Can your nonprofit grow through member focus? Ask yourself these two questions.
Who is your association for and how clearly can you describe them?
You can “test your vision” by defining what makes members and non-members different. For example, could you look at a list of people and accurately predict which are members and not from the data? If not, you need to tighten your member focus.
In the past, we relied on research at best and instinct at worst to profile who members are and what they want. Maybe built personas. But they all usually described joiners and non-joiners the same way. We can do much better than that in the age of big data. The most potent, predictive segmentations are not about who people are. They are about what they care about. Just as your value drives your organization, so too are your members. Data can help us get in touch with what it looks like and how your organization should use it to tighten your member focus.
One prominent medical society used outside and internal data to define its audience. First, they perceived four “attitudes,” or interest groups, that described them. Next, they used these groups to predict, at an individual level, which segment(s) they belonged to. Focusing their messaging along these segments tripled their growth rate in one year. Contrary to popular belief, doing more for your members does not necessarily mean delivering more value. Doing more of what your members need and making sure they clearly understand how that can benefit them does. Data insights drive this home. If you think this sophistication is beyond your reach, they did too. But today’s tools and resources make yesterday’s impossible the table stakes of today.
In the past, we relied on research at best and instinct at worst to profile who members are and what they want. Maybe built personas. But they usually described joiners and non-joiners the same way. We can do much better than that in the age of big data. The most potent, predictive segmentations are not about who people are. People are about what they care about. Data can help us in touch with that, too.
One prominent medical society used outside and internal data to define its audience. First, they perceived four “attitudes,” or interest groups, that described them. Next, they used these groups to predict, at an individual level, which segment(s) they belonged to. Focusing their messaging along these segments tripled their growth rate in one year. If you think this sophistication is beyond your reach, they did too. But today’s tools and resources make yesterday’s impossible the table stakes of today.
Is what your association does for members unique, and how hard would it be to duplicate?
Test your product focus. Ask yourself how quickly a well-resourced competitor could do the same things you do. If the answer is anything but “never,” you have more room to focus on your work. Organizations that can “own” a tightly-defined area of interest can win against much larger competitors. They can build fanatically loyal audiences and serve them exquisitely tailored offerings. Some smaller medical societies that have mastered this strategy have grown at eye-popping rates. Focusing on interests over descriptions has even drawn new members from outside their specialty. Even people that may not fit into your organization’s typical idea of what a member looks like may be able to benefit from what you have to offer. The key to capitalizing on their capability to help you grow is to champion a value proposition that is so clear that the benefits of joining are undeniable.
Larger organizations with “umbrella” missions struggle here. They believe that they must serve every need of their entire audience. In reality, you best serve those who engage with you, and member focus drives engagement. If you focus on doing what you do best and ensuring your members know what that is, your ideal members will come to you. But to do this, it might be time to start stopping old practices that are holding you back from membership growth. It is challenging to stop doing some things and start doing more of others. The crucial first step to growth is the realization that member focus equals power and that less is more.
Larger organizations with “umbrella” missions struggle here. They believe that they must serve every need of their entire audience. In reality, you best serve those who engage with you, and member focus drives engagement. It is challenging to stop doing some things and start doing more of others. The crucial first step to growth is the realization that member focus equals power and that less is more.