4 Easy Ways to Give Members the VIP Treatment

Your members are the heartbeat of your association. Their involvement keeps your organization thriving, and for that, they deserve some recognition.

How? Show your members how much you care about them with an expression of gratitude — helping members feel appreciated while highlighting the value your association provides.

Looking for some great ways to say thank you? Try these ideas to give your members the VIP treatment.

1. Honor Member Achievements

Be it through advocacy, fundraising or volunteering, your members strive for success. So why not celebrate their many contributions to your association with an awards program? Or, try one of the following:

• Host a special event at your association’s annual meeting to celebrate member accomplishments and milestones.
• Organize local member appreciation events to bring together your association’s biggest champions.
• Create a “Member of the Month” program that offers a small reward for recipients.

2. Acknowledge Members on Social Media, Your Online Community

When posting association news on social media or your community platform, don’t forget to feature members doing extraordinary work. And be sure to follow members on social media to easily tag them in posts or share your content.

Or, encourage members to contribute their own association-related content for promotion on social media. Photos from a fundraising event, for example, would be perfect for an Instagram or Snapchat story.

3. Demonstrate the Value of Membership

From the day someone signs up to become a member, never stop reminding them of your association’s exclusive benefits. Promote content that only members receive, such as special newsletters and association publications. Members-only classes, networking groups and webinars also show members that their annual fees are well worth the cost.

While these tactics are a good starting point, there’s always room to do more; The American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC) took it one step further with their personalized approach.

“We have a new member welcome series triggered out of our Protech UX system,” said Shannon Johnson, AANAC’s Director of Membership Marketing. “Emails are triggered every month for the first 12 months following joining. This year, we decided to segment this series with a vulnerable group we identified.”

Why? This group of members had limited engagement and weren’t organically searching for the association, finding AANAC resources or recognizing their vast array of benefits.

“Our segmented welcome series walks them through all of the benefits available, as well as has customized language based on their workshop attendance,” Johnson said.

4. Expand Opportunities for Involvement

To encourage members to step up their engagement, ask them what they need from you.

Start by seeking out members in local chapters to discuss their involvement. These conversations can take place one-on-one over coffee or at a roundtable event.

Members need to feel like they have a purpose in your organization if they’re going to become more involved. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Create events for members to learn and work alongside each other.
• Ask your most committed members to organize social gatherings or lead workshops in their areas of expertise.
• Set up interactive webinars that bring members together no matter the distance between them.

Even a small gesture of gratitude can translate into greater loyalty among your members. For happier members and a boost to your association’s reputation, it’s as simple as saying, “Thanks.”

— From the experts at Protech Associates

Protech Associates proudly provides member-based organizations with association management software built on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform. To learn more, visit ProtechAssociates.com, or stop by Booth #429 at the ASAE Technology Conference & Expo.