1. Membership Marketing 101:
Developing an Effective Marketing Plan
Lisa Diener
Director, Marketing Technology & Analytics
Scott D. Ferrin, SHRM-SCP, CAE
Field Services Director

2. Agenda Introduction Marketing Fundamentals
Elements of a Marketing Plan
Q&A

3. 4 Ps of Marketing TARGET MARKET - What features does it need to have?
PRODUCT
- What does the member want
- What features does it need to have?
- How will the customer use it?
- How does it differ from competitors?
- How will it be branded?
PRICE
- What is the value?
- What are prices for similar products?
- How will price compare to competitors?
- How price sensitive are members?
- What discounts should be offered?
PLACE
- Where do members look for the product?
- How can they access it?
- What do your competitors do and how can you learn or differentiate from that?
PROMOTION
- Where and when can you get your marketing messages to your audience?
- What channels will you use?
- When is the best time to promote?
- How & where do your competitors promote?
TARGET MARKET

4. Marketing Funnel

5. An Integrated Approach
Social Media/Content Marketing
Word of Mouth
Inbound
Direct Mail
Telemarketing
As you plan, there may be some who advocate doing away with direct mail and saving money by only communicating with . Or they may want to solely use inbound or content marketing and stop sending messages to prospective and existing members through traditional outbound efforts.
However, the integration of multiple marketing channels working together has proven to produce the best results in getting and keeping members.
Word of Mouth – Sometime opportunities are handed to you that you can capitalize on quickly through Word of Mouth efforts. One client—the American Nurses Association—used a negative comment on a national television show to gain significant exposure and appreciation for defending their members’ professionalism through their social media Word of Mouth efforts. In fact, Word of Mouth and membership referrals are consistently reported as the most productive ways to recruit new members. The challenge is to consistently harness and motivate this people-driven channel.
2. Inbound Marketing – One of the fastest growing marketing channels used in membership is Inbound Marketing. This takes advantage of paid advertising with search engines, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other online opportunities to present free content or special offers to prospects. Inbound marketing offers free, valuable content in exchange for the respondent agreeing to opt-in to future communications. Those who show interest can then be followed up with through traditional “push” marketing efforts. And because they raised their hand and demonstrated interest in your materials, those who opt-in can respond to your other marketing efforts at five times the rate of “cold” prospects. Inbound efforts can even be effective in engaging and renewing current members who may not open an , but will respond to an ad they see from you on Facebook.
3.   – Once a prospect is added to the database after a lead is captured, a purchase is made, or someone joins the association, becomes the most commonly used marketing channel. It makes sense because is fast, inexpensive, and includes links back to the website where a sale can be completed. also allows you to read the behavior of the recipient. Did the bounce? Did the recipient open the ? Did they click through a specific link? There are many tips and techniques that can help to optimize for even better results.
4. Direct Mail – This channel remains one of the most effective and scalable methods to recruit and renew members because it is easily targeted, trackable, and tactile. In fact, our 2015 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report highlighted that for organizations with budgets over $5 million or those that have over 20,000 members, direct mail is the most effective tactic for recruitment. And previous research shows that associations with renewal rates of 80% or higher are significantly more likely than those with lower renewal rates to say direct mail is the most effective membership renewal channel.
5. Telemarketing and Telephone Sales – With Caller ID, getting through to a prospect or members on the phone has become a more challenging task, but for a highly qualified prospect, like a lapsed member, telemarketing is very effective. The former member may have long since stopped reading your or opening you mailings, but a call from another human on the end of the phone to answer questions or encourage a decision can make a difference. Phone calls from a peer or a staff person can be particularly effective.
6. Social Media – By 2015, 91% of individual membership associations have an official Facebook page, 87% use Twitter, 60% have a LinkedIn group, and 56% have a YouTube channel. Clearly social media has been almost completely integrated into associations’ marketing and communications mix. This low or no cost channel allows you to have a storefront on the main street of the internet. The trick is to get prospects and members to move from window shoppers into the store as buyers. This can be done by presenting regular value-laden content that demonstrates your relevance to prospects and members.
Source: Marketing General Inc.

6. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Vision & Strategic Direction
Objectives / Goals
Key Insights
Audience
Campaign Plan & Tactics
Resource Requirements
Risk Assessment
RACI
Tracking & Metrics

7. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Vision & Strategic Direction
Example:
SHRM Chapter ABC strives to be the go-to resource for HR professionals in Any Town through networking, advocacy, and affordable and easy-to-access professional development.
In order to attract and serve more young HR professionals, community involvement and career pathing and development topics will be a core focus.
Here is an example of a VISION and Strategic Direction To recruit new members or reengage those that have lapsed so that SHRM can be a stronger, more powerful voice of the HR profession and continue serving the needs of HR professionals around the world.
Objectives should list out goals and have specific tactics to reach them. Examples:
Goal: Recruit 200 new members this year
Tactics:
- Continue to improve response rates for direct mail packages by optimizing mailing lists, package design, messaging and timing
- Optimize membership acquisition s by continuously testing messaging, timing, design and offers to increase the conversion rate
- Create monthly to prospective members
- Respond to all membership inquiries within 72 hours
Audience or Focus Segments- be clear on who you are going after. Anyone in HR? Targeting Generalists, HR departments of one? Local grad students.
Resource Requirements- what will actually be needed to accomplish this? Volunteer’s time to followup with people and send s. system to track opens and clicks, etc

8. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Objectives
Goal #1: Retain 80% (1,125) of members who were active 12/31/17
Goal #1.1: Increase retention rate of YPs by 1%
Goal #1.2: Reduce renewal cost by updating mailing addresses & s
Goal #2: Recruit 300 new members in 2018
Goal #2.1: Of the 300 new members, 50 should be YPs
Goal #2.2: Develop at least 2 new resources per quarter that align with career development
Goal #2.3: Partner with local small businesses on HR mentor programs (submit for Pinnacle Award)

9. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Key Insights
15% of new members last year joined during/after the conference
10% increase in the number of guests at meetings
40% of new members joined from an request
Renewal is down 10% in small organizations over last two years (look into offering discounts on dues)
Based on survey data, members seem most interested in learning about 1) HR competencies, 2) upcoming legislation, 3) how to create succession plans
SWOT Analysis

10. SWOT Analysis S W O T Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Advantages
Experience, knowledge
Unique caracteristics
Resources
Geographical advantage, location
Competence, capabilities
Quality, reputation
Weaknesses
Disadvantages
Gap in experience, knowledge
Financial aspects
Reliability and trust
Loss of key staff
Geographical factors O T
Opportunities
Strategic alliances, partnerships
Product development
Import, export
Innovation an technology development
Threats
This is an example text.
Loss af alliances and partners
Price infaltion/deflation
Strong competition
Competitors new products and innovation

11. Value Chart Example FEATURE BENEFITS AVOIDANCE EMOTIONAL DRIVERS
Continuing Education Programs
Keeps you knowledgeable and relevant as a professional
Missing out on essential knowledge for professionals
Gain confidence in your abilities
Certification Programs
Validates your capabilities
Getting passed over for a higher position
Becoming an authority in my field
Members-Only Discounts
Saves you $$$$$$$
Paying too much somewhere else!
Good steward of organization’s money
Newsletter or eNewsletters
Ongoing access to timely information
Wasting time searching for critical information
Allows you more time to spend on the things that really matter
Monthly Magazine/Journal
Covers the hottest topics and trends around <your profession> in your area
Not being on top of major employer concerns
Being on the cutting edge of the profession
Webinars
Convenient learning at your fingertips
Costs of travel, room and board for educational needs
You can become an expert in a specific area
Face-to-face lunches/meetings
Networking with other professionals like you to discuss and solve common problems
Working in isolation on key issues that would benefit from multiple viewpoints
Making professional friendships that last a lifetime

12. Value Chart Exercise FEATURE BENEFITS AVOIDANCE EMOTIONAL DRIVERS
Webinars
Convenient learning at your fingertips
Costs of travel, room and board for educational needs
You can become an expert in a specific area

13. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Audience
Tie audience to your objectives & should be prioritized
Young professionals
At-large members
Expired members
Thriving industries / businesses in your area

14. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Tactics
Sell / renew membership onsite at events
Send monthly to prospective members
Invite at-large members to 6 local events
Test offering incentive for lapsed members to rejoin
Increase open rates to prospective members by testing new subject lines

15. Engagement Map

16. Recruitment Schedule

17. Renewal Schedule

18. Mapping Out the Tactics

19. Mapping Out the Tactics

20. Mapping Out the Tactics

21. Mapping Out the Tactics Exercise

22. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Resource Requirements
Budget
mailings – postage, paper / envelopes, printing
Incentives
Hire designer to create membership brochure and template
Volunteer / Staff
develop message, sending out s per the schedule, measure and report monthly
Phone outreach to lapsed members
Address, stamp and mail acquisition and renewal letters

23. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Economics of Membership

24. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Risks to Goal Achievement
Membership Director may be moving
Have a backup cross-trained
Budget availability to hire print/web designer
Find out if anyone has design experience in exchange for reduction in membership dues or find a student at the local college
Impact of recent flood on jobs / ability to pay dues
Consider a transitioning membership option
Competition from law firms in area are starting to offer more HR compliance seminars/resources for free
Provide an overview of product competitors, and their strengths and weaknesses
Position each competitor’s product against the new product

25. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
RACI
Activity
Responsible
Accountable
Consulted
Informed
Acquisition Mailings
Acquisition s
Renewal Reminders
Renewal Phone Calls

26. Components of a Membership Marketing Plan
Tracking & Metrics
Track actual spend against budget
Track ROI of each initiative
Track effectiveness of each initiative
Reporting mechanism

27. 2016 SHRM VOLUNTEER LEADERS’ SUMMIT
Measuring Results
2016 SHRM VOLUNTEER LEADERS’ SUMMIT

31. 9/8/2018
Marketing Plan
Chapter Name :: Year

32. 9/8/2018
Table of Contents

33. Vision & Strategic Direction
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Vision & Strategic Direction

34. Product Definition Describe the product or service being marketed
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Product Definition
Describe the product or service being marketed

35. 9/8/2018
Objectives & Goals
Make these SMART goals, if possible

36. 9/8/2018
Key Insights

37. SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis S W O T Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities
Threats
Weaknesses S W T O

38. SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis FEATURE BENEFITS AVOIDANCE
EMOTIONAL DRIVERS
Webinars
Convenient learning at your fingertips
Costs of travel, room and board for educational needs
You can become an expert in a specific area

39. 9/8/2018
Audience

40. Campaign Plan & Tactics
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Campaign Plan & Tactics
Tactics
Calendar

41. Resource Requirements & Budget
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Resource Requirements & Budget
Economics of membership

42. Resource Requirements & Budget
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Resource Requirements & Budget

43. Risk Assessment Internal/external threats to goal achievement
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Risk Assessment
Internal/external threats to goal achievement
Competition

44. 9/8/2018
Tracking & Metrics
Tactic
Date
Audience
Topic
# sent
# opened
% opened
# clicked
% clicked
# converted
% converted
Revenue
Cost
Metrics for direct mail, telemarketing, social media will all be slightly different