As an association professional, you face a variety of challenges:
- Acquiring and retaining members.
- Driving non-dues revenue.
- Gaining the insights you need to make informed business decisions.
How do you begin to tackle them?
The good news is that you’re not alone. Others are taking on common challenges that face associations, and they’re sharing their stories.
Here are three common membership management challenges and real-world examples of how associations solved them:
Retaining members with AI and predictive analytics
There are many effective ways to reduce member churn. But, one of the most effective is a proactive approach that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics. Using AI tools, you can predict which members are at highest risk of non-renewal. Then, you can reach out to save them before they leave.
For example, Marine Corps Association & Foundation (MCA&F) was seeing about 1,000 lapsed members each month. Using Nimble AMS Prediction Builder – which uses the AI technology, Salesforce Einstein – the organization implemented a solution that automatically identifies members at high risk of lapsing and presents staff with suggested actions to take to prevent non-renewal.
Once the association rolled out the AI process and trained staff on it, it was then easy for MCA&F staff to see warning signals for members at risk of lapsing. Now, when an at-risk member is discovered, staff are automatically presented with actionable steps to take with the member. The result: 25 percent of members at high risk of non-renewal have been saved.
Increasing non-dues revenue with an online storefront.
You likely have activities in place to drive non-dues revenue, but how can you increase that revenue? Try optimizing your non-dues revenue activities.
Here’s an example: Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) already hosts Yankee Dental Congress, one of the top three dental meetings in the U.S. Using Nimble AMS, they created an online storefront for their event, which allows companies that target dental professionals, such as 3M and Colgate, to purchase booth space and sponsorships in a way that’s more convenient for the sponsors and easier for MDS staff to manage.
Making smarter business decisions with analytics and dashboards.
It’s tough to make business decisions without the right insights into your membership. Analytics and dashboard functionality can help you see key business data and spot trends quickly to help you serve your members better, identify opportunities, and solve issues before they surface.
For example, Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) struggled to access the data they needed to serve their company and individual members. Just to access primary member contact information, employees had to piece together queries or use other workarounds. After moving from their old association management software (AMS) to Nimble AMS, PEI now has easier and more reliable access to their member data so they can make smarter business decisions. Even non-technical staff can now easily pull and configure membership reports and create quick-reference dashboards for the executive team.
