Every year, we survey membership professionals worldwide for our Membership Performance Benchmark Report. It always reveals the latest member retention insights for associations, unions, and non-profits. This year's respondents shared the top three reasons members don't renew, as well as current retention trends.
The good news is things are looking up for membership organizations! 86% of respondents increased or maintained retention rates.
Member retention is vital for the long-term health of any organization. Keeping existing members:
Let's dive into the report's results on why members don't renew. We'll also give you our tips on how to boost member retention.
39% of membership professionals reported this as a top reason members don't renew. It's disappointing to work hard to acquire new members and lose them simply because they forgot.
Tip 1. Implement recurring memberships and autopay. Your association/membership management system should make this a breeze. Both members and staff will appreciate a simple renewal process.
Tip 2. Have an automated email campaign leading up to renewals. While it depends on your industry, we recommend starting renewal promotions 3 months out. Send personalized renewal offers, remind them of benefits they've used, and tease upcoming resources.
Tip 3. Building on the last tip, create a member journey map that includes renewal promotions. This way, you and your staff are on the same page about the member experience.
Tied for first place with "Forgot to renew" is "Budgetary constraints." This reason is often at the top of the list. Lowering membership fees may not always be feasible, so let's explore some different ideas.
Tip 1. Make the value of membership clear. You want members and prospects to see you as necessary to their careers. See our blog article, How To Craft Your Association's Value Proposition for the 6 steps.
Tip 2. Is your annual conference essential for those in your industry? If so, make the non-member registration higher than the membership fees. Then it's a no-brainer for members to renew.
Tip 3. For those with financial hardships, consider offering monthly or quarterly payments instead of annual dues.
Tip 4. Consider a “membership lite” option that offers limited resources (such as online only) at a reduced rate. But you’ll need to ensure that this “lite” version isn’t so good it replaces your full membership level. Learn how to offer various membership levels without adding endless manual work to your staff. Download "Smarter Billing - Leveraging Native Accounting".
Over a third (35%) of survey respondents reported "lack of engagement" as a top reason members don't renew. Why would they renew if they aren't interacting with your association, non-profit, or union?
We're hopeful about engagement though, with 88% reporting increased or unchanged engagement rates. Even with that encouraging statistic, the #1 reported goal for membership professionals is increasing engagement. If your association, non-profit, or union wants to boost your engagement rates, here are our tips:
Tip 1. Engage members early with a strong member onboarding process. Your onboarding should help members:
Extra points if you create a visual map so you can find any gaps! Not sure where to start? See our article, Create a Magical Member Onboarding Journey.
Tip 2. Create a member engagement plan. Membership organizations with a formal plan reported significant increases in the following areas:
If you're not sure how to create a formal strategy, we have you covered. Check out our article, Member Engagement: A Guide + 12 Strategies to Win Loyalty.
Tip 3. Personalize content for members. Your members feel seen and heard with personalized content. Members will renew year after year because they know you value them and their needs. This loyalty drives steady retention rates and financials.
Tip 4. Effectively track your member engagement so you can create goals to work toward. Use an Engagement Management System that's purpose-built for associations, non-profits, and unions. Learn more in our article, What is an Engagement Management System (EMS)? A Quick Guide