Membership Space Blog: Insights for Effective Management

Before you buy into new technology, there are a few questions you should ask in order to gauge how suitable it is for your needs.  For example, you will want to know if a vendor plans on being a long-term, helpful partner.  But, there are so many options on the market that it can be a challenge to find what best suits your association.  Consider the questions below to help you evaluate your options and make the right choice.

 

As an association, it is likely that you use more than just one tech solution.  Perhaps you integrate membership management software, accounting solutions, and other software into one harmonious system.  Prior to purchasing a new platform, consider what it brings to the table and if you really need it.

Make a list of the platforms you currently use and what they offer.  If the existing solutions already cover the purpose of the new solution, then you know it’s an unnecessary purchase.

 

In most cases, particularly regarding membership management software, the greater the number of people using the platform means a higher cost.  However, a significant number of vendors don’t base their pricing on how many people will be accessing the technology.  If you have a limited budget, these are the vendors you need to work with so factor this into your decision.

 

If members are not informed in the technology you are purchasing, you have two options.  Either look for an alternative or find out if the customer support of the platform is helpful.  If the support team is always ready to help and your team members are willing to learn, it may be beneficial to choose new technology.

A great platform is one that maintains a fine balance between aspects like ease of use, functionality, and the needs of your team.  Any tech solution worth investing in should provide remarkable value for your money while immensely improving the member experience!

Based on reliable data from reputable sources and researchers, enhancing the satisfaction of customers is the main purpose that drives organizations to set up online communities.  More often than not, firms are investing a great deal of money in software and managers for membership websites.

Even so, some business people are a little skeptical to the extent of online communities improving customer satisfaction.  Indeed, there are numerous organizations that have benefited from building flourishing communities where members network with others and get valuable information.  The following are vital statistics illustrating precisely how online communities impact customer satisfaction.

 

Many people think they exercise sound judgment, but studies show that purchasing decisions are often driven by feelings.  This has been reported by various sources and research institutions tend to agree.  In most cases, how a consumer feels about a brand is directly connected to the manner in which they engage with it.

If they are highly engaged, they are more likely to make a purchase and seldom engagement typically results in fewer purchases.  With regard to engagement, nearly nothing eclipses the effectiveness of a good online community as it’s a great opportunity to show customers how much you value them.  Membership websites also allow your customers to publish posts about your products and these will be identified by prospective clients as being more authentic.

 

According to one source, more than 80% of community managers and brand advocates usually receive queries that customers would normally hesitate to ask directly.  If your clients have questions but there’s nobody to address them to, it could lead to a looming dissatisfaction that causes many individuals to join a different membership.  An online community provides them a convenient outlet to post trivial or sensitive queries and receive answers through email or a discussion forum.

Today, technology is advancing at a rate so fast that many entrepreneurs are finding it hard to keep up.  Unfortunately, when this happens, numerous memberships feel most of the effects as they’re at a disadvantage if they don’t adapt.  When you have insight into what changes might take place in the future, you put yourself in a better position to adjust and set your membership up for success.

 

The artificial intelligence you need to concern yourself with the most is the one Google adopts to organize search results.  Club websites, as well as ecommerce websites, could potentially apply methods of content development to help them get favored by Google.  The key takeaway here is that you should create relevant, engaging content in an ethical way or your organization may not see the growth you are anticipating for 2018.

 

Hackers should always be taken seriously as they are devising new ways of stealing information every day.  In times where personal data is increasingly being stored on the web, especially with ecommerce websites, the risks are incredibly high.  The European Union takes these matters seriously as they have created a set of regulations to protect their residents.

 

One of the trending tech topics today is Amazon’s artificially-intelligent personal assistant, Alexa.  The software integrates into your devices and automates functions, thus creating more time for you to attend to other business.  It can also generate to-do lists, set alarms, and provide weather updates which helps get you more organized.
The last tip to remember this year involves augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).  Although the world is not there yet, organizations might see more benefit from AR and VR sooner than first imagined.  If you normally hold meetings with members of club websites, keep your eyes open to AR and VR opportunities or competitors could gain an advantage over you in the future.

Your online community is in constant competition with social media networks and other online communities.  It’s highly likely that most of your members are on Facebook, Twitter, and other popular social channels.  Unfortunately, they might be drawn more to these social media platforms than to your community.  But, there’s a way you can turn the tables and benefit from the situation.

The secret is to use membership management software that keeps track of the features that members use the most.  Display the best part of your community where your members can see their favorite social networks.  With relevant content, you’ll not only be able to draw existing members back but also attract new people to your community and keep them.

 

Is there an engaging discussion in your community that is popular among members?  If so, there’s a good chance that the topic will be popular on social media as well.  Employ the discussion to attract the attention of others and get them to visit your community so they can participate in the conversation.

 

Another idea worth trying is to turn popular topics into blog posts.  This is an easy way of ensuring the content you’re sharing remains relevant and functions as an incentive for members to take part in discussions.  Consider tagging your members when sharing these posts on social media.  That encourages them to share the post which increases the possibility of getting noticed.  Aside from that, what other form of content should you use?

 

Videos happen to be the most engaging type of content.  Therefore, upload videos periodically to your community and display them on your social media channel.  Make sure you include links to your community with a promise that there are more videos there.  Ultimately, you want to create content with the aim of drawing attention to your community on social media.  With membership management software, you increase the effectiveness of your efforts and see long-term results!

A good community leader is viewed as a leader in their niche but to be a great leader, you need to be skillful with short-term and long-term planning.  As a matter of fact, the best business people consider time in two regards – the next 5 years and the next 100 years.

Maybe you don’t have to think about your online community’s position in the next 100 years, but it’s crucial to make considerations beyond your monthly or yearly targets.  Have you thought about how you will set your community up for longevity and a good performance in the distant future?

 

Representatives create a win-win situation since your community prospers when they spread the word about your organization and bring in new members.  It’s also a win for the ambassadors as they get to participate in a cause they care for and support.  Often, club membership software makes it easier to manage ambassador programs and help the community evolve.

 

If your target is to retain younger members, you must offer them unique value they find beneficial such as a mentoring program.  Similar to ambassador programs, mentoring programs are good for a variety of reasons.  Youthful members are able to find value and benefit from the knowledge of seasoned members in your community.

This not only gives them a reason to stay but to return frequently and help others.  The mentoring program may also empower seasoned business people in your community to find meaning in sharing what they know with the next generation.

Once you set up your program, implement tactics through club membership software that causes members to pair up so the community will see organic growth.  In some cases, you may see positive results if you unlock particular zones of your community to non-members.  Just make sure it’s done strategically so the community is given positive exposure while continuing to evolve at the same time.

The purpose of membership websites is to engage and inform customers in a way that they become loyal to your association, only buying from you.  But, how do you accurately gauge the loyalty of your customers?  The following tips are reliable metrics that show your clients’ interaction with your association on the internet and how likely it is they might stay.

 

Look at the current number of people that have joined your membership websites.  Compare those figures with previous figures for the same metric.  For instance, take the total number of members a year ago and compare it with the current number of memberships for this year.  If there’s an increase, it indicates loyalty as members are continuing to renew their memberships while new people join.

 

These rates indicate how active your customers are regarding the online community.  Obviously, a higher engagement rate shows members have a strong interest in your community and find it to be beneficial to them.  This metric takes into account how the members ask and answer queries, visit pages, and post comments.  Typically, the more active they are, the more likely they tend to remain loyal to your association.

 

This one considers the difference between the total number of logins and unique logins.  The retention rates will be higher when the difference between the two is greater.  Of course, you want the number of unique logins to be high as that indicates that new people are checking out your association.  But, when the total number of logins is even higher, that means old members are loyal to your venture.

These metrics are not 100% accurate and actual client retention rate might be a little higher or lower.  Even so, they are very dependable and will undoubtedly reveal just how loyal your customers are.  Remember these metrics going forward to ensure you recognize when loyalty may be declining and give customers a reason to stay.

Volunteer work is vital to your association as it lessens the day-to-day workload while building a healthy relationship among members.  Likewise, it helps a majority of members acquire new skills they can apply when visiting club websites.

However, most members will not volunteer without some form of motivation so convincing them to become volunteers for the association is not easy.  But, with the following strategies, you can inspire even those who have never volunteered before to begin and keep doing so.

 

The manner in which you design your program for volunteering has a significant impact on whether or not the association members will want to participate.  If you only offer projects with long-term tasks, you might be overlooking a large number of people who would volunteer for small or short-term projects.  Instead, offer a variety of projects so members that may not have as much free time are able to volunteer for projects that coincide with their schedule.

 

The truth is most people that get involved with volunteering aim to truly make a difference.  That being the case, it’s incredibly important to show appreciation for their effort with some kind of reward.  If the volunteer work involved the production of certain goods, you could give the volunteers a portion of those goods.  Another means of showing appreciation is to send out handwritten notes or thank the members in person.

 

Occasionally, people shy away from volunteering work because they don’t know who to get advice from should there be a problem.  Dedicate a small team to assist the volunteers so any difficulty regarding the project may be explained or resolved in a timely manner.  Also, create a section on the club websites specifically for guiding volunteers as clear instructions may convince a member to volunteer regularly!

As an online community organizer, you might often perceive the internet as unpredictable.  Maybe you find it difficult to figure out what people will like or what membership management software will take off next.  For this reason, you may be indecisive about what steps to take in order for your community to grow which can be quite frustrating.

While some aspects of the internet are hard to predict, people’s behavior is quite predictable.  Once you learn the social science that makes them arrive at particular decisions, a marketing campaign can be set up to help your community go viral.

 

There’s a secret bar in London known as Please Don’t Tell.  Rather than applying a traditional marketing strategy using street signs, it uses a telephone booth for customers to enter.  Additionally, the name obviously asks people to not share information about it but quite the opposite happens.  It’s called the power of secrecy, people tend to feel burdened to carry the secret and soon start sharing it with others.

With membership management software, keep the power of secrecy in mind and look for ways to use it with your community.  You may talk about an upcoming addition to the community but use a name that suggests it should be a secret.  Most members will feel compelled to share what they know about it increases the chance your community will go viral.

 

Stories are not only entertaining but also intriguing when delivered the right way.  If someone tells you they joined a community about colleges, you might not find that interesting.  However, if they tell you about a community where they received advice that helped them achieve their goals, you may want to check the community out.
Stories can be applied in a variety of ways through members so the word is spread organically.  The recognition your community gets from going viral may not be global but it could gain you popularity among your target audience which is key to long-term success.

As a membership manager, you might be constantly trying to find ways to be more productive and improve the membership.  With regard to that, you have to generate content, sort it, and upload it.  Then, you regularly check the satisfaction of members and try to meet their needs suitably.

Handling all of these tasks may be a challenge without club membership software.  You need to be more organized and maintain that so you keep track of everything in order for the membership to be successful.  Here are 5 apps that will do just that while increasing productivity.

 

Evernote provides you with cloud storage for files with tags for easy access later on.  If you happen to come across a blog post you like, you can save it as well on Evernote and use it to inspire your next article.

 

Hootsuite helps you manage multiple social media accounts while being cost-effective.  It also offers you valuable insights and reports that make it easier to manage or adjust your campaigns appropriately.  With Chrome, you can get a Hootsuite extension to share your write-ups effortlessly.

 

Occasionally, there are times where membership managers have to search for content that provides value to members.  With Feedly, you can subscribe to websites that offer you rich content so you never miss their posts.  Also, articles may be saved for offline reading and used to create content in the future.

 

If this then that, or IFTTT, is an app that allows you to create conditional statements for scenarios.  For instance, you can set it up to notify you when a member posts a comment to one of your articles.  That way, you can respond in a timely manner which makes members feel important.

Streaks is an Apple software app that helps you develop productive habits.  With Streaks, you can track your objectives for the day such as answering questions from members or posting a welcome video for new members.  Keep in mind, apps and club membership software can heavily influence how productive managers are so use these apps to streamline

Membership websites offer you an easy way of engaging more targeted audiences as compared to social media and other platforms.  Nonetheless, connecting with your audience can still be difficult unless you have interactive content that draws and keeps their attention.  Here, you will learn how and why video creates a deeper connection with your members.

 

Video helps you create a face to face relationship with your audience.  Community members will have a clearer idea of who you are and be able to identify you.  It’s not surprising to hear someone say your name out loud but that is hard to achieve while only using text and images.

By uploading videos, you make it easier for people to feel more at ease relating to you.  A simple welcome video might take a member from considering a one month membership to budgeting a whole year into their membership costs.

Here are a few ways to use personal videos:

 

There are a variety of software options which are free that can help you do personal videos.  Tools like Viewedlt, Wirewax, Metta, Loom, and Soapbox are easy to use and require very little technical skills to create an engaging video.  Often, they have a tutorial that guides you through the process.  Where you start is up to you but it might be better to start out simple by creating welcome videos using free video creation tools.

Once you become familiar with that, assess the results before deciding to step up to more advanced videos.  This is important as each outcome is different so find out what works for your audience.  The success of membership websites relies on many factors, but compelling videos can help get new members on board that remain loyal to your organization.