Membership Marketing Blog

Three Books on Membership Marketing — Now Just $9.95 Each!

2026-11-02T12:04:22.161-05:00

Over four decades of consulting with professional and trade associations, I learned a great deal from my clients and colleagues. Through research, testing, and practical experience, those lessons ultimately led me to write three books on membership marketing.

Each book addresses a different aspect of helping associations grow and thrive:

· Membership Recruitment: Practical strategies for attracting new members, growing recurring revenue, and reaching new markets.

· The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing: How to recognize and overcome common barriers to membership growth.

· Membership Marketing from A to Z: A practical handbook covering the principles, strategies, and techniques that support successful membership marketing.

I am pleased to share that the paperback editions of all three books are now available on Amazon for $9.95 each.

I hope these books will give membership professionals practical ideas to strengthen their programs and advance their organizations' missions.

You can find all three books here:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mr.-Tony-Rossell/author/B08S7P8LQY

Recommendations for Membership Marketing from A to Z

2026-10-07T10:04:47.649-04:00

I am grateful to the association executives and consultants who have endorsed my book, Membership Marketing from A to Z. Here is what they shared.

Membership Marketing from A to Z is an exceptionally practical, step-by-step guide for growing membership, grounded in real-world strategies that association leaders can put to work immediately. Its insights and tools are relevant for professional associations of any size—from small, staff‑lean organizations to large, complex societies—making it a must-read for anyone responsible for sustainable membership growth.

Joel G. Carson, CEO, Geoprofessional Business Association

From the industry’s leading voice on membership marketing, this is a foundational resource that turns complex data into a clear path for growth.

Chris Gloede, Chief Consultant at Ricochet and first CMO of the American Bar Association

Don’t let the title fool you, Membership Marketing from A to Z is anything but elementary. In a membership landscape that continues to evolve, this book delivers practical, real-world guidance that professionals will want within arm’s reach.

Jana Darling, President, MGI

A smart, practical resource for association leaders seeking stronger membership growth, informed by Tony Rossell’s decades of hands-on work in the field and proven expertise.

Donna Oser, CAE, President & CEO, Michigan Society of Association Executives

There is no one better equipped than Tony Rossell to guide us through the ABCs of membership marketing. This book perfectly blends the strategic and the tactical to provide 26+ actionable lessons for associations to grow their membership – all rigorously researched and rooted in Tony’s years of experience. It is essential reading for every membership marketer.

Carol Fox Cohen, CAE, DCMP, Senior Director, Membership Development at American Nurses Association

Tony Rossell's latest book, Membership Marketing from A to Z, is a must-read for every membership organization! Designed as a quick reference guide, this book gets right to the good stuff with 26+ essential strategies and relevant examples. It's an excellent resource that association professionals are certain to reference repeatedly.

Sarah Sladek, author of MemberShift: Why Members Leave and the Strategies to Bring Them Back

Why People Join, Renew, and Leave: A Behavioral Approach to Membership Marketing

2026-08-24T10:38:15.662-04:00

As I have worked with associations over the years, I have often been asked questions such as, "What email should we send?" What ad should we run? What incentive should we offer?

Marketing tactics remain critical to acquiring and retaining members. However, the world is changing. Growing membership requires a more focused strategy than ever before. Here is the challenge. According to the annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, the share of associations reporting membership gains has gradually declined over the past four years. In 2026, only 38 percent of associations reported an increase in membership, down from 49 percent. Acquiring, engaging, and retaining members is more challenging today than in the past.

To meet these challenges, I share many strategies to increase the effectiveness of membership marketing in my book, Membership Marketing from A to Z. A major theme that runs through the book is connecting what behavioral science has learned about decision-making with the marketing programs associations use to recruit and retain members.

Behavioral science asks a different question from the tactical questions that often dominate marketing discussions. Instead of beginning with what email to send or what offer to make, it asks: What is happening inside the prospect's mind? Once we begin to answer that question, our marketing choices become much clearer.

Understanding How People Make Decisions

The first step is to understand the mindset and needs of prospective and current members. Research is obviously an important component of this process. Qualitative and quantitative research can help associations identify the needs of prospective and current members. After all, some define marketing as finding a need and meeting it.

But we can take that knowledge a step further by considering the decision-making process people go through when they contemplate joining, engaging with, or renewing their membership.

Psychologists and behavioral scientists have studied decision-making extensively. In his widely used text, Persuasion: Theory and Research, Daniel J. O'Keefe discusses the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), which can offer a useful framework for understanding a prospect's or member’s decision-making process. The model outlines five stages that people move through when making and maintaining an important behavioral change.

The Five Stages of Behavioral Change

With TTM, the process begins with Precontemplation. When applied to membership, a prospective member may be unaware of the association and may not recognize a need for membership. There is little reason to expect action because the individual has not yet seriously considered the decision.

Once interest develops, the person enters the Contemplation stage. The prospect begins weighing the pros and cons. Is membership relevant? Does it provide sufficient value? Is it worth the cost and commitment?

If the benefits appear to outweigh the costs, the prospect moves toward Planning. An intention to join may now exist, but intention is not the same as action. Delay, distraction, and procrastination can still derail the decision.

The fourth stage is Action. At this point, the prospect may need an action-oriented interaction. This might include a clear call to action, an appropriate incentive, or simply a frictionless way to complete the transaction.

Importantly, the model does not end once the decision has been made. It includes Maintenance. People often seek reassurance after making an important decision. The new behavior needs reinforcement and support to continue.

This is where behavioral science begins to reshape how we approach membership marketing. Membership marketing is not simply a transaction. It is a relationship in which we help people progress through the stages of behavior change. If we understand where someone is in that process, we can tailor marketing strategies to them rather than relying on generic tactics.

Connecting Behavioral Science to the Membership Lifecycle

Understanding how people make decisions is interesting, but understanding alone does not increase membership. The practical question is: How should associations respond?

This is where I believe behavioral science and a relational marketing model converge. For associations, the Membership Lifecycle offers a systematic approach to guiding prospects and members through their relationship with an organization. It includes Awareness, Recruitment, Engagement, Renewal, and Winback.

Viewed through a behavioral science lens, the Membership Lifecycle is more than a marketing framework. Although the two models do not align perfectly, TTM helps us understand where an individual is psychologically, while the Membership Lifecycle organizes the association's marketing response. Together, they provide a framework to help prospects and members move toward the next decision.

Awareness: Creating Mutual Awareness

At the Awareness stage of the Lifecycle, prospects are primarily in Precontemplation or early Contemplation. They may not know the association exists, may not understand what it offers, or may not recognize that membership could benefit them. For example, the Association Member Experience Report by Higher Logic reports that the top reason prospects give for not joining an association is “I’m not aware of one that aligns with my industry/role/interests.”

One of the longstanding rules of thumb in marketing is the Rule of Seven. This rule holds that it takes multiple interactions before someone makes a buying decision. Whether the actual number is seven, more, or less is not the important point. The principle reminds us that decisions generally develop over time rather than happen instantly.

That is why the objective at this first stage is what I call mutual awareness. No one joins a membership organization unless they know it exists and believe it offers value. At the same time, an association will struggle to recruit prospective members if it cannot identify them and capture their contact information in its database.

Associations need to achieve both a share of mind and a share of the database. Prospects need to become aware of the association, while the association needs prospects to raise their hands by registering on a website, downloading a whitepaper, subscribing to a newsletter, attending a webinar, or otherwise identifying themselves and opting into further communication. When you know who they are and they know you, you have the opportunity to cultivate a relationship.

Content marketing, digital advertising, social media, and SEO can all support this process. But from a behavioral perspective, the purpose of these tools is not merely to generate clicks or impressions. Their role is to help move someone from Precontemplation and Contemplation to making a decision.

Recruitment: Turning Intention into Action

Once prospects understand the value an association can provide, they move into the Planning and Action stages of the decision process. Marketing needs to adjust.

Marketers sometimes call membership a “push” rather than a “pull” product. If you are a coffee drinker, you probably don't need an advertising campaign to convince you to seek out your morning cup. You already want it. Very few people, however, wake up thinking, “Today I need to find an association to join.” Membership generally needs to be actively marketed through recruitment.

Effective recruitment requires several key ingredients. First, a budget needs to be established, ideally not based on initial returns but on the lifetime value a new member will generate. Next, recruitment requires sufficient marketing frequency and reach. One-off recruitment will not work. Reaching as deeply as possible into the target market produces the highest volume of new members. Finally, offering an incentive to join gives an interested prospect a reason to act now. An incentive should not be viewed as a bribe. Its purpose is to motivate someone who already sees value in taking the action but has procrastinated.

At this stage in the decision process, even small barriers matter. A confusing application, a broken link, or a difficult payment process can interrupt Action and lead to abandonment.

Engagement: Affirming the Decision

Once someone joins, the behavioral objective shifts again to support and maintain the decision through Engagement.

Have you ever bought a new pair of running shoes, a car, or even an expensive smartphone, only to later wonder, “Did I make the right decision?” Psychologists call this discomfort cognitive dissonance. After making an important decision, people naturally seek reassurance that they chose wisely.

Joining an association is no different. A new member has committed money and, potentially, time. If the member does not quickly experience value or receive affirmation, questions about whether joining was worthwhile can begin to emerge. TTM identifies this as the Maintenance stage. The decision has been made, but the new behavior has not necessarily become established.

New members need an onboarding program that confirms, “I made a good decision.” These recent members are particularly vulnerable to attrition. Benchmarking data show that first-year members renew at a rate 10 points lower than tenured members. Additionally, ongoing engagement marketing supports the renewal of longer-term members, especially those who show no behavioral indicators of usage. Encouraging interaction, whether attending a program, visiting the website, completing a survey, making a purchase, or contacting the association, correlates positively with renewal. The behavioral objective of engagement is to help members maintain and reinforce the decision to belong.

Renewal: Reasserting Value and Status

At the Renewal stage, members are not all in the same psychological state. Some remain comfortably in Maintenance, while others have slipped back into Contemplation and are reassessing whether membership is worthwhile.

In addition to evaluating the association’s value, another complication is that members are sometimes simply confused about their membership status. In one association survey, only 85 percent of current members correctly identified themselves as members, yet 23 percent of former members and 15 percent of people who had never been members also believed they were current members. The Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report has also consistently identified “forgot to renew” as a key reason members give for lapsing.

These issues tell us something important about renewal marketing. The job is not simply to send a renewal notice. Associations need to reassert their value and membership status.

Given these challenges, a synchronized, multichannel, higher-frequency campaign can help members understand their status, remember the value they receive, and complete the renewal process. Associations can also reduce renewal friction by offering automatic renewal, installment plans, multiyear memberships, and other flexible payment options.

Winback: Restoring the Relationship

Finally, some members will lapse. From a behavioral perspective, many have reverted to Contemplation. They are again questioning the value or relevance of membership.

There will always be bumps in the road in any relationship, and membership relationships are no exception. But restoring an existing relationship often makes more sense than starting a new one. The Winback stage of the Lifecycle aims to understand what happened, address the problem where possible, and invite the former member back. As the old proverb advises, “Look where you tripped, not where you fell.”

Importantly, a lapsed member is not necessarily dissatisfied. Former members frequently cite reasons for leaving that have little to do with the association's quality: an employer stopped paying dues, they changed jobs, they lacked time, experienced a family emergency, encountered difficulty with the renewal process, or simply thought they had already renewed.

These circumstances can change. That is why successful membership organizations continue to communicate with former members rather than assume the relationship is permanently over.

Marketing to the Member's Mindset

When membership is static or declining, associations naturally seek an explanation. They may conclude they have a value problem or that their marketing simply is not working. Sometimes that is true. But another possibility deserves consideration. The marketing may be misaligned with where prospects and members are psychologically.

An association may ask prospects to join before they understand the value of membership. Conversely, after establishing value, it may fail to make a clear ask and provide a reason to act. Once people join, the organization may neglect the cognitive dissonance that follows a decision and fail to affirm that the new member made a good choice. At renewal, it may assume the member understands both the ongoing value and the current status of the relationship. And when a member lapses, it may give up on a relationship that could still be restored.

Combining the psychology of decision-making with the Membership Lifecycle offers a different approach to membership marketing. Instead of starting with a tactic, start with the individual. Ask, “Where is this prospect or member in the decision-making process?” Then determine which marketing tactic will help that person take the next step.

Viewed this way, the Membership Lifecycle is a marketing process that supports people's decision-making. Each stage aims to help people advance in their relationship with the association.

Your Next New Member May Be a Former Member

2026-08-06T10:32:35.929-04:00

Asking former members to come back serves as one of the biggest missed opportunities in membership marketing.

Many associations devote significant resources to recruiting brand-new members while making only one or two attempts to reconnect with members who have already experienced the value of the organization. Yet former members are often among the most responsive audiences. As one membership consultant observed: "When a member leaves, it doesn't mean goodbye forever. Members who have walked away may be the easiest ones to get back."[1]

The following winback strategy is adapted from my new book, Membership Marketing from A to Z.

Why Winback Strategies Matter

A disciplined winback program restores lost members and revenue while providing insight into why members may not have renewed. A winback strategy targets former members who, for a variety of reasons, have ended their relationship with the association. In many ways, it is a form of re-recruitment. Unlike prospects who have never been members, former members already understand your organization and have experienced its value. This familiarity reduces the cost and effort required to bring them back into the fold. As a result, winback campaigns consistently deliver higher response rates and stronger ROI than traditional recruitment efforts. One study, the Customer Winback Benchmarking Study, found that, on average, 26 percent of past customers returned as a result of winback campaigns.[2]

Of course, some members who lapse will never return, regardless of the winback strategies applied. However, a large portion of members who leave do so for issues that can be addressed. When we examine open-ended survey responses from expired members, a more nuanced and complex picture emerges. Associations that hear directly from lapsed members often find that they left for reasons unrelated to the association's products and services. Here are some edited open-ended survey responses.

My employer stopped paying for the membership.
I am retired and didn’t see an affordable option.
I am in between jobs.
Lacked the time to participate.
Had difficulty renewing on the website.
Experienced a family emergency.
We alternate membership among colleagues.
I thought I did renew.

One research report from ASAE affirms this, noting that “Respondents who reported having dropped their membership. . . indicate their reason had more to do with career and other life changes than with the performance of the association.” [3]

These responses point to an important truth: many lapses are situational, not permanent, and they create avenues for re-engagement.

One association's winback effort highlights the opportunity to reconnect with former members. This large healthcare association discovered this by testing a telemarketing campaign targeting recently lapsed members. Some staff doubted they could reach these members, as they were busy professionals often screened by gatekeepers who could intercept calls. Others worried that members would resent hearing from the association after they left. Despite these concerns, the association decided to test the program. The results surprised the membership team. Of former members reached by phone, 42 percent agreed to renew their membership. The program achieved an ROI of $1 in costs to generate $6.70 in dues revenue. Along with the successful results, the association gathered feedback to update its records and better understand the reasons for lapsing, such as retirement and job changes. The campaign demonstrated that a winback effort can produce exceptional returns when executed with the right message and channel.

Not every winback effort will yield such impressive results, but the example shows that former members present a significant opportunity to grow membership economically.

Designing an Effective Winback Strategy

Despite these potential returns, many associations give up on former members. That is a mistake. People and their professional roles, financial situations, and organizational needs change. With a thoughtful, ongoing outreach strategy, many associations successfully reconnect with former members even years after they lapse.

Steps to establish a winback strategy include identifying the concerns and reasons members left the association and implementing a specific plan to bring them back.

· Seek First to Understand: Renew the relationship by asking former members why they left and whether there is a way for the association to help them return. Then respond to their specific concerns or challenges.

· Multi-Channel Campaigns: Reach beyond their email inbox to re-engage former members through a combination of channels, including mail, digital, phone, and ringless voicemail.

· Special Offers: Create an incentive to lower cost barriers with offers like discounted reinstatement dues or payment options to encourage them to give the association’s value another try.

· Messaging: Focus on appreciation and the benefit of community. Remind them of the value they received and what’s new since they left. A message might read: “We miss you! A lot has changed, and we’d love for you to be part of us again.”

· Timing and Frequency: Launch campaigns shortly after expiration or the grace period has ended. Consider reaching out at least every three months. Persistence pays off.

· Use Data: Target your efforts by analyzing past member engagement. Members who attended events, downloaded resources, or served on committees may be more likely to return.

· Test: Try different approaches by building a winback program that continually improves through testing and refinement.

Winback campaigns are often overlooked, yet they are among the most efficient ways to drive membership growth. Former members already understand your mission and value, making them far more receptive than cold prospects.

Effective winback strategies recognize that members do not always leave because they are dissatisfied. Life changes, budgets shift, and priorities evolve. By approaching former members with empathy, providing clear reminders of value, offering incentives, and maintaining persistent, multi-channel outreach, associations can reopen the door to membership.

[1] Vaughan, “Baby, Come Back! How to Win Back Lapsed Members and Why You Should.”

[2] Pfister, Customer Winback Benchmarking Study.

[3] Dalton and Dignam, The Decision to Join.

The Marketplace Is the Best Teacher: Why Associations Need a Ready. Fire. Aim. Approach to Marketing

2026-07-20T11:00:46.546-04:00

One of the most common reasons associations fail to grow is not a lack of ideas, creativity, or even resources. It is hesitation.

Over the years, I have watched promising membership initiatives lose momentum because organizations kept studying and refining their plans rather than launching them in the marketplace.

A theme I have emphasized in each of my books, including Membership Recruitment, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, and the just-published Membership Marketing from A to Z, is a bias toward action rather than continual analysis.

Over the years, I have sat through many meetings where the momentum behind a marketing initiative was quietly halted by comments such as “We need more research,” “Our AMS is not quite ready,” or “Let’s revisit once we have more feedback.” While thoughtful planning matters, organizations can easily fall into what I call the paralysis of analysis. This tendency to overthink marketing efforts can delay implementation or even lead to abandonment.

The irony is that marketing is one of the few disciplines in which the marketplace often provides the best answers.

Several years ago, I received an RFP from an association facing declining membership. Their objective was understandable: stop the decline and rebuild growth. However, the process they outlined was exhaustive. First, they wanted research to redefine their value proposition. Then, case studies of comparable organizations. Then, benchmarking. Then, an evaluation of staff and departmental structure. Finally, they wanted multiple strategic scenarios developed before any membership recruitment began. The proposed timeline ranged from six months to a year.

The challenge was that the perfect can be the enemy of the good. By the time planning was complete, the market would likely have shifted again. Associations, like any business, rarely have the luxury of waiting for certainty. Conditions change too quickly. Member expectations evolve. Competitors advance.

Instead of recommending a long planning cycle for this association, we proposed an alternative approach using a Ready, Fire, Aim model. The traditional phrase, of course, is “Ready, Aim, Fire.” In marketing and sales, however, I believe the order should be reversed.

Planning matters. Organizations need a clear value proposition, target audiences, goals, and a workable strategy. However, sooner rather than later, learning must give way to action. That is where the Ready, Fire, Aim philosophy proves powerful. The concept is straightforward.

· Ready means getting started with a focused strategy. Drop the 30-page strategy document. Create a one- or two-page action plan.

· Fire means launching the effort. Send the email. Test the offer. Make the calls. Reach out to prospects.

· Aim means learning from the test results. Track responses. Identify what worked. Refine the strategy. Try again.

Instead of trying to answer every question in advance, organizations let the marketplace guide them. The marketplace, though sometimes brutally honest, can be an exceptionally effective teacher.

Several years ago, I spoke with an organization that held nearly 100,000 prospect email addresses collected through website registrations. Yet they hesitated to market to these prospects because they worried they did not yet have the perfect message or fully refined services. Research certainly has value, but there will always be another question to answer and another layer of uncertainty to explore.

My recommendation was that, rather than waiting for certainty, the association could segment the prospect list, create several message variations, and test them in the marketplace. In a short period of time, they would learn which messages resonated, which segments responded, and whether the opportunity warranted deeper investment. The resulting feedback would almost certainly provide more practical insight than months of internal discussion.

The same principle applies across the membership lifecycle. Associations can test digital advertising with new market segments, experiment with onboarding approaches, test different renewal messages, and pilot campaigns to recently lapsed members. Some efforts may underperform and be discontinued quickly, while others may reveal substantial untapped opportunities. Either outcome is valuable because it replaces speculation with evidence.

This tendency to delay action is not unique to associations. I have seen sales professionals spend weeks refining presentations, organizing CRM systems, tweaking messages, building prospect lists, or upgrading technology without ever making a sales call. Preparation feels productive because it is comfortable, while selling feels risky because it invites rejection. Yet results come only through engagement with the marketplace.

None of this is an argument against planning or research. Effective marketing absolutely requires both. But research can feel like peeling an onion, with another layer of uncertainty to explore. At some point, understanding must give way to execution. Indeed, one of the most valuable forms of market research is surprisingly simple. Will someone say yes? Will they join? Will they renew? Will they respond? Will they buy? Those answers come only through action.

The organizations that succeed are rarely the ones with the perfect plan. More often than not, they are the ones willing to move, learn, and adapt. In marketing, progress tends to favor those who embrace a simple philosophy: Ready. Fire. Aim.

Membership Marketing from A to Z Is Now Available as a Kindle eBook

2026-07-15T09:54:11.087-04:00

For those of you who prefer reading on a tablet or mobile device, I'm pleased to announce that Membership Marketing from A to Z: A Practical Handbook for Professional and Trade Associations is now available as a Kindle eBook.

To celebrate the launch, the Kindle edition is available at an introductory price of just $2.99 for a limited time. You can read it on any Kindle device or on your phone, tablet, or computer with the free Kindle app.

This book has been a long time in the making. It brings together nearly four decades of consulting experience, insights from hundreds of association clients, and findings from eighteen years of Membership Marketing Benchmarking Reports. My goal was to create a practical reference that association professionals can turn to whenever they need ideas to recruit, engage, and retain members.

Whether you're a CEO, membership executive, marketing professional, or new to association management, I hope you'll find practical strategies you can put to work immediately.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me throughout the writing process and to those who have already purchased the print edition. I hope the eBook format makes it even easier for association professionals to benefit from the ideas in the book. Take a look at the eBook using this link.

Just Released: The 2026 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report

2026-07-10T11:47:11.600-04:00

MGI just released the 2026 edition of the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report. After 18 years, I still consider it the most comprehensive and accurate overview of association membership statistics available today.

Once again, the report finds a correlation between associations that successfully recruit new members and those that see overall growth in membership counts. The data continue to suggest that sustained membership growth begins with the consistent addition of new members to the top of the funnel. At the same time, the median renewal rate from the 2026 report remained at 82 percent. For nearly a decade, this number has seen only minor fluctuations. This stability suggests that unless an association is fixing a major flaw in its value proposition or renewal system, it cannot renew its way into growth.

The report also notes a softening in the share of associations reporting membership increases, down from 45 percent to 38 percent. One possible driver of this change may again be the success or lack thereof in adding new members. In the 2025 report, 50 percent of individual membership associations reported an increase in new member acquisition. That share fell to 38 percent in the 2026 report.

Eighteen years of benchmarking continue to reinforce an important lesson: associations that consistently build awareness, invest in recruitment, and bring in new members are most likely to achieve long-term membership success.

Download your copy here.

Insights from 18 Years of Membership Data

2026-06-26T10:59:08.345-04:00

Facts matter. That’s why in all of my books, including the just-published Membership Marketing from A to Z, I have relied on thousands of survey responses over the past 18 years from MGI’s Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report.

MGI just released the top-line findings for this year’s research, with the full report to follow in the coming weeks. Before looking at the new data, let’s dive into the trends over the past nearly two decades. It is clear that in some years, growth seems widespread. In other years, membership declines dominate the conversation. And when we see a weaker year, it is easy to conclude that something is fundamentally broken.

But based on these many years of results, something interesting becomes clear. Membership growth tends to follow cycles and, over time, often returns to a historical norm.

This year’s newly released data from the 2026 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report shows that 39 percent of associations reported an increase in membership, 30 percent reported a decline, and 31 percent reported no change.

At first glance, those results may seem disappointing compared with recent years. In 2023, nearly half of associations (49 percent) reported growth. In 2024, 47 percent reported growth. And in 2025, 45 percent reported gains.

Has something suddenly gone wrong? Perhaps not. To understand the present, it helps to consider the broader historical context.

Over the past 18 years, associations have navigated numerous disruptions. The Great Recession significantly affected membership across many organizations. In 2010, nearly half of associations (48 percent) reported membership declines. More recently, COVID disrupted virtually every aspect of association operations, from conferences to professional engagement. By 2021, only 26 percent of associations reported membership growth, while 47 percent reported declines.

Yet in both cases, the story did not end there. Membership rebounded. After the pandemic, many associations experienced several strong years of recovery. Organizations restored member relationships, regained lost renewals, and benefited from heightened demand for professional information, advocacy, workforce support, and community.

Viewed through this lens, the 2026 results may indicate something other than a decline. They may reflect normalization.

In statistics, the concept of regression to the mean, the tendency for unusually high or low results to drift back toward the average over time, applies. Although association membership trends are more complex than a simple statistical model, the principle offers an interesting lens. Extraordinary periods, whether unusually positive or negative, rarely persist indefinitely. The data suggest that association membership may follow a similar pattern.

After disruptions, growth rebounds. After unusually strong periods, results often moderate. Over the long run, membership performance tends to settle into a relatively consistent range.

Across nearly two decades of benchmarking, roughly 40 to 50 percent of associations typically report growth, about 25 to 30 percent report declines, and another quarter to one-third remain flat. That consistency is remarkable given the economic cycles, inflation, demographic shifts, technological disruption, and changing workforce patterns associations have faced.

If that interpretation is correct, the lesson for association leaders is an important one: Do not overreact to a single year's data. During difficult periods, it is tempting to cut marketing budgets, reduce recruitment efforts, or assume that membership decline is inevitable. Conversely, during periods of strong growth, organizations may mistakenly assume that momentum will continue on its own. Both assumptions can be dangerous.

Growth still depends on fundamentals. Associations that continue to invest in recruitment, refine their value proposition, engage members, and adapt to evolving professional needs are far more likely to outperform over time. Economic conditions matter. Disruptions matter. But long-term discipline matters most.

Perhaps the key takeaway from 18 years of research is not that membership growth fluctuates, but that associations are remarkably resilient. Despite the challenges, a meaningful share of associations continue to grow year after year. The challenge for leaders is not to predict every disruption. It is to stay focused on the long-term drivers of relevance and value. Organizations that remain committed to growth are usually best positioned when the next cycle begins.

Additional membership guidance can be found in the books The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, Membership Recruitment, and the just-released Membership Marketing from A to Z. All are available on Amazon.

The Intangible Ingredient of Membership Marketing

2026-06-24T11:38:29.696-04:00

This article is an excerpt from my latest book, Membership Marketing from A to Z, now available on Amazon.

Growth is not the accidental result of a favorable economy or a single successful campaign. It begins with leadership conviction that membership growth is mission-critical and warrants sustained investment. When that belief is reinforced by disciplined funding and accountability, growth becomes predictable rather than accidental. That alignment of passion and discipline is the X-Factor in membership marketing.

While many chapters in my book, Membership Marketing from A to Z, focus on proven strategies and marketing best practices, the X-Factor chapter provides the intangible yet essential element that elevates a membership program from ordinary to extraordinary.

Why Your X-Factor Matters

In our Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, when asked about the biggest challenge to membership growth, one respondent said, “Leadership hasn’t prioritized everything necessary to create the structure that would allow for scalable growth.”

The X-Factor becomes visible when leadership shifts from aspiration to accountability. It means making membership growth non-negotiable. One of the clearest examples of the X-Factor's impact on membership comes from a client I have worked with for the past 14 years. In my first meeting with this group, the CEO arrived with his membership dashboard and explained that growing membership was his top priority. The organization had undergone a series of executive transitions over the past few years, and membership had stalled. But this CEO had set the goal of doubling membership. However, his goal went beyond aspiration. He also put his reputation on the line, secured board approval for the direction, funded the marketing budget, and made the staff changes needed to support the objective.

The outcome of this effort was not immediate. The association faced challenges along the way, including a weak economy and inflation, shifting board support, and a call to cut marketing to address a budget shortfall. However, since the goal was set, the association has achieved sustained annual growth of 3–4 percent. So far, membership has grown from 70,000 to 113,000, a roughly 62 percent increase, and growth continues.

Why does the X-Factor matter so much? For this organization, the X-Factor of passion and commitment to membership growth supported the association's financial health, members' careers and livelihoods, and the organization's mission to society. The X-Factor is not a one-time, instant solution but a sustained practice.

Building and Supporting Your Association’s X-Factor

An X-Factor starts with motivation. Why is the goal so critical? Simon Sinek, in his book Start with Why, writes, “Knowing your WHY is not the only way to be successful, but it is the only way to maintain a lasting success.”[1]

For an association, answering the why question may be easier than for many other types of organizations. Associations have a deeper purpose beyond a simple return on investment. They have a mission to make a difference in society. They also serve a profession or industry that relies on them for critical information, advocacy, and career development.

Beyond motivation, finding and supporting your X-Factor depends on action. It is not necessarily loud or flashy. The X-Factor is the alignment of multiple elements and reveals itself in four ways.

1. Strategic Clarity

Associations with an active X-Factor know exactly where they are headed. Growth goals are not vague aspirations; they are specific, measurable, and time-bound. Leadership aligns around those goals and directly ties them to the mission. When growth is clearly tied to purpose, it becomes easier to defend.

2. Financial Commitment

Goals without investment are merely dreams. Associations that activate the X-Factor treat marketing as an investment rather than a discretionary expense. They consistently fund recruitment, even amid fluctuating response rates, because they understand Lifetime Value and the compounding impact of ongoing dues. They accept short-term volatility to pursue long-term growth.

3. Operational Discipline

Growth requires measurement. Associations with the X-Factor track KPIs, monitor dashboards, and regularly review results. They test new approaches, refine offers, and optimize campaigns. What is measured improves; what is ignored stagnates.

4. Cultural Reinforcement

Finally, the X-Factor is cultural. Leaders tell the growth story, celebrate progress, empower their teams, and reinforce that membership growth supports careers, advances the mission, and strengthens the profession. Associations without the X-Factor often drift. Strategies shift with each board rotation. Marketing budgets are cut during shortfalls. Recruitment is paused when response dips. Risk is avoided. Over time, decline becomes normalized.

The X-Factor in membership marketing is not luck or a single breakthrough campaign. It is disciplined leadership. Associations that achieve membership success do so by making growth a priority, funding it adequately, measuring it rigorously, and reinforcing it culturally.

[1] Sinek, Start with Why.

Announcing the Release of My New Book: Membership Marketing from A to Z

2026-06-22T09:37:17.447-04:00

After many years of thinking, writing, researching, and refining ideas, I am pleased to announce the release of my new book:

Membership Marketing from A to Z: A Practical Handbook for Professional and Trade Associations

This project has been a long time in the making. The book's original concept dates back more than a decade. However, over the years, the ideas in the book have continually evolved and been enriched through my consulting experiences, insights from hundreds of association clients, and findings from the annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report.

This is my third book on association membership growth and marketing, and in many ways, it is a collection of lessons learned over nearly four decades of working with associations. My goal was simple: to provide a practical resource that association professionals can turn to when facing membership challenges and opportunities.

The book explores topics ranging from Benefits and Content Marketing to Digital Advertising, Research, Volunteers, Value Proposition, and the X-Factor of leadership commitment. Each chapter offers actionable ideas that association leaders can apply immediately.

I am grateful to the many clients, colleagues, researchers, and association professionals who have shaped my thinking over the years.

If you are responsible for membership growth, engagement, retention, or marketing strategy, I hope you will find the book useful.

The book is now available on Amazon using this link. I would appreciate it if you would take a look.

My Journey of Writing Books

2026-06-17T12:42:40.996-04:00

Many, if not most, of us have a book in our heads that we would like to write, based on our professional or personal experiences. The challenge is not usually having something to say. It is knowing how to begin.

One of my friends, upon retiring from the government, wrote a book about his 30-year tenure. He filled the book, Good Enough for Government Work, with an inside look at the amusing and crazy anecdotes from his experience. Another friend is writing a book about his family history. In his book, he serves as the narrator and protagonist, sharing his journey of uncovering the trials in his family's history and how their perseverance has enabled him to overcome his own personal challenges.

The books I have written are different. Rather than personal stories, they focus on practical guidance for association professionals on effective membership marketing practices. My latest book, Membership Marketing from A to Z, is now available on Amazon.

The stages of the writing process I followed may be helpful to you as you pursue a writing goal.

Perhaps the most important aspect of writing for me is cultivating a learning mindset. Over the years, I have gained many insights from reading a shelf full of books by authors ranging from marketing experts like Philip Kotler to membership consultants like Sarah Sladek. The print versions of my books are filled with notes and underlines. When I read books electronically, I save my highlights for future use. As one author observed, “Reading a book is among the most high-leverage activities on earth—you can gain access to what smart people have already figured out.”

Many insights have come from attending professional events to learn from presenters. A wealth of insights has come from observing the marketing innovations and test results my clients and colleagues have implemented.

The next step in the process is to capture what I have learned. For me, the best way to track my insights is to write about them whenever I learn something new. Often, that takes the form of a blog post or a short article. For example, I have been writing and recording lessons on this blog since 2007, and much of that material has found its way into my books.

To support the findings in my books, I have relied on quantitative data. For me, this has been 17 years of association research documented in the annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report. This data elevates my recommendations from opinion and stories to statistically valid correlations and outcomes, drawn from thousands of associations over the years. Whatever your topic, evidence strengthens your writing. For you, that may mean identifying research studies and surveys. For others, it may mean interviews, historical documents, family letters, or personal journals.

With all this content, the next step is to craft a compelling thesis and outline for the book. For one of my books, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, the title and framework came together while I was developing a presentation for an ASAE conference. The presentation was well-received, and I later expanded it into a book. For my book, Membership Marketing from A to Z, I had the inspiration and outlined it in a blog post in August 2012 (not a typo), and I finally started writing it this past year.

Of course, inspiration and outlines only get you so far. Eventually, the real work begins: writing, editing, and production. It takes time and focus. For my first book, Membership Recruitment, I took a sabbatical from work and spent each morning writing and rewriting. For that book, I had the advantage of my wife, a linguist, serving as my capable editor. For all my books, my professional proofreaders, designers, and production colleagues at MGI helped get them to market. I have found technology increasingly helpful. Grammarly catches typos and grammar issues. More recently, I have used ChatGPT to challenge my assumptions with prompts like, ‘What would a critical reviewer see as weaknesses in this chapter?”

Publishing your book involves an additional step. I have been very satisfied with printing and distributing my books through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. Other authors I know have used subsidy publishers for a fee to help with their books. Of course, you can also submit your book to a traditional publisher to leverage their prestige, production, and distribution services.

Writing a book can feel overwhelming, but viewing it as a process helps. More often, it unfolds over years of learning, gathering ideas, and organizing what you have discovered into something worth sharing. If you have been thinking, “Someday, I should write that book,” my encouragement is simple: start. Capture your ideas, outline your thoughts, and begin developing blog posts, articles, and presentations. You may find that what feels ordinary to you could be exactly the wisdom someone else needs.

The Evolution from Transactional to Relationship Marketing

2026-05-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

In a recent interview, I was asked what the biggest change I have seen in marketing over my 40-year career has been.

Most people expect the answer to be technology. There’s no question these changes have been dramatic. We’ve added email to direct mail and digital ads to print advertising, and now we are seeing the impact of AI. But those are really changes in tools, not necessarily in marketing philosophy.

The more meaningful shift has been in how we think about marketing. The biggest change has been moving from a transactional strategy to a relationship-driven one over time.

For my association friends who have worked in membership marketing for many years, this shift to a relationship model is not new. However, for the vast majority of companies and organizations, marketing for many years was largely about closing a sale. The objective was straightforward: get someone to buy a plane ticket, put items in a grocery cart, take out a loan, or hire you for a project. Once that transaction was complete, you were back on the treadmill, seeking the next customer.

Today, the goal is different. The focus is on turning that first transaction into an ongoing relationship that continues to create value over time. The relationship might take the form of a subscription, a membership, a service agreement, or a retainer. The terminology varies, but the underlying idea is the same. By moving away from constantly finding new customers and instead building a base of customers who choose to stay with you.

The reason this shift matters so much comes down to economics. In marketing, we often talk about lifetime value, which represents the total revenue a customer generates over time. When a customer stays with you for several years, it changes how you think about everything. You can invest more in acquiring that customer because the long-term return is significantly higher. You are encouraged to continue developing new products and services to enhance the relationship. It also creates a level of financial stability and predictability that simply is not possible when every interaction is treated as a one-time event.

For businesses trying to apply this idea, the starting point is not complicated, but it does require a shift in thinking. It begins with asking a simple question: What ongoing value can I provide that would encourage a customer to stay connected with me?

Different organizations now answer that question in different ways. An HVAC company offers a maintenance plan. A consultant works on a retainer. Airlines and hotels build loyalty programs. Warehouse clubs and online retailers create memberships. Credit unions build multifaceted financial engagements. In each case, the organization gives the customer a reason to continue the relationship.

When that value is structured properly, the customer benefits just as much. I have experienced this in several ways. I appreciate that with a loyalty program, I can walk past the counter and go straight to my rental car. As a consultant, I have seen how a retainer eliminates the need for repeated RFPs and allows work to begin more quickly and effectively. Like many people, I value the peace of mind that comes from knowing that, when I have a flat tire or a dead battery on a dark and stormy night, I can call AAA for help.

One of the clearest expressions of this shift is the membership model. Whether formal or informal, membership represents an ongoing connection between a customer and an organization. As Robbie Kellman Baxter writes in The Membership Economy, organizations that fail to think this way miss a significant opportunity for loyalty, referrals, and long-term growth. Look in your wallet for evidence of this relational shift. You will likely find cards for memberships, loyalty programs, and subscriptions you participate in.

Of course, building relationships intentionally requires more than a good idea. It requires a system. Over the years, I have found it helpful to think of the stages of building a relationship as a lifecycle. It begins with awareness, helping people gain a share of mind about who you are and the value you offer. But today, awareness goes both ways. It’s not just about them knowing you; it’s also about you knowing them by offering content, free samples, or a quote on your website to encourage an opt-in and continue the conversation.

From there comes the initial purchase, which still relies on many of the same marketing practices, like testing offers, messages, channels, and timing. But the real shift occurs after that first transaction. That’s where engagement comes into play. This is where the relationship begins to take shape, as you deliver value like helpful information, discounts, and priority service that encourages the customer to stay involved.

Over time, this leads to renewal, in which those in a relationship with you decide to continue and make subsequent purchases. This is where the economics become especially compelling. Retaining an existing customer is far more efficient than acquiring a new one. Finally, as in any relationship, there may be a time when it ends or is paused. However, because you have the contact information and a wealth of purchasing history, you have the information needed for a meaningful outreach through a winback effort. Former members and subscribers often represent one of the most overlooked marketing opportunities for an organization.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned from the past four decades, it’s this: marketing is no longer just about making a sale. It’s about building a relationship. The tools will continue to change. Technology will continue to evolve. But the organizations that succeed will be those that focus on creating ongoing value and maintaining meaningful connections with the people they serve.

A simple place to start is to look at your current customers and ask: How can I give them a reason to stay? That question, more than anything else, is where relationship marketing begins.

Additional membership guidance can be found in the books The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing and Membership Recruitment. Both are now available on Amazon.

Two Levers Driving Membership Marketing Success

2026-03-30T11:03:00.000-04:00

Two of the most important levers in membership marketing are frequency—how often you communicate with your audience—and reach—how many people your marketing touches. The way these two levers are managed in membership marketing efforts will determine whether marketing results succeed or fall short.

The Rule of 7, for example, emphasizes the importance of frequency. It holds that prospects often need to see a message multiple times before taking action. Reach, by contrast, aims to increase the number of prospects exposed to your marketing. Even a powerful message can't drive growth if only a small share of your audience ever sees it.

Growth occurs when both levers move in the right direction at the same time. Associations that communicate frequently and expand their prospect base build greater familiarity and impact. The challenge is maintaining both consistently, especially given limited time and resources.

Why Frequency Matters

Recently, an organization contacted a highly qualified list of prospects with whom they had no prior relationship. To engage the audience, they offered a free webinar on a popular topic. The results showed that 99.5 percent of recipients did not respond to the offer. This is not unusual. Marketing success rarely happens after just one impression.

However, repeated contact builds recognition and credibility. From my experience, I have consistently observed this pattern in marketing campaigns. Combining multiple emails and direct mail touches to a potential member, for example, yields a better return on investment than fewer interactions. Each additional, well-timed message boosts response rates without overwhelming the audience.

Membership, after all, is built on relationships, and relationships rely on consistent communication. The more often prospects and members hear from you in meaningful ways, the more likely they are to join, stay engaged, or renew. Associations that maintain a steady rhythm of communication typically see increased engagement and better retention.

For example, some associations still rely on just a few renewal messages or a short campaign period. However, data consistently show that successful renewal programs involve multiple outreach efforts, usually six to eight contacts, across different channels like email, mail, phone calls, and digital ads.

This does not mean sending the same message repeatedly. Frequency should be balanced with relevance and timing. Marketing automation also helps organizations personalize their outreach, ensuring that frequent communication remains valuable rather than becoming repetitive.

Why Reach Matters

If frequency measures how often your message goes to your target audience, reach measures the depth or volume of your audience. It indicates the total number of people exposed to your message who have the chance to respond. Even with compelling content, strong offers, and great creative, marketing won't drive growth if too few people see it.

Many associations excel at creative execution and channel strategy, yet still miss their membership goals because their campaigns simply do not reach enough of the market. Growth requires scale.

Expanding reach starts with investment. Associations that steadily grow their membership allocate resources to increase visibility across multiple channels and attract new audiences beyond their existing database.

Consider these methods for expanding reach:

Renting or Leasing Third-Party Lists: Target new audiences that mirror your best members using industry directories, publication subscriber files, or membership lists of allied associations.
Partnerships and Co-Marketing: Work with allied organizations to reach their audience through joint webinars, content sharing, or promotional exchanges.
Digital Advertising: Use online display, paid social, search engine marketing, and retargeting to find new prospects worldwide who may not be in your existing files.

Effectively managing reach means tracking how many new prospects you engage over time. Metrics such as impressions, clicks, and inquiries provide insight into visibility, while database growth and cost per acquisition indicate the efficiency of your efforts. Successful programs typically cast a wide net and then refine targeting through segmentation and analytics.

Balancing Frequency and Reach

Too little frequency causes prospects to forget that you exist. Too little reach means too few prospects hear your message. However, because going deeper into a target market by reaching out to more prospects requires larger budgets and may initially produce lower response rates, reach is typically where associations miss the mark.

Growth ultimately demands reaching more prospects. Consider the math:

A 5% response rate to a list of 1,000 prospects yields 50 new members.
A 1% response rate to a list of 100,000 prospects yields 1,000 new members.

A larger audience, even with lower response rates, can produce dramatically better results.

Increasing reach happens gradually by testing new segments, lists, and methods outside of your existing database to discover and develop relationships with those who have never been members or customers.

At its core, membership marketing focuses on staying visible and earning recognition from a wide audience. The organizations that succeed are those that reach broadly and communicate consistently.

This article is an excerpt from the upcoming book, Membership Marketing from A to Z. Additional membership guidance can be found in the books The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing and Membership Recruitment. Both are now available on Amazon.

My Go-To Association Growth Strategies

2025-10-16T12:53:00.000-04:00

Year after year, association leaders face consistent pressure to expand membership, increase meeting attendance, and grow product sales. Without growth, their association may face stagnation and decline.

Having consulted with organizations on growth strategies, I have relied on the insights of several outstanding writers and thinkers to guide me. Here are some of the strategies I find most helpful in establishing and maintaining association resiliency.

Remove Growth Barriers with Systems Thinking

I have encountered associations over the years where warning signs are evident. Perhaps new member input is decreasing, or attendance at meetings is dropping. Peter Senge's insights on systems thinking address these issues. In his book The Fifth Discipline, he states that growth naturally occurs; however, when it slows down or stops, identifying and taking targeted actions to remove a specific barrier to growth offers a high-impact opportunity for change.

When it comes to an association, Senge recommends that an organization step back from addressing symptoms and instead focus on the bigger picture. For example, rather than reacting to a drop in new member numbers by pushing harder, Senge advises examining the entire system to identify one or two specific obstacles causing the decline. The systemic barrier to more new members might be an unclear value proposition, a lack of testing new messages, or an overreliance on email rather than other channels. A systems-thinking approach emphasizes identifying and addressing a specific obstacle to create meaningful change.

In my book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, I identify the common systemic obstacles that prevent associations from increasing their membership.

Foster Continuous Innovation

Unlike groups facing declines, many associations continue to grow steadily. Their challenge is not primarily to address obstacles but rather to foster a culture that encourages and sustains innovation.

Matt Ridley provides practical advice on innovation in his book How Innovation Works and Why It Flourishes in Freedom. He shares guidance that I follow for the process of ongoing improvement. Here are three Ridley-inspired innovation principles that directly relate to associations.

1. Innovation arises from trial and error. A strong foundation in marketing involves maintaining a continuous testing strategy. Some tests will succeed, while others may flop. Innovation requires accepting a certain level of failure. For example, Thomas Edison conducted 6,000 tests before discovering the right filament for the lightbulb. For membership, this might mean regularly adjusting and improving your renewal system or experimenting with a new marketing channel.

2. Innovation often occurs by combining existing components. Mixing and matching can be one of the most effective ways to create new solutions. For example, associations might establish a tiered membership structure by adding existing products or services to create a new gold-level membership category that enhances member value and increases revenue for the organization.

3. Innovation depends on teamwork. Collaborating and gathering input from others with specialized knowledge and skills fosters new ideas. Ask your customer service team what they are hearing from members. Get the latest tech solutions from your IT team. And go beyond your organization to connect with other membership professionals, consultants, and suppliers to gain fresh ideas and insights.

Follow a Proven Growth Playbook

Checklists help ensure you cover all growth opportunities. That's why I use the list provided by Michael Treacy in his book Double-Digit Growth. He outlines five specific disciplines that an organization can follow to establish and accelerate growth. These include:

1. Preserve the growth you've already achieved. For an association, this involves retaining the members you have worked hard to attract through engagement and an effective renewal system. Associations generally excel at this. The median renewal rate reported in our 2025 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report stands at 84 percent.

2. Capture business from your competitors. Associations now face increased competition from other associations, for-profit companies, the internet, and even AI. Treacy’s point is that it may be time to actively pursue sales from these rivals. Associations can differentiate themselves through effective marketing and by serving member needs as information curators and conveners of professionals and businesses.

3. Show up where growth happens. In nearly every industry, some individuals and companies are pioneering new ideas and innovations. Associations that can identify and connect with these key players can benefit from their ideas and successes. Find and engage the innovators and leaders in your industry or field.

4. Expand into nearby markets. Market expansion has long been a proven growth strategy. In my book, Membership Recruitment, I share examples of associations that use this approach to grow. A notable example is AARP, which shifted from being a teacher-focused organization to serving all retired adults and eventually opening to everyone 18 years of age or older.

5. Invest in new lines of business. Product line extensions—adding exciting new resources and services—boost the usefulness and appeal of an association. An example of a highly successful one is the American Association of Airport Executives, as highlighted in my book, Membership Recruitment. It has grown to a $100 million budget largely through introducing new products.

These three thinkers—Senge, Ridley, and Treacy—continue to influence my approach to association growth. Their ideas serve as a reminder that lasting success isn’t achieved through quick fixes but through systems thinking, fostering a culture of experimentation, and maintaining a disciplined growth mindset. Whether your association faces challenges or is experiencing a wave of success, applying these principles can help ensure you stay relevant, resilient, and prepared for what’s ahead.

The Membership Renewal Checklist for Uncertain Times

2025-08-13T10:09:00.004-04:00

Reports from clients and our recent Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report check-in survey point to a growing concern—renewal rates are showing signs of softening for many professional and trade associations.

While you can’t control economic shifts or budget tightening among employers and individuals, you can control how prepared your renewal program is to retain as many members as possible.

Here’s a renewal readiness checklist to help you safeguard membership against the headwinds of change.

[ ] Know Your Numbers – The most critical first step to improving your renewal efforts is to accurately track your renewal rates to identify and solve a decline. Here is the formula to calculate your renewal rate:

Calculation: Total Number of Members Today (minus 12 months of new members) / Total Number of Members in the Previous Year
Example: (105 – 15) / 100 = 90% Renewal Rate

[ ] Understand the Problem – You cannot solve a problem that you do not understand. So, before making significant changes to your renewal program, talk to the members who have lapsed to find out why they left. Was it engagement, cost, or did they forget to renew? Insights from lapsed members will guide where to focus improvements.

[ ] Start Efforts Earlier – Budgets are being scrutinized more closely than ever by employers and individuals. This review period has extended the decision timeline. Initiating renewals sooner allows members to obtain approval and make adjustments to their personal budgets.

[ ] Offer Payment Options – Most AMS systems now support a variety of payment methods, including installment payments and automatic credit card renewals. Members who use these options often have renewal rates up to ten points higher than those paying annually.

[ ] Increase Frequency and Channels – One of the main reasons members don't renew is because they say, “I forgot." Recent client research indicates that many lapsed members believed they were still active members. Increasing the number of touches will get attention for your renewal message. Using multiple touches, including email, print, phone, and digital ads, will make your message impossible to miss.

[ ] Conduct Renewal Tests – A changing environment requires a focus on continuous improvement and agility. Your renewal program serves as an ideal testing lab to determine which messages, timing, payment options, and offers will maximize response.

In the short term, prioritizing renewal efforts is more cost-effective than recruiting new members. Most studies show it costs five times more to acquire a new member than to keep an existing one. Future growth still depends on adding new members; however, focusing on your renewal strategy during uncertain times helps you maintain your current membership levels.

Check out these additional resources: The Membership Renewal Guide provides more insights on renewal solutions, and the book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, helps associations overcome membership growth barriers.

From Growth to Caution: Mid-Year Membership Trends

2025-08-11T14:12:00.000-04:00

Traditionally, association membership totals and renewals are a lagging indicator of economic and social shifts. Members join for a full year, so reporting changes typically are delayed from more real-time indicators.

However, this year could be different. In response to questions from association executives shared on social media and discussions with membership staff, we heard concerns about their membership numbers. To gain more clarity, we conducted a mid-year survey based on our regular questions from the annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report. We wanted to see if these anecdotal experiences were becoming a trend.

In our July survey, we asked how membership has changed over the past six months. Specifically, we inquired whether membership numbers increased or decreased and whether renewal rates went up or down.

The data that came back surprised us.

Total Membership: A Noticeable Drop in Growth

When comparing responses from January to July, we see a notable change. As the chart below shows, the percentage of associations reporting increases in membership dropped from 45 percent to 36 percent, while those reporting a decline rose from 26 percent to 36 percent.

Renewal Rates: Fewer Gains, More Losses

We see similar patterns in renewal rates from our 6-month survey. As the chart shows, associations reporting an increase in renewal rates dropped from 25 percent to 14 percent, while those reporting a decline went up from 27 percent to 37 percent.

New Member Acquisition: Fading Momentum

Another concern is the decline in new member acquisition. Only 38 percent of survey respondents said their new member input had increased, down from 47 percent in January. And, as the chart indicates, 23 percent noted that new member acquisition has decreased.

How Should We Interpret the Data?

When comparing data from any research, it's important to include qualifications and context. First, our July survey involved fewer participants and had a shorter response period compared to our large annual benchmarking study. Second, the time of year can affect responses, as some associations experience a decrease in membership during the slower summer months. Still, the overall trend across three key indicators—total membership, renewals, and new member input—suggests that something significant may be happening.

Looking Ahead and Planning

The numbers don’t yet indicate a crisis, but they do raise valid concerns. We can all speculate about the potential causes behind these declining membership numbers, but more importantly, associations might want to consider how to address these possible challenges highlighted by the data by exploring some supplemental membership strategies. Some options could include:

Revisit recruitment messaging and offers based on new challenges to the industry or profession.
Re-engage lapsed members to highlight the support available from the association.
Create new content such as articles, reports, and webinars to help members navigate industry-specific challenges.

Most importantly, this is a time to research and listen closely to members and prospects to better understand their concerns and evolving needs.

“I Forgot”, Confusion about Membership Status

2025-07-15T15:17:00.001-04:00

Research results often contain a big surprise for association executives. Usually, in surveys, we ask respondents to share their membership status, even though we know from the client’s files who is and is not active.

We find that current members often don't realize they are members, and former members and prospects usually mistakenly believe they still are.

Here is not an atypical outcome for one association when asked in a survey about their membership status.

85 percent of current members identified themselves as members of the surveying association.
23 percent of former members maintained that their membership was current.
15 percent of never members reported that they were current members of the association.

On a larger scale, we also observe some confusion with members regarding renewals. According to results in the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, one of the top reasons that members do not continue with the organization is that they “Forgot to renew.”

These challenges hinder growth opportunities by allowing current and potential members to slip out of a relationship with the association.

How to Overcome Member Status Confusion?

There is a tendency to believe that members lapse, and prospects do not join because they have evaluated your organization and found it lacking. However, there is some good news in this confusion about membership status. Because it also means that a significant portion of members and prospective members are willing to identify with your organization and want to be viewed as part of the community.

What may be missing for associations that encounter this type of challenge is a lack of clarity and frequency in communications.

Clarity of Communications

In any communication effort, the most critical question to answer is “What do you want me to do?” The call to action must stand out, whether you're asking a prospect to join or a member to renew their membership. For example, when it comes to clarity in communication, one of our most effective messages used to reconnect with former members in reinstatement marketing clearly defines their status. The opening line for many of our Winback communications is, “We compared your name against a roster of current members and found that your membership was no longer active.”

Frequency of Communications

An insufficient frequency of contact can also lead to misunderstandings about membership status. Relying solely on emails for renewals, which may end up in spam folders or be ignored, can result in members missing their expiration dates. Instead, increasing the frequency of contact by using additional channels, such as direct mail, online ads, and telemarketing, helps ensure that members are more likely to make a decision about renewing their membership.

Telemarketing, for example, as a final touchpoint, can break through the clutter and motivate members to decide whether to join or not. In one recent program, the association found that after all their renewal efforts, a call convinced over 35 percent of lapsing members to renew.

Life for most of us is hectic and complex. Many find it hard to keep track of their connections, responsibilities, and deadlines. Members of an association are no different. As the data shows, many members do not realize their membership status and often neglect to take the necessary steps to stay members. Understanding member behavior and adjusting communication strategies accordingly will reduce confusion and help grow membership.

Highlights from the 2025 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report

2025-06-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

The 2025 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report—now in its 17th year—has just been released, offering a fresh look at the opportunities and challenges facing associations today.

Key highlights include membership growth trends, uncertainty surrounding association’s value proposition, generational shifts, dues increases, and successes in innovation.

Sustained Membership Growth Trends

The report’s headline highlights that we continue to see many more associations with an increase in membership counts than those with a decline. This year, 45 percent of association executives report an increase in membership over the past year. In our nearly two decades of reporting, we have witnessed only two years with more associations experiencing membership declines than increases.

Nevertheless, despite continued gains, these results show a moderation in the percentage of associations reporting growth, down from 47 percent in the 2024 report and 49 percent in the 2023 report.

Value Proposition Uncertainty

Defining and communicating their value proposition remains a challenge for some associations. This year’s data highlights that only 11 percent of respondents believe their association offers a very compelling value proposition. This percentage represents a decline from 13 percent in the previous two reports. Still, 46 percent of associations offer a compelling value proposition.

Generational Shifts

The necessity and opportunity to reach younger generations remain a priority for associations. The good news is that we have tracked generational changes with IMOs over the past five reports. The data continue to show that younger generations are gradually becoming a larger portion of the membership, while Baby Boomers are in decline.

· Millennials now represent 25 percent of members (up from 21 percent since 2020)

· Baby Boomers have declined to 27 percent (down from 32 percent in 2023)

· Gen Z holds steady at 11 percent

These shifts signal both a challenge and an opportunity for associations to retool their offerings and engagement models.

Dues Increases

A total of 49 percent of associations raised dues in the past year. This outcome represents a slight decrease from the 51 percent increase in dues reported in the 2024 report. Trade associations led the way, with 59 percent increasing their dues rates.

The decision process on when to raise dues varies. Many associations only raise dues as needed (38 percent), although this percentage has dropped considerably compared to previous years (51 percent in the 2024 report and 55 percent in the 2023 report).

A total of 47 percent of associations automatically raise dues on a regular schedule.

Innovative Successes

Association executives shared many innovations they have implemented over the past year to strengthen their organization. Approximately two in five associations say innovations come from developing new membership benefits to create more value for members and prospects.

Additionally, associations report increasingly relying on digital marketing tools. The most popular tools used by associations include:

· LinkedIn Ads (41%)

· Google/Bing Search Ads (36%)

· Facebook Ads (35%)

Associations also noted an increased usage of AI in their marketing efforts.

· 18 percent are actively using AI (up from 11 percent in 2024)

· 13 percent are in the process of implementation (up from 7 percent)

These are just a few of the insights from the full 80-page report. You’ll find deeper analysis, trends by association type, and actionable ideas to strengthen your recruitment, retention, and engagement efforts.

You can access the report with this link.

Total Quality Marketing: Launch Fast and Learn Fast for Membership Growth

2025-04-21T12:08:00.005-04:00

Edwards Deming is recognized as the father of Total Quality Management (TQM) owing to his significant influence on quality manufacturing and management practices. Deming's principles focused on continuous improvement, which he defined as Plan, Do, Study, and Act (PDSA).

The concept of PDSA also has the powerful potential to influence marketing. Many organizations face two challenges when marketing their membership or products and services. The first challenge is getting started. As I have met with associations struggling with their marketing, I have found that, in some cases, they lack a plan or a clear strategy. The second significant impediment is that they spend so much time planning and attempting to build consensus or create a perfect plan that it delays or prevents marketing from happening. I refer to the last issue as the paralysis of analysis.

I remember chatting with a friend at an association event whose organization struggles with perfection. She served as marketing director at a trade association and shared her frustration with getting approval for a membership recruitment program. After several plans were turned down, she proposed buying pizza for her colleagues and having them call prospective members. However, the CEO shut down even this effort because he worried a staff member might not say the right thing to a prospect.

Adopting a PDSA framework for marketing can provide a solution to avoid some of these pitfalls. Much like its application in process improvement, this structured approach to planning, testing, and refining efforts encourages action while lowering risk through incremental phases and learning.

Here is how a PDSA approach can effectively be implemented in an association marketing context.

The Plan Phase

The "Plan" stage involves creating a concise yet well-defined marketing plan to expedite program deployment. Some organizations limit their plan to one or two pages. This format is especially appropriate because it allows the organization to be agile and rapidly adjust based on the results. The plan should answer the following questions.

• WHO is the target market?

• WHAT is the membership offer?

• HOW will membership be promoted?

• WHAT is the message?

• WHY does the plan make economic sense?

The Do Phase

After completing the Plan phase, it's time to "Do" – to deploy the marketing effort. The Do stage represents a testing phase that gathers feedback from the marketplace using a limited budget. A/B testing of offers, messages, and channels will enhance the learning outcomes from this step. The promotions are targeted at a subset of potential prospects in the association's database who have an existing or previous relationship with the organization. Because of this relationship, the association can utilize most marketing channels—email, direct mail, digital ads, and telemarketing—for these initial tests.

The Study Phase

With the next step of "Study," each executed action is evaluated to see what worked and what did not perform well. The Study phase allows you to optimize the plan and strategies for the future. At this stage, some critical questions are:

• WHAT was the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)?

• WHICH prospect segments performed best?

• HOW did messages resonate with the audience?

• HOW MUCH is the Lifetime Value of respondents?

The Act Phase

Finally, in the "Act" phase, the plan is updated and adapted based on the findings from the Study phase and then redeployed. Since the initial testing mitigated some marketing risks, this step will likely enable a larger budget and a broader audience reach. However, PDSA does not end at the Act stage. Instead, it supports a continuous loop of testing, evaluation, and execution. Marketing is an iterative process, and an embedded PDSA structure forces this orientation.

Why should an association adopt a PDSA model? Utilizing the PDSA methodology enables organizations to achieve maximum learning with minimal effort and expense, reducing time to market while gathering feedback quickly. It helps alleviate the fear of failure and turns the focus to learning. By embedding PDSA into your marketing, you can overcome hesitation, launch more innovative campaigns, and continually refine your approach.

Many Associations Continue to Struggle with Value Proposition

2025-03-04T11:43:00.000-05:00

A weak or undefined value proposition represents one of the most significant barriers to membership growth. As I reviewed the responses to this year’s Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey, the challenges associations experience with their value proposition jumped off the page.

We asked respondents what the most significant impediments were to growing membership counts. Here is a sampling of responses to our open-ended question.

· “Our value proposition sorely lacks the ability to capture and maintain attention.”

· “Need a better value argument.”

· “Perceived Value vs. Cost.”

· “Perceived Lack of Value – If potential members do not see a clear, tangible ROI from their membership, they will seek alternatives that better meet their needs.”

· “Need a stronger value proposition.”

My recently released book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, outlines practical methods for helping associations define and communicate a powerful value proposition. However, I would like to examine the underlying theory of the human desire for community and how associations can harness this need to craft and present their value to members. The concepts for connecting at this basic human level come from Seth Godin's book Tribes.

The premise of Godin’s book is that "one of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people.”[1] He defines the two ingredients for establishing and maintaining these tribes or communities.

The first is defining the compelling areas of shared interest by understanding the wants and needs of your marketplace. The second is creating a structure to project how the community can serve these needs through communication and marketing efforts.

Compelling Shared Interest

The good news for associations is that they were likely founded around a shared interest. Passionate practitioners started the association with a vision to give to and receive from the profession and industry and change the future. However, the original value breaks down over time unless continuously reexamined and enhanced. Members are not inspired by knowing that the association started in 1900. People do not want the same products, services, or delivery channels that previously worked. As a result, Godin says, “new ways of doing things, new jobs, new opportunities, and new faces become ever more important.” [2] Associations can continue connecting with their market's ever-changing passion by taking the pulse of members through conversations and research.

Effective Communications and Marketing

Godin discusses the second ingredient to building the tribe: implementing effective communications or marketing. At this step, the power and benefits provided by the tribe are translated into a narration or story that explains who the organization is and how it builds a positive future for both the group and each member. In his book, Godin underlines the power of using marketing to build the tribe. He says, “Marketing changed everything. Marketing created leverage. . . Most of all, marketing freed and energized the tribe.” Marketing empowers the organization's reach to expand and increase the community's talent pool. As more people are inspired, these connections create even more connections.

Seth Godin’s Tribes offers a compelling framework for associations looking to strengthen their membership value proposition. Associations can cultivate a more powerful value proposition by passionately committing to the community’s shared interests, staying attuned to members’ evolving needs, and communicating through effective marketing. As Godin emphasizes, marketing doesn’t just promote the tribe—it energizes and expands it. By applying these principles, associations can redefine their value proposition and build lasting, thriving communities of members who feel genuinely connected.

Explore the just-released book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, for more guidance on overcoming barriers to membership growth.

[1] Godin, Tribes.

[2] Godin.

New Book Release: The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

2025-01-29T12:10:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share the news: my latest book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, is now available on Amazon!

Over three decades of working with professional and trade associations, I’ve been invited to countless meetings with one recurring question:

“How do we turn around our declining or stagnant membership numbers?”

While working with nearly 100 associations, I’ve observed a familiar pattern: the challenge isn’t due to a lack of effort. Association leaders and membership teams tirelessly listen to member feedback, manage chapters, deliver board reports, send renewals, and much more. Yet, despite their dedication, the results often don’t match the effort.

As one association staff member put it:

"Our biggest impediment to growth is telling our own story. We get so bogged down in day-to-day operations that we forget not everyone knows what we do, how we benefit them, and why they need to be a part of it."

This frustration is like the child in the classic story who frantically plugs leaks in a dam, only to have new ones appear.

Why The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing?

In my consulting experience, I’ve found that a better solution exists. It’s not about fixing every leak. It’s about pausing to identify what’s causing the leaks in the first place. Once the root causes—or barriers to growth—are clear, you can create a strategy to address them and achieve sustainable membership growth.

My previous book, Membership Recruitment: How to Grow Recurring Revenue, Reach New Markets, and Advance Your Mission, provided a comprehensive framework for building membership programs. However, many associations struggle with specific challenges that weren’t covered in depth.

That’s why this new book focuses on identifying and solving the core obstacles preventing membership growth. These obstacles, or “deadly sins,” are the recurring issues I’ve seen over decades of consulting and supported by over 16 years of research with data from thousands of participating associations from Marketing General Incorporated’s Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report.

What Are the Seven Deadly Sins?

Remarkably, the barriers to membership growth have remained consistent over time. Many associations fall into the trap of quick fixes, such as:

· Rushing to send emails to boost short-term membership numbers.

· Resigning themselves to believe that “we’ve tried everything, and it didn’t work.”

Instead of applying temporary solutions, associations must address the systemic roadblocks holding back their programs. This concept, drawn from systems thinking, focuses on identifying high-leverage points in the membership system where targeted action can unlock meaningful growth.

In the book, I identify and explore seven core barriers to membership success, including:

· Failing to define a compelling value proposition.

· Neglecting consistent recruitment efforts.

· Overlooking the power of omnichannel marketing.

· Underfunding critical membership initiatives.

Each chapter includes practical strategies and actionable takeaways to help associations overcome these obstacles. Real-world examples and bulleted steps will guide you and your team to focus on solutions that deliver results.

A Roadmap to Sustainable Growth

The membership model remains one of the most effective ways to build a thriving, engaged community. However, common “deadly sins” often prevent organizations from realizing their full potential.

Focusing on the root causes of membership challenges—not just their symptoms—can help create a strategy that drives meaningful and lasting growth.

Order your copy of The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing today and take a step toward transforming your membership program.

Order Now on Amazon.

Can Associations Adapt to the Revolution in Marketing?

2025-01-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

A marketing revolution is transforming today's advertising agencies, as highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article. The piece focused on the diminishment of marketing's creative aspects and the ascendence of the science of marketing. As one agency executive shared, “Whether we like it or not, the ‘Mad Men’ era is receding in our rearview mirror while we drive at full speed into the age of the ‘Math Men and Women.’”[1]

While this shift occurs in agencies, associations are experiencing similar changes that demand new strategies and approaches. And the pace of change is accelerating. The article shared that the emerging roles in marketing will focus on expertise in digital marketing and data analytics. It noted that today, “the hot hires instead crunch numbers, run experiments, and use algorithms to analyze data and predict what kind of message will resonate, where it should appear, and even when someone is most likely to click ‘buy.’”[2]

The research findings in the latest Association Outlook Report support these trends. Respondents told us that their goals in 2025 are to increase operations effectiveness and marketing efforts through technology innovations. Some of the changes they noted include adding data visualization and dashboards to improve marketing campaign reporting and doing member and customer engagement scoring.

Additionally, the research highlighted the emerging use of AI technology. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents either use AI technology, plan to use it in the coming year, or will explore implementing it.[3] Some of the proposed uses of AI include supporting marketing, creating content, delivering more personalized member experiences, and automating responses to inquiries and support requests.

What does this ongoing marketing revolution mean for your marketing efforts? How will you need to change and adapt to remain relevant and effective?

Here are some areas that associations will need to evaluate going forward.

Staffing and Expertise: Building a Skilled Team

The first area to address will be staffing and expertise. Associations will increasingly need staff with abilities in digital marketing, data analytics, and AI. Traditional roles focused on creativity and general marketing strategy may diminish. New staff will need to be added with specialized skills. The new hires may require higher compensation because of more competition, as the private sector will also seek to fill these roles. Associations will also want to invest in training and professional development to ensure existing teams are equipped with more technology-focused skills.

Partnering for Success: Using External Experts

A second strategy will be leveraging outside experts: Associations may need to rely more heavily on consultants, agencies, and technology providers. This approach could allow them to access specialized knowledge without hiring full-time staff to accomplish some advanced technology and marketing functions. Associations might want to explore flexible, hybrid collaboration models with these external partners to implement digital marketing, data analytics, and enhanced reporting. At the same time, internal teams could focus more attention on strengthening member engagement and content development.

Harnessing Data: Personalization and Microtargeting

Additionally, association marketing must evolve beyond traditional segmentation and personas to focus on personalization and microtargeting driven by data analytics for prospect and engagement scoring. This analysis can identify the prospects to join, which members are likely to lapse, and what products and services are most relevant and engaging. The good news is that data will strengthen marketing effectiveness through testing, analyzing, and optimizing, empowering the association's responsiveness to market feedback and changes.

Budgeting for Innovation: Investing in the Future

No one wants to hear this, but budgets may need to substantially increase to keep up with these marketing and technology shifts. Marketing that relied on inexpensive email sends kept costs low. However, to maintain growth in this new era, the strategy must be upgraded with media spending for digital advertising and the accompanying data analytics tools to optimize campaign results. Planning for AMS enhancements and data integration tools will also be required.

Continually adapting to changes and innovations in marketing has been and will remain constant. For example, as early as the 1920s, marketing pioneer Claude Hopkins wrote in his book Scientific Advertising that in the past, “advertising was then a gamble – a speculation of the rashest sort. One man’s guess on the proper course was as likely to be as good as another's.” In contrast, he asserted that “the time has come when advertising has in some hands reached the status of a science.”

Today, the science of marketing will continue reshaping how associations connect with their audiences, transforming the skills, tools, and strategies they require to succeed. By embracing this revolution—through strategic hiring, external partnerships, data analytics, and smart budgeting—associations can stay ahead of the curve.

[1] Suzanne Vranica, “Sorry, Mad Men. The Ad Revolution Is Here.”

[2] Suzanne Vranica.

[3] Wasserman et al., “The 2025 Association Outlook Report.”

Membership Marketing in a Digital Age: Evolving Tools, Unchanging Principles

2024-12-30T12:21:00.000-05:00

Imagine transporting a membership marketer from 1988 to 2024. They would marvel at our digital tools—email, websites, social media. However, looking closely, they would realize that the core challenges and opportunities are unchanged. The foundations of membership marketing have remained remarkably consistent over the decades. The core principles of providing value, planning effectively, and testing remain the levers for growth as they did in the past.

The Evolution of Marketing Technology

Here is a short list of the most significant marketing technology developments over the decades.

Email. This ubiquitous marketing tool did not come into common usage until the mid-90s. Today, the median number of weekly emails sent to members is three, and associations rate email as the most effective recruitment channel.
Internet. The ability to make purchases and conduct financial transactions began in the late 1990s, with the first recorded secure transaction in 1994. Today, virtually all associations allow members and customers to purchase through their websites.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Google founded its AdWords program in 2000, focusing on keyword-based advertising and pay-per-click (PPC). Today, 32 percent of associations have search engine marketing as part of their marketing mix.
Social Media. The ways we now commonly connect online developed in the early 2000s, with LinkedIn in 2003, Facebook in 2004, and YouTube in 2005. Today, 68 percent of associations use social media for their membership recruitment marketing campaigns.
SMS. Companies began to use text marketing in the mid-2000s. Today, 13 percent of associations use texting in their marketing efforts.

This evolution of marketing technology is a crucial aspect of our field, and staying informed about these changes is essential. However, let’s also look at examples of how leading association marketers in the past have described the core aspects of membership marketing. They remain relevant to us today. By combining the opportunities presented with technological innovations and actively addressing the foundational principles of membership marketing, we can make significant progress in building a powerful membership program.

The Enduring Need for Membership Value

Decades ago, the critical need to maintain a powerful value proposition was at the forefront of association challenges. In the 1995 publication Keeping Members: The Myths and Realities, Arlene Farber Sirkin and Michael P. McDermott highlighted the critical requirement of a powerful value proposition. They wrote, “Simply put, members will want to retain membership in your organization if they believe it’s valuable to them.” 1

ASAE’s 2007 landmark study, The Decision to Join, affirmed the critical nature of membership value. The study's data confirms, “As you might expect, the failure to deliver the expected value is by far the most prevalent reason for dropping membership.” 2

The value issue also dates back to the earliest Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report. The 2009 Report noted that the number one reason members did not renew was the “perceived lack of value.” Focusing on a powerful value proposition continues to serve as a priority to establish and sustain membership growth.

The Ongoing Challenge of Effective Planning and Sustained Outreach

Planning challenges were also present decades ago. Even in a somewhat less complex period, the paralysis of analysis plagued the implementation of marketing efforts. The ASAE book Membership Marketing highlighted this challenge. In the chapter on planning by Lauren L. Corbin and Rick P. Whelan, they explained to readers that “Doing something is better than doing nothing. Don’t let the process of producing an annual marketing plan take the place of marketing. Marketing must be a continuous process in today’s marketplace.” 3

The Continued Importance of Tracking, Testing, and Analysis

The critical requirement for market testing and tracking goes back to the 1920s. Claude Hopkins, one of the first direct marketers, maintained that “Mail order advertising is traced down to the fraction of a penny. The cost per reply and cost per dollar of sale show up with utter exactness. One ad is compared with another, one method with another . . . So no guesswork is permitted.” 4

For years, the need for these practices held a critical place for many associations. In the 2008 edition of ASAE’s Membership Essentials, we see the essential nature of market testing and tracking. “Perhaps the most important but most overlooked discipline in membership recruitment is testing and then tracking the results of marketing tests. Effective testing and tracking point you to where you can best deploy your resources most effectively and economically among the vast array of marketing options available.” 5

Without testing and tracking, we cannot discover the best approaches and offers to acquire new members.

The landscape of membership marketing has transformed dramatically with the rise of digital tools like email, social media, and search engine marketing. Yet, despite these innovations, the core principles—delivering a solid value proposition, sustained recruitment, and regular testing—remain as crucial as ever. As association marketers, we must embrace the latest tools while staying grounded in the principles that drive growth.

This article is an edited excerpt from the forthcoming book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing.

[1] Sirkin and McDermott, Keeping Members.

[2] Dalton and Dignam, The Decision to Join.

[3] Nicholais, Membership Marketing.

[4] Hopkins, My Life in Advertising & Scientific Advertising.

[5] Jacobs and Assante, Membership Essentials.

New Research Paints Picture of Association Growth Through Innovation

2024-12-12T11:19:00.000-05:00

In the annual Association Outlook Report, hundreds of association professionals shared their expectations for 2025. Their responses reflect an optimistic view for the coming year.

Here are some highlights from the findings.

Positive Membership Growth Expectations

The survey results highlight positive expectations in the area of membership. According to the findings:

· 68 percent of associations expect increases in new member acquisition.

· 63 percent anticipate growth in total membership counts.

· 41 percent predict improved membership renewals.

While boosting marketing budgets has historically been a key driver of growth, fewer associations plan to increase their membership marketing spending in 2025 (30 percent, compared to 44 percent in 2024). Instead, associations will focus on innovation and operational efficiency to drive these outcomes.

Innovation to Drive Member Engagement

Respondents revealed several planned innovations designed to deliver more value to members in 2025:

· 62 percent intend to conduct member needs assessments to guide the development of new initiatives.

· 63 percent plan to enhance member engagement through personalized experiences.

· 49 percent aim to develop new products and services tailored to member needs.

Associations also say they will prioritize efficiency by re-evaluating and streamlining internal processes (65 percent). Data analytics will play a role in these efforts, with respondents citing plans to use tools like data visualization, dashboards, marketing campaign analytics, and engagement scoring to improve operations and outreach.

Exploring AI for Member Services

Implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another emerging trend. Nearly half (44 percent) of associations plan to explore or implement AI technologies in 2025. Key areas of AI application include:

· Content creation and curation.

· Delivering personalized member experiences.

· Automating responses to member inquiries and support requests.

These technologies represent an opportunity for associations to scale their services, improve efficiency, and enhance the member experience.

The 2025 Association Outlook Report includes insights on how associations plan to navigate the year ahead, from membership engagement strategies to technology adoption, dues changes, staff hiring, and operational challenges. You can access the full report here.

Coming Soon: The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

2024-12-02T12:02:00.000-05:00

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! My latest book, The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing, will be published early next year.

Why Another Book on Membership Marketing?

Many association executives found my previous book, Membership Recruitment, to be a valuable resource. I am grateful for the thoughtful reviews and feedback it received, including a 4.9 out of 5 customer rating on Amazon. One reader shared:

“I’m new to an association. Rossell provided a wide range of means to increase membership with clear explanations and examples without overstating matters. Refreshing to find a thorough resource written in less than 400 pages.”

While Membership Recruitment offered a holistic strategic framework for building a membership program, some readers found it overwhelming. Readers often ask me, “Where do we start?” and “How do we prioritize these strategies?”

Solving the Core Challenges

The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing addresses these questions head-on. It defines the specific challenges—or marketing “sins”—that frequently hinder membership growth and provides actionable solutions to overcome them.

With over 30 years of consulting experience and more than a decade of industry research, I have observed that even well-established membership programs often stumble due to one or two critical barriers. These impediments prevent organizations from optimizing their efforts, slowing or halting growth. Associations can unlock their full potential by pinpointing and addressing these high-impact challenges.

A Real-World Example

Let me share a story to illustrate. I worked with an association with a stellar renewal rate of 90 percent. They offered an impressive portfolio of member services, had a talented staff, and operated in a market with thousands of potential members. Yet their membership numbers were declining year after year.

When we dug into their data, spoke with staff, and reviewed their research, everything seemed solid—except for two areas. We asked, “What’s your membership recruitment budget, and who are you targeting in your outreach?”

The answers revealed the problem:

Their recruitment budget was minimal.
Their marketing efforts targeted only a fraction of the market by reaching only those in their database.

They had fallen into two of the seven deadly sins: underfunding their membership efforts and limiting their market outreach. Based on these findings, the board approved a significantly larger marketing budget, enabling a more aggressive recruitment campaign. The result? A turnaround in their membership numbers.

What You’ll Learn in The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

This new book identifies the core barriers to growth and offers practical solutions to overcome them. The goal is not to try and fix every problem but to focus on the high-leverage issues that retard growth.

I am excited to share this book with you early next year. Until then, if you’re looking for a comprehensive resource on membership strategies, my earlier book, Membership Recruitment, is still available. Stay tuned for more updates about the release of The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing.