The most successful association management solutions (AMS) leaders use different benchmarks and scores to determine the potential value of every new member that comes their way. Known as member scoring, this process has since become a staple of nearly every association that wants to improve member engagement.
In the simplest terms, member engagement gives your association insight into the participation levels of your membership base - either individually or as a whole. However, the exact definition of membership engagement varies greatly between associations.
It's essentially about the value that each member provides in contrast with the amount of resources or benefits they receive from your organization - and it isn't always easy to determine.
While you can attach your own definition to the term, it's best to think of membership engagement as a continuous, evolving concept.
What is considered positive member engagement right now might not be as relevant in a year or two, so it's best to adjust your standards of engagement as time goes on.
How to maximize member engagement
There are some steps you can take to maximize member engagement and ensure that everyone - including individual members and your association - are receiving the greatest value from their time and resources.
Start by grading membership engagement on both the individual and group level. Think of it like a high school report card, and assign As or Bs for the most engaged members. You can also use a point-based system to achieve the same results.
Consider the following scoring strategy:
The tiered system is somewhat simple and straightforward, making it easy to determine the value of each membership tier. It also streamlines the processes of outreach and engagement by highlighting groups that need the most attention.
In this case, Tier 2 and Tier 3 members are those who are most likely to not renew their memberships and, as such, require the maximum amount of outreach and individual attention.
Maintaining engagement over the course of time
After you've defined membership engagement by your own terms and placed members into the relevant categories, it's time to maintain those satisfactory levels of engagement while working on those that are struggling.
This is where an efficient grading system really comes in handy. Not only does it help you categorize your members in the first place, but it also provides a great benchmark for measuring your progress in the future.
If you still need help determining engagement amongst your membership base, or if you want to make the most out of your current membership base as soon as possible, contact the professionals at Impexium right away. Not only does our AMS put more power into your hands, but it also allows you to make better decisions and serve your members with greater efficiency.