Ten Tips For Membership Marketing In Todays Economy

Ten Tips for Membership Marketing in Today’s Economy

Kisha Green DimboVice President, Membership & Marketing

American Association for Justice

Erik SchonherVice President

Marketing General Incorporated

Goals for Today

Appreciation for the economic ‘big picture’

Personal checklist of what to look at Examples of what other associations

are doing 1 idea for me

The Headlines Tell the Story…

Economist: Bailouts Won’t Help Struggling Economy

Recession to last long, says IMFIMF says “long, severe” global recession

Former Fed Head: No Solid Plan to Ease RecessionGlobal Recession to be “Unusually Severe”

It’s worse than the Great Depression!

“…not even the gloomiest predict that today’s slump will approach the severity of the Depression.”

- The Economist March 14, 2009

So what is the government doing

about it?

Stimulus Spending for Correction

Commerce, Justice &

Science, $17.84

Defense & Security, $16.45

Agriculture and Rural

Development, $15.99

Federal & State Govt, $45.47

Labor, Health & Education,

$66.10

Energy and Environment,

$98.23

Transportation, Housing &

Urban Development,

$57.10

Source: CNN.com

Spending only; Excludes tax provisions

($s in Billions)

What does that mean for Associations?

Stimulus Brings Opportunity – Examples

Health & Science Research Research and training grants for disease and

environment Transportation/Infrastructure

Highway and bridge repair & construction Broadband infrastructure for rural & underserved

Education & Job Training Grants to analyze student data and address teacher

shortages Energy

Train workers for careers in energy efficiency Grants for renewable energy producers Rapid development of clean energy technology

Changed the ‘lay of the land.”

The Tip Guy

Bad News…Good News

Bad News: Greater scrutiny on value proposition

Good News: Associations are ‘Career Insurance’ Increased investment in education Increased self-evaluation

Deliver true value and deliver it with passion

Learn from your membership what is important and deliver it. Research Be specific Be as ‘personal’ as you can be when

delivering the benefit Personalize Niche

Know Your Most Important Members

Use modeling to… Refine your product offerings Refine your targeting

Low Hanging Fruit

Promote to… Lapsed Members Non-member Product Buyers and

Conference Attendees

Benchmarks & Dashboards

1. Current Membership2. Current Year New Members3. Conversions4. Y2 + Renewals5. Total Renewals6. Average Tenure7. Lifetime Value (LTV)8. Maximum Acquisition Cost (MAC)

Membership Dashboard

Secure Your Budget

Marketing is a Strategic Initiative Speak “CFO” - ROI Agree on “Measurements of Success” If you must trim spending, maintain

frequency New partnerships New channels

Use Media Properly…now more than ever!

Print Publications Direct Mail Fax Catalogs

Telemarketing

On-line Marketing Email Website Social Networks Search Engine

Advertisement

Know Your Capabilities

Is the glass half-empty or half-full? Is your association truly

entrepreneurial?

Test…Test…Test

Stand by for the next decade of staggering innovation!

The Great Depression – the period of Great Innovation Increased Social Reforms Elevation in the status of women Talking pictures

Think outside your box…

“A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.”

- Francis Bacon, Stateman

Personalize the Member Experience

Create Member ‘Evangelists’ Membership Ambassadors Idea Swap - Send someone to a new

member to personally introduce the association.

Outrageous Offers

Free Hotel Member Relief

Displaced members Members serving in the Military

New Media

Web Conference Stroll the digital conference floor

Social Media “yes” to access, maybe not

Final Example …

WHAT ARE

YOU

GOING TO PUT HERE?

Thank you

Erik Schonher

Vice President

Marketing General Incorporated

(703) 706-0358Erik@MarketingGeneral.com

Kisha Green-Dimbo

Vice President of Marketing and Membership

American Association of Justice

Kisha.GreenDimbo@justice.org