No wonder, in 2024, growing a thriving membership base requires more than just luck. It’s all about effective strategies! With the targeted approaches, you can build a strong community where people keep coming back!
At the core of this sustainable membership growth, there are two main goals:
Retaining current members
Attracting new members
A high retention rate can notably enhance the reputation of your organization. And it makes it easier to attract new members via word of mouth and referrals.
While it may feel like a lot to do to achieve this goal, that's not the case. In this article, we share ten effective membership growth ideas to engage your current members and attract new ones. Let's explore these strategies further.
Why Is Investing In Membership Growth Important?
Investing in membership growth is very important as it directly affects impacts on the success and sustainability of your organization.
When you have a strong membership base, it offers a steady rise in revenue. It creates a community of engaged individuals who are likely to advocate your brand.
As your membership grows, the influence, credibility, and reach of your organization expand, making it even easier to attract more new members.
Not just attracting new faces, a well-planned growth strategy ensures that you effectively retain your current members.
Ultimately, you can reduce the churn and enhance the long-term stability. So, investing in your membership is more than worth considering to drive ongoing development and create new chances for networking!
How To Increase Membership Growth: 10 Proven Membership Growth Ideas
To enhance your membership growth, you need to find out what you do better than your competition and start growing your membership from that point.
Wondering, how to do it? Then check out the below effective ideas!
1. Clarify Your Value Proposition
When you want to grow your membership like never before, you first must clearly define why it will be beneficial to be a member of your organization.
People tend to be drawn to causes they can rally behind or believe in. Hence, clarify your value proposition and spell out it in a very transparent way. What will the members gain from your membership? How it can improve their interests or lives?
Clear value propositions will create a sense of purpose that connects both your existing and potential members.
Compelling value proposition for membership sites
Check out some value propositions below you may find compelling for your membership site.
Achieving goal
It is a strong motivator for many people. For this reason, diet, life, fitness, and financial coaches sell the membership successfully.
When a membership offers a clear plan and ongoing support, it keeps the members motivated and on track.
So, if you guide them step by step, turning their short-term efforts into long-term success, it’ll give the members a strong reason to renew their membership.
Saving money or time
Money is the most tangible value you can offer to your members. If your membership allows users to save money more than the membership costs, they are more likely to renew. Time is just important, especially for people with busy schedules. Busy people will happily pay for the membership which offers significant time savings.
Finding a community
Nowadays, many people seek connections with others who understand them and share the same interests. That’s the reason social clubs and organizations exist in the physical world.
So, you can provide an engaging online community to your members. It can be another compelling value proposition for your membership sites.
Learning a skill
You can find many YouTube videos to learn almost everything. However, the effectiveness of the instruction can notably vary.
You can help people to master a skill they want to learn. Such as how to improve your golf swing or how to bake ciabatta perfectly. It can offer you a solid foundation to grow your membership site.
2. Promote Word-of-mouth
Although word of mouth is the oldest strategy for promotion and communication, still it remains an effective way for your membership growth.
Through this technique, you can get your members involved and create a sense of trust that connects your potential members.
You have to encourage your existing members to talk about their positive experiences with others.
There are many ways to get your members to promote positive chatter. For instance, you can offer discounts to the members who bring their friends as members to your organization.
You can also give recognition to those members who promote positive words. The results will not only enhance your membership rate, it will also show that you care for your members.
Don’t forget to use the power of social media in this case. Incentives for posting on social media can do the trick of encouraging your members to promote. Such as discounts on membership or free tickets to the events.
Another effective way to promote your membership is to feature a "Member of the Month/Week/Day" in your newsletter or social media platform.
Highlight the members who have gone above and beyond in or spread the word about your organization or have volunteered extra hours.
It makes the members feel valued and encourages the members to share achievements with friends and excitement. It generates excitement and attracts new members.
3. Engage Your Audience Through Social Media
Social media is a great way to connect directly with your members regularly. It is where you can really let your creativity shine!
Ensure to have the ultimate use of platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram to engage your current members and to reach out to your potential members. Just take your pick!
It not only helps in marketing but also assists you in establishing yourself as an industry leader.
A simple truth of human nature is that they like people who are just like them. That’s because they create a sense of community without even realizing it.
Social media is that place where you can go to find the same-minded people or the people sharing the same interest.
Below are some important things to consider.
First off ensure that your social media profiles are professional and provide a lot of contact information.
Join the communities relevant to your membership site to become an active member in the discussion forums and online groups.
Try to reply all to of your messages, comments, or mentions to promote more engagements.
You can also consider creating shareable your membership site-related “daily tips,” how-tos, or quotes.
Make an effort to interact with your current members by commenting on what they are posting or supporting them with likes.
You can also use live streaming features to engage your members.
Consider the mix of impactful imagery, video content, and storytelling to bring your vision to life.
4. Create A Comprehensive Content Marketing Strategy
Contents give the potential members a clear sight of what you are and what you stand for. You should focus on creating high-quality and relevant content including various formats.
Such as blog posts, infographics, videos, or podcasts that meet the needs and interests of your target audience. These contents help to show the value of your membership while building trust.
How does it help membership growth? Check out below-
High-value content keeps your current members engaged as it solves their problems. It adds value to your member’s experience.
Leadership and relevant content are likely to build trust, making the potential members join.
You can also save your time and resources by creating less but more targeted content. However, you can still drive the growth of your membership.
Moreover, your focus on the evergreen content keeps your audience coming back without bombarding you with too much new information. This approach helps with long-term retention.
So, you have to focus on creating a content marketing strategy that really pays off down the road.
To do so, first, you need to understand your target audience. Identify the needs, interests, and pain points of your current and potential members. Conduct surveys, and interviews, or use analytics and provide valuable content.
However, don’t limit yourself to just one type of content. You should experiment with different blog posts, podcasts, videos, infographics, and e-books to keep your audience engaged.
Develop a content calendar for regular publishing and optimize the SEO for organic growth.
Remember, a strong and comprehensive content marketing strategy strengthens the connection between your membership site and your members, leading to long-term growth and retention.
5. Segment Your Email Marketing Efforts
New software is continuously entering the market claiming the secret to business growth, increased profit, and marketing. Still, email marketing is the most direct and effective way to reach your potential members.
You can segment your emails based on the preferences and behavior of your members to maximize their effectiveness. A survey of HubSpot on email marketing states that, about 65% of marketers say segmented emails have better open rates than unsegmented ones.
Segment your emails for both existing members and potential members.
As for the potential members, craft the emails that show the benefits of your membership. You should highlight the impact of your work and how your membership can make a difference.
Use as easy and compelling as possible CTAs, free ebooks, cheat sheets, coupons, or free trials to encourage the recipients to sign up.
For your current members, provide regular updates on your ongoing projects, upcoming events, and member stories to keep them engaged and valued in your membership.
There are several ways you can segment your emails. A few of many are-
Behavioral Segmentation
Here segment your email lists based on the consumer's behavior, like purchase history, product usage, or the interaction of your members with your email or website.
Demographic Segmentation
You can use demographic information like age, gender, or occupation level for the email segmentation.
Email engagement level
You can create one segment for those who frequently click and open your emails. Another is for those who rarely engage.
Purchase History
It can also be a very effective way for segmentation, targeting the customers who are your frequent buyers or have last purchased a while ago.
Sales Funnel Position
Based on the sales funnel position of your subscriber you can also do segmentation. You can provide helpful tips or info for the new leads and a demo offer or discount code for those who are ready to buy.
Whatever you choose, the key is to utilize the customer data effectively for the email segmentation which will respond to your campaigns positively.
6. Utilize Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
Pay-per-click, or PPC, is another quick and effective way to promote your membership site. On various digital marketing platforms, targeting campaigns can help you to get leads more easily. After all, these leads are already inclined toward the service that you have to offer.
The best part?
It is very simple, like flicking a switch. You only pay when people see your content. Moreover, PPC allows you to target the right people at the right time at the right place and goes hand in hand with SEO.
Google ads, for instance, allow you to target an audience based on the
Demographics
Their behaviors and interests
What they are actually searching for
Previous interactions of your member with your site or app.
Like the google, Facebook also allows you to promote your sites effectively. It helps you by
Targeting the new members depending on their specific interests and locations
Targeting those visitors who have shown interest in your app or website. and
The people who share similar interests with your current members.
To get these impressive benefits from Facebook, just go to the app manager and set up an ad for your target audience.
However, you should try up different ad variations. For example, you can create an ad directly focusing on your membership site and others for your member's events specifically.
Now compare how these ads have done, resulting you will be able to determine which one will be best for your site.
You should also try out different visuals and ad copies. No matter what ad variation you are using, always keep the language simple.
Moreover, ensure that the headlines highlight the value of your offering and that the call to action is direct.
Remember, PPC visitors 50% are more likely to make a purchase than organic visitors. So investing in thorough research and planning your campaign can really pay off!
7. Find Partnerships
Partnerships are a good way to promote your membership you may find interesting while developing a mutually beneficial relationship. You can expand your reach as the partnership brings its own audiences.
You will be able to reach people who have not heard about your membership. Moreover, it allows you to use the resources that may have not actually on your own. It can be marketing channels, specialized knowledge, or technology.
You can enhance the credibility of your organization by associating with respected and established partners.
However, there are a few different types of partnerships. It’s just a matter of time before you find the right type of partnership to grow your membership!
Partner with a business
If you know a business that shares the same target audience as yours, consider reaching out to them.
Try to learn whether they can help you to expand your reach. In return, they may ask you for the same support. Of course that can be mutually beneficial when you both share the same vision and goals for your memberships.
Partner with another membership organization
You can also create a new type of membership that can simultaneously benefit both groups. This idea can also bring a whole pool of new members to your memberships with the joint membership bundle and deal offerings.
Partner with a donor organization
In this type of partnership, your organization and members agree to donate a percentage of your membership fees to the partner organization. This is often considered the ideal partnership as there is the least chance of conflicts.
It’s straightforward to set up and easy to agree on. More notably, these donor organizations have dedicated supporters, making it more likely that they may also engage with your organization. It can be a win-win situation for both parties.
Bonus ideas for cross-promotions:
You can organize cross-promotional events that combine the strengths of both parties.
You can get the benefits from each other social media platforms to expand reach and promotional exchanges.
You can share discount offers that benefit the members of both partners.
Develop engaging content that you can share mutually.
You can also set up an affiliate marketing program where both can earn a commission for every new member likely to sign up.
8. Optimize Your Website For New Member Conversions
For people, including those who might become your future members or those who might not, your website will be the first place where they will meet your organization.
That’s why you should put some effort into your website to optimize the user experience. It can have a significant impact on your member acquisition rate.
Ensure that your website communicates the value of your membership, and is visually appealing.
Ensure that the navigation of your website is easy to use and clear.
You should use a design that is simple but can effectively reflect your brand.
Use relevant keywords throughout your website copy naturally. It thus, can rank higher organically on Google and other search engines.
You should also focus on creating SEO-optimized content on your blog and other pages.
You can create a membership sale page. Through it, you’ll be able to drive members by effective but simple CTAs.
Moreover, you need to ensure that your website loads quickly. It may require using smaller images (jpg or webp) or compressed images and embedding the videos instead of hosting them.
High-quality backlinks are also a very important thing in Google ranking, as Google sees it as a trust factor. You can rank higher in SERP with a strong backlink profile from those who do not have one.
As part of this site optimization, create high-quality content for your site. Authority sites can easily link the quality content to it and help you improve your SEO.
Asking the authority sites for guest post opportunities is also a good idea to build high-quality backlinks.
You can include links in your own quality content that will be published on that authority site. These guest posts can drive more traffic to your site, leading to your membership growth!
9. Show Positive Reviews And Testimonials
As you grow, it is important to collect reviews from your members to improve your membership offerings. Research reveals that more than 70% of customers trust reviews and testimonials to trust a business more.
Positive reviews from your current members serve as a great source of testimonials highlighting the benefits of becoming a part of your organization. If you gather these positive reviews and display them in the right places, it can promote your site effectively and create conversions.
But what are the right places to start with?
You should feature these positive testimonials prominently on your website, your social media platforms, and your marketing materials. Moreover, you can also get valuable ideas for membership growth by asking your members for feedback.
Your making changes depending on their suggestion shows your care for your members. This member satisfaction can lead to better member retention and increased referrals.
10. Use Membership Management Software
Implementing advanced membership management software can notably enhance your user experience and can make your operation well organized.
There are some membership platforms that allow you to automate tasks like onboarding, renewals, payments, and communications. With this software, you can not just only save your time but also reduce the risk of errors.
You can better understand your member needs and preferences with features like member segmentation, and personalized content delivery.
Moreover, generally, these software features built-in analytics and reporting tools. It allows you to track the member's activity behavior, and engagement.
You can make informed decisions with this comprehensive insight on where to invest for growth and where you need improvement.
However, you should choose software that meets the needs of your membership site. For instance, if you are a course creator, coach, and consultant, you can use advanced membership management software like EzyCourse to boost growth. It can transform the way you used to manage your membership base.
What is EzyCourse?
EzyCourse is an all-in-one platform to create a complete membership site. Here are the 7 must-have membership features of the platform:
1. Flexible Membership Plans
EzyCourse offers multiple pricing options and plans, such as free trials, monthly or yearly subscriptions, and one-time payments. This gives users the flexibility to choose what fits their needs best.
2. Access Control & Drip Content
EzyCourse lets you enable content restrictions based on membership levels. With drip content, you can release materials gradually. So it can keep users engaged and encourage them to subscribe longer.
3. Community Building Options
You can create a space for members to connect, share ideas, ask questions, and engage in discussions. Getting a Facebook-like community feed is a plus for your membership site to boost member loyalty and create value beyond just the content.
4. Personalized Member Dashboards
With EzyCourse, your members will have their own dashboards to track their progress, manage subscriptions, access exclusive content, and view upcoming events or lessons.
5. In-Platform Messaging
EzyCourse comes with group and private chats to allow direct communication between members and admins, or among members themselves.
6. In-app Notifications
Include in-app notifications for updates, new content releases, and important announcements.
7. Event & Webinar Hosting
EzyCourse comes with Zoom integration and enables scheduling and hosting of live events, webinars, or workshops for members. This adds exclusive value and keeps members returning for new, interactive content.
8. Discounts and Exclusive Offers
You can reward loyal members with discounts, early-bird access, or special offers on new products, services, or higher-level memberships with EzyCourse. This encourages renewals and upselling.
9. Branded Mobile App to Host Your Content
EzyCourse provides a mobile app to the users. So, you can even go mobile with your membership site and host your content in the mobile app. A mobile app is a very interactive tool to boost your membership retention and keep your members/students coming back to your app.
In short, with membership management software, you can create an organized and automated experience that will ultimately help attract new members and retain existing ones.
Common Challenges For Growing Memberships
Every success comes with its challenges. So, of course, membership growth is not an exception. There is a chance that it may take a lot of time, patience, energy, and money. Below are some challenges you may need to look out for your membership growth.
1. Content Creation
Developing high-quality and engaging content is essential to attract new members and retain the existing ones.
However, the problem is that creating this much high-value content requires substantial resources. For example, expertise, creativity, and time.
To tackle this challenge, you can create a content calendar to plan and organize your content creation efforts.
2. Limitations Of Technology
Limitations of technology can also be a barrier to your membership growth. It will restrict the ability of your organization to manage the membership effectively, deliver an ideal user experience, or implement your marketing strategies.
That’s why you should invest in modern membership management software that suits your organization's needs.
Moreover, regularly assess and upgrade your technological tools as necessary. It will enable you to support your site's growth and enhance user experience.
3. Increase In Costs
As your membership grows, your operational expenses will also increase. You may need to invest more money in staffing, technology upgrades, and marketing efforts.
If you don’t manage these costs effectively and strategically, it will affect your overall profitability and resource allocation.
Here are some tips that may help you out.
You should create a detailed budget that includes all the potential costs related to your membership growth. It should cover new staff, software upgrades, marketing campaigns, or any other.
Moreover, look out for additional ways to generate income. You may consider finding sponsors who will advertise with you. It will also be a good idea to partner with other organizations for joint events
Lastly, check your financial performance regularly how you are doing and look for areas for improvement.
4. Time Constraints
It can be stressful for you to balance the membership growth efforts with the everyday operational responsibilities and tasks. This pressure can potentially lead to delays and can make your growth strategies less effective. Here is what you can do.
Making a strategic plan: You should list your important tasks and set clear goals for deadlines. It will help you to stay focused on what matters the most for your membership site.
Sharing tasks: You should share your tasks with your team members. Thus you can ensure that all areas are getting the same attention they need without pressuring one person.
Using time management tools: It is wise to consider the time management tools to manage your time better.
5. Procrastination
Procrastination means delaying or postponing the task, often leading to not being completed at all!
Internal distractions and competing priorities can lead to procrastination. It can cause essential membership growth initiatives to be postponed or sidelined. Ultimately it hinders progress.
You should set clear and measurable goals and share them with your team and stakeholders to establish accountability.
Moreover, if you have larger tasks you should break them into small and managed tasks to achieve the goal quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ideas for Membership Growth
Here are some quick questions and answers on the ideas for membership growth hacks.
How to increase community membership?
You should focus on creating engaging content to increase your community membership. Other than that, you can host events, use social media, or offer incentives. Moreover, clear communication among the members also plays a role in outreach.
How do I grow a nonprofit membership?
Social media and community events can be effective ways to grow a nonprofit membership. You should create meaningful involvement opportunities for your members that align with your potential members.
How do you attract new memberships?
You should focus on targeted marketing to attract new members. Here social media platforms and community events can be a great help. Moreover offer incentives like exclusive content or limited time offer in this way.
How to write a membership strategy?
At first, you should define your focus areas and clarify your objectives accordingly. Set measurable targets or KPIs to tackle the objectives you’ve set. Now implement related projects that can help you to achieve your KPIs.
What is membership development?
Member development is basically a process of recruiting new members and also retaining the existing members. It is a key part of many organizations. The professionals of membership development have multiple responsibilities. For instance, marketing, communications, and events.
Ideas for Membership Growth: Final Words
With these strategies and ideas for membership growth, you can effectively boost your membership base and retain the current members. You should focus on personalization and engagement to create a strong community where members feel valued and connected.
Gather feedback, host events, and use social media to attract new members. Invest in growth today for a more engaged and more connected membership in the long run!
If you are not sure, where to start, let’s share an EASY solution for you — EzyCourse. It’s an all-in-one platform to build a complete membership website.
