When it comes to renewal, technology can really help you out. Take advantage of your database. Ideally, members’ histories are catalogued, so you’ll know whether or not they’ve bought literature, volunteered or participated in programs. The more customized and personal a renewal letter is, the greater chance there is of an on-the-fence member renewing.

We know, for small-staff organizations especially, taking the time to personalize renewal letters can be extremely time-consuming. And we’re not saying you have to go crazy and devote 100 percent of your time to combing the database for information on your members, but you can have a few different “form” letters.

For those who have volunteered consistently and been quite active, thank them for their service and remind them continued benefits the organization offers to their professional growth and development.

For members who haven’t been as active, consider letting them know about the opportunities available and, if possible, include a few testimonials from active members.

When it comes down to it, everyone wants to know what’s in it for him or her. Career development, staying up to date in the industry and networking opportunities are all reasons members renew. Rather than listing the tangible things your organization offers, demonstrate the value to members in those offerings.

According to the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey, the more frequently you send out renewal notices, the better. There’s also an ideal balance between snail mail and e-mail notices, which was discussed in detail here in a past blog post.

There are lots of great resources out there for staffers involved with membership marketing and renewal. Specifically, I highly recommend two blogs: Erik’s Experts in Membership Marketing and the Membership Marketing Blog. Both offer great, tangible advice and tips for marketing and renewal.

How does your organization personalize its renewal process? What suggestions and tips do you have for small-staff organizations?

Good morning and happy Friday! I’m not sure how we’re halfway through July, though – doesn’t it seem like 2011 is just flying by? It’s just about time for ASAE’s Annual Meeting again! (Didn’t I just get over my jet lag from LA?!) Seriously, though, it’s been a great year so far here at MemberClicks and we’re excited to meet as many small staff association professionals as possible.

Obviously, it’s time for me to share some of my favorite posts from the association blogosphere to help kick of the weekend. Ready? Set? Go!

1. Valeria Maltoni’s The 5 E’s of Content Marketing is definitely worth a read for association professionals. My personal favorite E? Enthusiasm! I think it’s really obvious when someone’s just not that into what they’re writing about, and being enthusiastic in your writing absolutely makes a difference.

2. Erik Schonher posted some early results from the 2011 Membership Benchmarking Survey and good news! -membership is on the rise compared to 2009 and 2010! New member recruitment also seems to be on the rise, which, according to Erik, accounts for the increase in membership.

3. Elizabeth Engel has been posting insights and learnings from Clay Shirky’s “Here Comes Everybody” for quite awhile now, and this week’s post was examines the quote, “What are we going to do about the negative effects of freedom?”. Through technology, people now have the freedom to form all kinds of groups, which, obviously, can be tough for associations.

4. At the Acronym blog, Joe Rominiecki examines the life cycle of a board – namely, is a year too short? It’s difficult for some board members to get acclimated in that amount of time, and thus, your board could be less effective. What do you think? Do you lower your expectations of the board or train them more?

5. I have really been into Jeffrey Cufaude’s posts in recent months, and it’s likely showing with every Friday Top Five I write. This week, Jeffrey points out that today can be the perfect day to … share a big dream, ask a question to reframe a conversation, give encouraging feedback, clarify perspectives and more.

Happy Thursday! It’s almost the weekend – who’s pumped? If you had a short week (thanks to Presidents Day) and are trying to cram five days of work into just four days, I feel you. It’s been go go go all week, but if you have a few minutes, I definitely recommend checking out this video about the convergence of IT and marketing.

Marketing and technology truly go hand in hand; one can make the other more efficient and vice versa. But don’t let your technology become a crutch — it can certainly make your life easier but it shouldn’t be the be-all, end-all solution. There’s tons of research out there to support the fact that the best marketing strategy is word of mouth and member recommendation. Create positive relationships with and meaningful experiences for your members, and they’ll give you all the good PR you could ever want.

Welcome to 2011! (Sure, it’s the third day of the new year, but for most people, it’s our first day back in the office.)

It’s common for many of us to set resolutions around this time of year, vowing to become better people, fitter people, more cultured people. But how many of us really keep those resolutions?

Most people make the mistake of setting unrealistic goals. I know there’s no way I’m going to be at the gym at 7 a.m. four days a week. I’m just not a morning person, and my best workouts always occur in the evening. So a more attainable goal for me is to commit to the gym two evenings a week, to complement the running and yoga I already do.

The difference is all about attainability. You have to know your work habits and your own strengths and weaknesses before setting goals or resolutions.

If you’re committing to work-related goals, again, be realistic. The SMART method for goal-setting is a little contrived, but it’s also very applicable. All goals — or resolutions — should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. And it’s even possible that your resolutions could have mini-resolutions that serve as building blocks for the bigger ones.

It’s also important to know when to reevaluate your goals. If you wanted to grow your membership by 10 percent and your membership just wasn’t increasing, either lower your goal (which isn’t necessarily failure!) or reevaluate your membership marketing process. Perhaps there’s something you can do differently.

Do you set New Years resolutions? Why or why not?

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Happy Friday and Happy New Year! It’s been quite a year and we’re excited to see what 2011 has in store for us and everyone in the association community. There are a few fun New Years-themed posts in today’s Friday Top Five, so let’s get to it!

1. Elizabeth Engel discussed resolutions and fresh starts, which is a common theme around this time of year.  How can we be sure we keep our resolutions? Either do something fun, as Elizabeth does, or make someone hold you accountable. Making a change become a permanent fixture in your life isn’t easy. Good luck!

2. In a short and sweet post to close out 2010, Shelly Alcorn reminds us all that life is “just a ride” and that we have nothing to fear. A great post (with a video clip!) to close out 2010.

3. Tony Rossell took a look at three membership marketing resolutions associations should consider for 2011. A great tip: “investing in membership pays dividends for years to come.” He also reminds association professionals to be sure to track their efforts so you know what works and what doesn’t.

4. A great reminder this week came from Rich Millington: when it comes to online communities, slow and steady growth is more important. Fast adoption usually leads to a lot of inactive members, so don’t be discouraged if things take awhile to get rolling.

5. As more and more people from Generation Y (hopefully) start joining your organizations, keep this post in mind, which shares three tips for working with different generations. Finding new opportunities to include the younger generations while still making Baby Boomers feel included can be difficult, but it’s going to be a necessary skill going forward.

Whatever your New Year’s Eve plans entail, we hope everyone has a very happy new year. Thanks for reading the Splash blog in 2010, and we’ll see you in 2011!

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