For many associations, it’s easy to get caught up in the marketing efforts associated with attracting new members. But as important as membership growth is, renewal is key.

If you’re looking to bump up your membership renewals, we can help. By following a few best practices, you can actually increase the likelihood that members will rejoin. Take a look!

Send new members a warm welcome email

The membership renewal process begins as soon as a member joins. Trust us, first impressions last, so it’s crucial to engage your members upfront. When a new member joins your organization, send them a warm welcome email. This step might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many associations get it wrong. Don’t just send new members a standard email welcoming them to your organization. Personalize it! Or better yet, have someone give them a call. New members like to be acknowledged, and they’ll appreciate the extra effort.

Launch an email marketing campaign one to three months prior to expiration

According to Marketing General Incorporated’s (MGI) 2014 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, email marketing, direct mail, and staff phone calls generate more membership renewals than any other marketing channels. So if you’re looking to boost your membership renewal rates (and who isn’t?), consider launching an email marketing campaign one to three months prior to membership expiration.

If you’re using an association management system (AMS), this process is easy. All you have to do is log in to the system once and create a series of reminder emails. Then, whenever a member gets close to expiration, the AMS will automatically send those emails out for you, without you having to do any extra work. Not to mention, an AMS can integrate with your organization’s database, allowing you to personalize your email reminders. Names, dates, prices, etc. You name it, an AMS can pull it. And remember – the more personalized your email is, the more likely your members are to read it.

Allow for one-clicks renewals via email, your website, or member profiles 

The more complicated your renewal process, the less likely members are to complete it. Make it easy on your members by allowing for one-click renewals via email, your website, or member profiles. If you’re using an AMS, you can pre-populate online renewal fields with information from the year before, making it even easier for members to complete all of the forms they need. MemberClicks is a good example of this. Our platform allows for one-click renewals, so all your members have to do is enter their payment information and go.

For more best practices for membership renewals, download our free Membership Renewal Guide below!