From economic pressures to evolving member expectations, it can feel like associations are up against a wave of change and challenge. What priorities do they have for the year ahead, and how should they tackle them? Our recent webinar sought to answer these questions by exploring a range of topics such as member engagement, operational efficiency, revenue diversification and the role of technology.
Host Sasha El-Halwani, senior revenue marketing manager, D2L EMEA, was joined by two panellists:
- George Ayley, manager, corporate sales, D2L, EMEA
- Andy Lancaster, chief learning officer and consultant, Reimagine People Development (ex-CIPD)
Find highlights from our discussion below and watch the full recording here.
Member engagement and retention
Two priorities that emerged early on in the discussion were member engagement and retention. When we asked attendees what their top focuses were for the year, 32% said engaging members and 27% said retaining them. In addition, when we sought to find out what our participants’ organisations saw as the greatest measures of success, member growth came in first, and member retention came in second.
George remarked that fostering closer connections with members is more important than ever, especially in a market where discretionary spending is under scrutiny. “It’s positive to see that the main goal across the board is engaging and retaining members,” he said.
So, why do members renew? What is it that they’re looking to membership bodies to provide? When asked, attendees overwhelmingly said it came down to two things:
- the level of value the organisation has to offer
- the opportunities it affords members to engage with peers and experts
“As learning professionals, we have a real opportunity to add to that value proposition,” said Andy. “Each of us have a part to play in that engaging and retaining function of our organisations.”
Operational efficiency
Associations aren’t alone in feeling the impact of budget restraints. We had our attendees reflect on what barriers they faced when considering revenue stream diversification, the most common responses were lack of time and resources and of technology to support expansion. When we later asked what impacts operational challenges were having, the top issue was inefficient processes.
This is why associations need to be clever and smart in their operations to make sure processes, technology and teams are set up to support continued success. “Most organisations—not only membership bodies—are having to do more with less,” Andy said.
But could the challenges also present opportunities? Our panellists reflected on the importance of:
- simplifying inefficient processes to improve overall operational efficiency
- addressing internal resource constraints to enable teams to succeed
- developing a strong business case to underscore the impact of taking action
- having good change management to make sure people are brought in
“It is that balancing act of allocating resources effectively and using digital solutions to automate manual processes so that the team can focus on value-added tasks,” said George.
Revenue and reach
Membership dues remain a significant source of revenue for many membership associations, but it’s not the only one. Non-dues revenue is quickly rising in the ranks. When we asked attendees how their association generates its income, it was an almost even split. 51% said that half or more of their revenue came from dues, and 49% said half or less.
Two factors that might be influencing the financial shifts are increased economic pressures and evolving member expectations, the top two external factors our attendees said were impacting their associations.
“What I’m seeing personally is there are lots more professional associations springing up, and members now have more opportunities and options as to where they spend their money, time and resources,” said George. Andy continued, “If we want to be transformational, it’s more than just courses and content. It’s about connections and collaboration.”
When it comes to diversifying revenue and expanding reach, the most effective tactic our attendees and panellists brought up was partnership—with both corporations keen to use or resell content as well as members eager to contribute their unique expertise. “Many members will volunteer and get involved,” said Andy. “Don’t underestimate the power of involving your members as a resource.”
Emerging technology
Technology supports much of the great work that membership organisations do. It helps them reach members, enable staff and inform how they set up their programmes. “AI is going to be crucial for us,” Andy said. “It is now giving us the tools to provide genuine, personalised streams of content.”
At the same time, to have a sustained effect over the long term, technological changes need to be underpinned by strong change management.
“Change can be scary,” says George. “It’s about having strong business cases and change management processes internally to make sure people are brought into the change, see it as a positive and understand the impacts of it.”
The webinar provided valuable insights into the challenges facing membership organisations today, and the actions they can take to tackle them. From engaging and retaining members to improving operational efficiency and leveraging technology, associations need to be adaptable, innovative and laser focused on delivering value to members.
The Clinic: A Virtual Market Review
The Clinic gathered UK, Ireland and wider European-based association professionals to share perspectives, gain collective insights and explore key industry trends.
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