Back“How can I improve my membership engagement?” That’s a question we often hear at arrivia, particularly at a time when 51% of professionals cite a lack of engagement as the primary driver for membership churn. With the majority of associations agreeing that engagement levels have remained stagnant year-over-year, many have begun brainstorming membership engagement ideas.
If you’re seeking time-tested, association-approved membership engagement strategies, you’ve come to the right place. In today’s post, the engagement experts at arrivia break down the leading-edge membership engagement ideas, from incorporating gamification in loyalty programs to investing in personalized membership engagement programs. Here’s what to know for 2024.
Membership Engagement Ideas: Current Trends
The future of association memberships is increasingly digital — meaning now is the time to embrace the mobile technology influencing membership engagement. A key technology shaping strategies for improved membership participation includes mobile wallet solutions, such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet, which can store membership cards and more.
Mobile wallet solutions enable various membership transactions from mobile devices, like authenticating members’ identities and accessing membership discount cards or event tickets. These solutions go hand-in-hand with blockchain technology, another membership engagement trend that enhances member security and allows seamless transactions across devices.
Common Challenges Faced for Membership Engagement
Though the future of membership engagement is trending digital, the challenges facing membership associations are pretty old school. In a survey of more than 300 association professionals, the vast majority identified member retention techniques and membership engagement ideas as their primary challenges for 2024. However, those are only some of the hurdles to maintaining engagement.
Across the board, associations report a need for membership engagement analytics and minimal resources devoted to innovative member engagement. In fact, only 38% of association professionals have a process in place to re-engage churned members. So, it’s no surprise that most associations seek member retention techniques alongside membership engagement ideas this year.
Many associations need more membership engagement ideas to improve competitive differentiation. Now that most associations cite a lack of engagement as the primary reason current members decide not to renew their membership, the following ideas have emerged as promising solutions to enhance membership value and engagement.
Trending Membership Engagement Ideas
Innovative member engagement hinges on combining modern digital solutions for age-old problems with membership engagement ideas that provide value for current members. Take a look at the top engagement strategies to do just that.
Personalization and Customization
Personalization is the key to membership engagement in 2024. As per a recent McKinsey survey, 71% of members expect organizations to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% report feeling frustrated when organizations do not deliver on that promise. This sentiment can explain why nearly 69% of decision-makers plan to increase their investments in personalization this year.
More than nine in 10 organizations already leverage artificial intelligence (AI) personalization strategies for improved membership participation. AI enables associations to gather data from membership interactions, segment member groups effortlessly, and then automate personalized membership engagement via custom marketing, communications, and unique promotions.
Innovative Communication Channels
The rise of digital engagement solutions has given way to a new era of omnichannel member communication. There are now limitless channels to interact with members with countless technologies for engagement, all of which can be seamlessly synced via secure blockchain technology. The following channels have emerged to drive ongoing membership engagement ideas:
- Web push notifications are a real-time feature available on an association’s website that ensures members receive messages quickly, raising the possibility that they will interact.
- Live chat features, such as AI-powered chatbots, enable businesses to promptly handle member complaints by integrating the feature into their websites and mobile apps, creating direct and instantaneous engagement that improves the entire membership experience.
- In-app messaging is a non-intrusive method of engaging customers within the mobile application environment that’s made possible via platform-focused alerts, which can be used for various purposes, including guiding users through new features and soliciting feedback.
Exclusive Events and Rewards Programs
What’s something that creative rewards programs for businesses share in common? Exclusive events for members. So, why can’t associations apply this concept to membership engagement ideas? With a reliable white label travel rewards partner, you can! Providers like arrivia power unforgettable travel experiences to drive unparalleled membership value.
Experiential perks, such as discounts on travel, custom travel itineraries, and relevant rewards, create a sense of exclusivity for members, enhancing membership value and reducing churn. Considering that 13% of associations that adjusted their events also observed increased membership engagement, members-only get-togethers help enhance membership loyalty.
Gamification Strategies
Did you know that gamification or the application of game-like elements, such as point scoring, helps members enjoy participating almost twice as much? Gamification in loyalty programs is an increasingly popular membership engagement idea, with 50% of members expressing interest in gamification and organizations reporting a near 80% engagement rate for gamified programs.
More cutting-edge membership programs embraced gamification years ago — just look at the wildly popular “Starbucks for Life” Starbucks Rewards program that invites members to play a daily game to win dozens of prizes. The fan-favorite game garners nearly 29 million participants, and Starbucks Corporation reports these engaged members have increased net revenues by up to 14%.
Using arrivia to Implement Membership Engagement Ideas in 2024
Membership engagement is the name of the game for 2024. When brainstorming membership engagement ideas for the year ahead, take a lesson from today’s top membership brands — like American Express, USAA, and Marriott Vacation Club — and partner with arrivia. As the world’s largest stand-alone travel loyalty provider, we’ve excelled at improving membership engagement.
Alongside our best-in-class customer service and in-house marketing teams is a multitude of engagement-focused initiatives, including exclusive discounts, targeted specials for specific tier levels, and incentives like reward credits and cruise excursion credits to enhance membership engagement. Discover how arrivia travel rewards can transform your engagement levels today!
