How knowledge can streamline running membership bodies

There are thousands of clubs, societies and professional institutions that are made up of large numbers of members. Managing these can be a difficult task, but using membership management systems can make it easier and more efficient.

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Understanding your membership

The most effective way of retaining your organisation’s members and keeping them happy is to understand their requirements. Once you know what members want, you can communicate the advantages and services you can offer. By ensuring this information is current you can not only retain your current membership you can help recruit new members.

This communication can be in many forms, traditionally newsletters, but the latest technology means that you can use email or a website to put across your message. Using these routes means that not only can communication be more current, it’s also possible to accurately target groups with particular interests or in specific parts of the country. It’s also key to embrace mobile technology as this is increasingly the most popular way of accessing the web.

Using membership management systems through OFEC it’s possible to introduce self-service options for members upgrading or renewing subscriptions, for example, so you can make savings on the time and cost of running the organisation.

Accurate information



Of course the key to understanding your members is to have accurate, up to date information about them. A good membership system will help you collect this and ensure that it’s stored in compliance with data protection rules.

The more current your information is the more effective will be your communication. It will allow you to precisely target your message at members who have shown an interest in particular areas in the past. This means that when organising events or conferences you’re likely to get a much better take up.

It will also allow you to identify your most loyal members and perhaps be able to recruit them as ambassadors to promote the benefits of membership to others and help recruit new blood. You can of course also learn from members who choose to leave. Good information will allow you to spot trends and identify any particular areas where it’s possible to improve your offerings.

There’s no easy route to making a membership organisation a success, but the more you understand about your members the better you’ll do.

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

The provided text effectively highlights the crucial role of membership management systems in efficiently running clubs, societies, and professional institutions with large member bases. It argues that these systems are vital for understanding and retaining members, ultimately leading to organizational success.

Here's a breakdown of the key points:

The Challenge of Membership Management:

The article starts by acknowledging the inherent difficulty in managing large numbers of members within various organizations. It sets the stage for how technology, specifically membership management systems, offers a solution to this complex task.

Understanding Your Membership:

This is presented as the cornerstone of effective membership retention. The text emphasizes that by knowing what members truly desire, organizations can effectively communicate the benefits and services they offer. Keeping this information current is crucial not only for retaining existing members but also for attracting new ones.

• Modern Communication: The shift from traditional newsletters to digital channels like email and websites is highlighted. This allows for more current communication and, importantly, the ability to accurately target specific groups based on their interests or location. The article also stresses the need to embrace mobile technology due to its increasing popularity for web access.
• Self-Service Options (via OFEC): The text specifically mentions how systems, such as those offered by OFEC, enable self-service options (e.g., for upgrading or renewing subscriptions). This functionality leads to significant time and cost savings for the organization by automating administrative tasks.

Accurate Information - The Foundation:

The article reiterates that accurate and up-to-date member information is the "key to understanding your members." A good membership system facilitates the collection and secure storage of this data, ensuring compliance with data protection rules (like GDPR, if applicable).

• Targeted Communication: Current data allows for precise targeting of messages to members based on their past interests. This, in turn, can lead to a much better take-up rate for events or conferences.
• Identifying Loyal Members and Learning from Departures: Accurate information enables organizations to identify their most loyal members, potentially recruiting them as "ambassadors" to promote membership benefits and aid recruitment. Conversely, it allows organizations to learn from members who choose to leave, helping to identify trends and areas for improvement in their offerings.

Conclusion:

The article concludes by stating that there is "no easy route to making a membership organisation a success," but a deeper understanding of members, facilitated by effective membership management systems, is paramount to achieving that success.

In summary, the article powerfully argues for the adoption of membership management systems as indispensable tools for modern organizations. These systems empower organizations to move beyond manual processes, gain invaluable insights into their member base, streamline communication, automate administrative tasks, and ultimately build stronger, more engaged, and growing communities. The ability to precisely target communication and foster self-service are presented as key drivers of efficiency and member satisfaction.