{"id":7164,"date":"2017-06-28T14:38:54","date_gmt":"2017-06-28T14:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=7164"},"modified":"2019-11-06T17:08:04","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T17:08:04","slug":"increase-membership-roi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/increase-membership-roi\/","title":{"rendered":"Increase Your Membership ROI \u2013 Return on Involvement"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Sarah
Sarah Sain, Naylor Association Solutions<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We\u2019ve all seen the #MondayMotivation quote on social media: \u201cYou only get out of life what you put into it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s meant to prepare us to start the week ready to work hard and give it everything we\u2019ve got. After all, you can\u2019t just sit around and wait for good things to happen. We have to grab those opportunities when they come and be looking for new ways to learn and grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same holds true for association membership.<\/span><\/p>\n

Preliminary findings were released this week from the\u00a0<\/span>2017 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report<\/span><\/a>, which will be released later this summer at ASAE\u2019s Annual Meeting & Exposition in Toronto. The news is good \u2013 membership remains strong at most associations. But membership goes so far beyond just joining.<\/span><\/p>\n

For years, association members have had to make the case for their membership ROI. Is the cost of membership worth the return on investment? But what they should also be measuring \u2013 and where there\u2019s a real potential to maximize the benefits of membership \u2013 is with another ROI: return on involvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

You may ask yourself, aren\u2019t return on investment and return on involvement the same thing? After all, your involvement with an association is an investment of your time and energy. Still, not really. Your return on involvement is a value that can\u2019t always be tied to a dollar amount, but it does pay substantial dividends in the short and long term. <\/span><\/p>\n

To maximize your return on involvement, it requires networking, volunteering and engaging with fellow members and finding ways to make sure your voice is heard as a leader in your industry. Here are some ideas for how members and associations can provide peak ROI \u2013 return on involvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Members: Know Your Benefits<\/b><\/h3>\n

Members, do you know if your association has a magazine? Do you know if you can write for it or advertise? Do you know if your association has a job board where you can post your resume or find a new hire? When is your association\u2019s next educational event? Do you know if they offer a certification? Do you know if your association offers discount programs that could save your organization money? <\/span><\/p>\n

I think you get the point. Your association likely offers so many benefits as part of your membership, you may not even be aware of all of them. So here\u2019s a simple exercise: Take one hour over the next week to refamiliarize yourself with your association membership. Whether you\u2019re a new member or a 20-veteran, you\u2019ll likely find something new or a benefit that you just didn\u2019t need in a previous career stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Educate yourself on what being a member of the association means. Start with your association\u2019s website, and read what\u2019s available to you. Then set up a call the membership department. If you\u2019re facing a specific challenge, they\u2019ll be able to walk you through what benefits might help you overcome and succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your membership is just that: <\/span>yours<\/span><\/i>. Make the most of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Associations: Don\u2019t Wait for Raised Hands<\/b><\/h3>\n

Back in school, there were a few students who were always the first to raise their hands when the teacher called. Some of those former students are now professionals within your membership. They\u2019re always reliable and eager to volunteer in any way.<\/span><\/p>\n

But consider the rest of the \u201cclass.\u201d Within your membership, you likely have another group who would like to volunteer their time and engage with the other members, but they need you to call on them. Perhaps they\u2019re just more introverted, or perhaps they don\u2019t know what role they might fit in best. Perhaps they\u2019re overwhelmed and afraid to commit to too much. <\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t count those members out. Instead, create smaller opportunities at the ready and ask them directly to get involved. In addition to annual roles, like board positions or committee chairs, make sure your association has a list of one-time needs or assignments that take 30 minutes or less. Getting help to check those items off your to-do list will help your staff tremendously, and it also helps those members see just how valuable they are to the association.<\/span><\/p>\n

Members: One Good Thing Leads to Another<\/b><\/h3>\n

Lowell Aplebaum, CAE, spoke earlier this month at the <\/span>Georgia Society of Association Executives\u2019<\/span><\/a> Annual Meeting in a session called \u201cCreating the Member Story.\u201d He started off by telling a membership story he\u2019s really familiar with: his own. <\/span><\/p>\n

Aplebaum first got involved with an association he was a member of when he complained about the renewal process. Instead of balking at his negative feedback, the association asked him to help them make the process better. Today, Aplebaum oversees the commission for the Certified Association Executive certificate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, he didn\u2019t go directly from Point A to Point B. In fact, Aplebaum has had many roles over the years, serving associations in many ways. But this example just goes to show that you never know where one opportunity will lead \u2013 whether that\u2019s tomorrow or 10 years down the road. It could open the door to a series of new chances and connections that will take you someplace in your career that you never expected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember that the momentum has to start somewhere, so when your association asks you to take on a volunteer role, reach out to a fellow member or lead in some capacity, don\u2019t be afraid to say yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Associations: Everyone is the Membership Department<\/b><\/h3>\n

Association membership directors play a vital role. They fight for renewals, target new members and keep essential dues revenue flowing in so the association can focus on its mission. But they can\u2019t do it alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Membership is everyone\u2019s job \u2013 from the executive director or CEO, to the events and education teams, to the communications department. Everyone on staff can play a role in making sure members know and understand the value that your association provides them individually, their organization and the industry as a whole. Make sure the entire staff understands the goals of the membership department and identifies ways that they can lend a hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, don\u2019t forget that your strongest voice for membership is your members themselves. Arm them with the information they need to know, and then allow them to tell their own stories about how your association has impacted lives. There aren\u2019t many marketing piece that will compare to that.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

About The Author<\/h3>\n\t\t\tSarah Sain is a senior content strategy and development manager with Naylor Association Solutions, working exclusively with society of association executive and meeting professional clients. Email her at\u00a0<\/em>ssain@naylor.com<\/em><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0or follow her as\u00a0<\/em>@ssain7<\/em><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0on Twitter.\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For years, association members have had to make the case for their membership ROI. Is the cost of membership worth the return on investment? But what they should also be measuring \u2013 and where there\u2019s a real potential to maximize the benefits of membership \u2013 is with another ROI: return on involvement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":7165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1589,31,4],"tags":[74,61],"class_list":["post-7164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-benchmarking","category-features","category-membership","tag-membership-2","tag-roi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIncrease Your Membership ROI \u2013 Return on Involvement - Association Adviser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Four ideas for how members and associations alike can provide opportunities to maximize membership ROI \u2013 return on involvement.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/increase-membership-roi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Increase Your Membership ROI \u2013 Return on Involvement - 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