation on key issues that would benefit from multiple viewpoints Emotional Drivers: Speaking to Aspirations FEATURE BENEFITS AVOIDANCE EMOTIONAL DRIVERS Continuing Education Programs Keeps you knowledgeable and relevant as a professional Missing out on essential knowledge for professionals Gain confidence in your abilities Certification Programs Validates your capabilities Getting passed over for a higher position Becoming an authority in my field Members-Only Discounts Saves you $$$$$$$ Paying too much somewhere else! Good steward of organization money Ongoing access to timely Wasting time searching for critical information Allows you more time to spend on the things that really matter Newsletter or eNewsletters information Monthly Magazine/Journal Covers the hottest topics and trends around <your profession> in your area Not being on top of major employer concerns Being on the cutting edge of the profession Webinars Convenient learning at your fingertips Costs of travel, room and board for educational needs You can become an expert in a specific area Face-to-face lunches/dinners/meetings Networking with other professionals like you to discuss and solve common problems Working in isolation on key issues that would benefit from multiple viewpoints Making professional friendships that last a lifetime Putting It All Together Monthly Face-to-Face Meetings – You’re not alone! Dozens of professionals attend our collaborative events designed to meet, learn and grow alongside other professionals. Members Only Discounts – Exclusive savings on all your local professional networking and professional development needs, lightening the load on your company and your wallet. Resources Available to You 1. Templates: Win-back calls, Renewal Notice, Acquisition Mailing 2. Membership Dashboard – Excel Tool 3. Free newsletter, webinars, and research from MGI