Are you worried about your organization’s membership – and what will happen to it in the future? It’s imperative to look to the future of your membership – young professionals and college students – to keep things going. But what happens when college students graduate and stop paying dues?

Off the top of my head, I can think of three professional associations that had very active presences on my college campus: the Society of Professional Journalists, Public Relations Society of America and National Association of Black Journalists. (Bet you can’t guess what I majored in!)

Despite my journalism school bias, I know there are tons of associations out there that have active student memberships, and then as soon as those members graduate, they let their memberships lapse. (And I’m one to talk. SPJ, call me!)

As a fairly recent grad myself, I wanted to discuss some (relatively) easy ways to retain your student members after they turn their tassels.

For starters, is there a big gap between the price of student membership and non-student membership? Not to beat a dead horse, but we all know unemployment rates are sky high right now. Unless your recent grads realize the value in their membership, they’re not going to want to shell out for it while they’re still living with mom and dad.

Consider offering a reduced membership rate for young professionals. For example, it could be for only those ages 25 and under, or for those who have been out of school for less than two years. Especially now (there’s that “economy” thing again!) younger members would do well to take advantage of the professional services associations have to offer.

Which brings me to my next point … do you make it clear how membership can make younger members stand out in a sea of resumes? Do you offer exclusive job boards and member profiles with their specific accomplishments? Take advantage of the terrible economy and show young potential members what you can do for them. The earlier in their careers they join, the more likely they are to retain membership down the road.

It should go without saying that ignoring technology and social media is a no-no if you want to recruit the younger demographic. It can be as simple as setting up a Facebook page for younger members to interact or as intricate as setting up your own social network on Ning. (See this post for more details on Ning.)

Speaking from personal experience (and on behalf of my friends), it can be very difficult to find your footing after graduation, especially right now. (For those keeping score, this is Terrible Economy Reference No. 4.) If you don’t already have a mentoring program, consider implementing one. Pair a recently graduated member with an established professional – mentoring works both ways. And maybe the young professional will find their chosen profession isn’t the right fit for them. There’s nothing wrong with that, and in my opinion, the sooner they discover that, the better!

What other suggestions do you have for retaining your student members after they enter the big, bad real world? What has worked (and what hasn’t worked) for your organization?

Happy Friday! How was everyone’s week? I always think the best weeks are those that are busy, but not overwhelmingly so. What’s got you psyched to go to work this week? As always, there were lots of great blog posts in the association community this week — especially with ASAE’s Annual Meeting and Expo just one week away! Here are some of the highlights:

1. David M. Patt had a thoughtful post about understanding entrepreneurs. With advice and tidbits from overhead is not the enemy to owners are hands-on managers, David offers great insight to understand how your members run their businesses. One of my favorites? Personnel practices will be extremely casual. This is especially true in small businesses.

2. At the SocialFish blog, Lindy Dreyer discussed a few non-techie tools every organization needs. Although the three tools are a bit social media-related, it’s always good to have a response plan in order, on the off-chance something bad happens and words get out on various social media channels.

3. Always insightful, Shelly Alcorn shared some lessons from a blog post by advertising executive Alex Bugosky. I’m glad she directed her readers to the original post, otherwise I never would have seen it. The biggest lesson to be learned? Get it right. If you make a mistake, always set the record straight. Be willing to admit you messed up. You’ll earn respect and keep credibility.

4. At the Membership Marketing Blog, Tony Rossell posted a few quick reminders regarding membership renewals. He offers a good rule of thumb for how many “touches” associations should make with their current members, as well as information about how social media and e-mail can be used. Great tips.

5. Last, but of course not least, Joe Sapp continued his series about how an organization should handle a change in leadership. In part three, Joe reminds readers to consider how their membership feels during the transition and to take your time with the wording of the message to them. Everyone in the organization should know the message and the plan to be successful.

We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! And we’re looking forward to meeting you at the Annual Meeting, whether at the expo, the small staff reception or our meeting about social media for small staff professionals.

As you may have heard, the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey came out a few weeks ago. I finally got a chance to read through it, and I found the contents extremely interesting. I’ll be examining some of the findings in several blog posts throughout this week. Up first? Social media and its affect on membership marketing.

Unfortunately, membership renewals have decreased at associations across the board. This begs the question, what can associations do differently to attract and retain new members?

Of course, social media was included in the 2010 survey. It was quite the buzzword in 2009, and affords associations free, alternate ways to communicate with members and let members engage with one another.

Only 8 percent of respondents said their association does not use any form of social media. Organizations said the most effective social media outposts were listservs and private networks. However, the most popular outposts were Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Something’s not quite adding up.

I think it’s important for associations to realize that they may not have to be using these tools if their members don’t want them. Having an established presence on the “Big Three” is important, but not the be-all, end-all solution. Organizations can’t rely on those tools alone.

Of the 407 associations that participated in the survey, 75 percent said they use Facebook, 66 percent use Twitter and 59 percent use LinkedIn. Interestingly, associations that use Twitter, Facebook or a private network are significantly more likely to have a renewal rate of less than 80 percent.

How come? Perhaps once they begin using social media, members find different ways of communicating and the organization no longer seems to provide value, when compared with the “free” culture of the Internet.

The most effective social networks are those within the organization itself – namely, listservs or a private network.

This information was definitely enlightening — and of course, associations still face issues when it comes to marrying the concepts of open social media versus closed social media. Closed is more effective from a membership perspective, but many — including myself— are constantly talking about how great it is to be “open.” How can associations continue to provide value online while increasing membership?

I think it’s important to ask your members what they want. No one’s a mind reader. We can’t look into a crystal ball and see the future. Social media is tricky. It’s difficult to get comfortable with using a trial-and-error method to discovering what works best. Perhaps an official Facebook presence is enough. Perhaps your members love listservs. Don’t force people to use what they don’t want to. First and foremost, ask your members what they want regarding social media, and then back it up with your actions.

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Happy Friday! I hope everyone’s week hasn’t been as crazy as mine! As always there were some great posts around the association community this week.

1. I’m a huge pop culture junkie, so Jeff Hurt’s “Killing Me Softly with Your Lecture” was spot on for me. Jeff goes through reasons why the traditional conference speech doesn’t work, and why the format should be altered. Then, he discusses improved conference environments. As always, Jeff’s blog is a must-read for event and conference planners.

2. Deirdre Reid’s blog is a fantastic resource for associations seeking more information on social media, and this week, she highlighted a presentation she gave at the Association Executives of North Carolina’s Technology Forum. Her comprehensive presentation covers everything association professionals need to consider before integrating it into their communications, no matter what size your organization.

3. A lot of us blog a lot about introducing change to organizations – but what should you do to avoid potential pitfalls? Jeffrey Cufaude wrote a great post this week about mistakes to avoid, and I think the apply to both small-staffs and bigger associations. Nothing guarantees success, Jeffrey writes, but these tips can help point you in the right direction.

4. Cynthia D’Amour’s pup Raindrop weighed in at her blog this week, asking chapter leaders if they stay patient when teaching members “new tricks.” As the saying goes, patience is a virtue, and many of us sometimes get carried away when teaching or doing something new.

5. Over at the Membership Marketing Blog, Tony Rossell wrote an interesting piece about membership trends in 2009 and 2010. Unfortunately, from last year to this one, there has been a decidedly downward trend. Luckily, member input has either increased or remained the same.

Now could be the time to start experimenting with different membership models. What membership trends is your organization experiencing?

Have a great weekend!

When you survey members to gauge their satisfaction with their memberships, do you ask them to rate programs and services in terms of “usefulness” and “criticalness?”

Rather than striving stay relevant in this fast-paced society, aim higher. Be indispensable.

There’s a reason there’s an association for everything. Each one is designed to meet the needs of a special audience. Those of us at MemberClicks are reminded of this every day, as we serve many small-staff organizations specifically tailored toward their members’ unique needs.

It’s vital for association staffers to remember that there is no such thing as a typical member, so stop trying to cater your organization’s programs to fit an “average perception.” Don’t be average. Be extraordinary.

Even though members’ expectations can vary depending on their situations, it’s still possible to incite passion and commitment among them.

Does your mission statement reflect what makes your members special?

Does your communication drive the entire association?

Do the staff’s actions  create value “both within the marketplace and within an organization?”

Do you have a grander vision for your association?

Offer programs and services intrinsic to your members’ wellbeing. And don’t be afraid to get rid of programs that are highly rated as “useless.”

Just because your association has a high renewal rate doesn’t mean nothing should change within the organization. Make every effort to form a genuine sense and commitment toward indispensability.

Everyone in your organization should know how to best present the mission and energize members, volunteers and board members.

Once your team has a clear vision of the association’s mission, they will be able to more effectively demonstrate how and why the organization is irreplaceable in its members’ lives, which should be the all-encompassing goal.

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