Introduction: The Value of Association Membership
Another couple of weeks, another blog. As is always the case when Gemma our head of marketing sends the dreaded blog request, my initial reaction is always one of anxiety. When will I get the time to do it? Do I really know enough about the topic to do this justice? Just a couple of the questions that always enter my mind, and yet, as I wrote the words below this time as I have before, and as I read the blogs being written by my colleagues it becomes more and more evident that the AxessHealth team knows a thing or two. One would hope so given the cumulative years’ experience (well over a century) we have in the industry and in the roles we occupy. Without giving any more clues as to our average age, here goes …... how to gain/maintain association membership.
The Importance of Activity and Effective Communication
Firstly, I feel that the title of this blog is a little too specific as the principles I’ll discuss are certainly not limited to medical associations alone. Any organisation which relies on voluntary, often paid-for membership needs to address the same fundamental practices. The main underlying fact is that to build a membership (acquisition) and moreover maintain that membership (retention), any organisation needs to display enough value to justify the commitment. That commitment can be both time and financial so it’s important not just to focus on one or the other in the acquisition/retention strategy.
To show value, the first thing any association needs to do is ensure that it has activity. There will be a certain mandate that an association has, typically around furthering the interests of its members, and it seems obvious that there needs to be sufficient activity around these mandates to ensure they are being met in line with the expectations of the members. “Of course!” you say as you read this, but here’s the kicker. How much of this activity is effectively communicated? Effective communication around the activities will have a profound effect on both acquisition and retention. Existing members want to see their commitment (financial or time) being put to work, and potential members will be attracted by an association who is clearly putting their foot forward and being seen to be doing so. Any activity needs to have a solid communication plan behind it to ensure that the value is seen.
The Power of Presence: How to Be Seen and Make an Impression
Next is presence. Your association needs to be seen, whether in person at a conference, quoted in a newspaper, serving drinks at a golf day or digitally on a platform like AxessHealth, your logo needs to be seen and where possible a call to action like “Join Now” to capture the interest at the point of delivery. No point going to the effort without closing the deal, and marketing 101 will tell you that the more touchpoints your brand has with a potential customer (member), the better your chance of message retention and ultimately conversion.
The Benefits of Partnerships: Why Collaboration is Key
Finally for this blog is a short point on partnerships. I’ve heard this mantra may times, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but of you want to go far go together.” Find organisations that are complementary to your cause and who can help you achieve some of the goals above, and to whom involvement in your activities is valuable. Mutually beneficial partnerships can accelerate both parties’ objectives to the benefit of all, so snub these partnerships at your peril.
Our organisation is centred on partnerships, specifically with associations, so please reach out to discuss it with me personally on warren@axesshealth.org.