Thanks to the hyperconnectivity of today’s association landscape, membership and marketing data are never more than a click away. However, more data doesn’t always mean more understanding. Many membership organizations are capturing far more data than they are using – and they are getting caught up in stats rather than fruitful analysis. So, how do we focus on the forest, and not the trees? Let’s take a look!
Understanding the Weakness of Individual Available Data Points
Most associations already have extensive data on their members but are unsure how to store, implement, and utilize it in an actionable way. For example, it is incredibly common for associations to have the following data, but all stored in different, disconnected locations:
- Membership Applications
- Online Learning Platform Engagement
- Event Registrations
- Website Analytics
- Surveys and Feedback Forms
- Email Analytics
- Social Media Engagement
That’s a ton of data! But without centralizing or combining it, most leaders will be left with an incomplete or even inaccurate assumption of how engaged their members truly are.
Let’s take a look at one sample member – we’ll call them Kelly K. Kelly K. is a CEO and attends nearly every meeting and networking event. However, Kelly’s Executive Assistant manages her email and he is signed up to get everything Kelly gets, so Kelly rarely engages directly with mass emails. On the flipside, Kelly filled out the survey from the latest event and volunteered to join the Board of Directors. Unfortunately, security protocols at her office prevent her computer from tracking any web browser activity. By one metric, Kelly is the perfect member. By another, she is at risk of dropping her membership.
CEO Kelly K. represents a common and realistic member persona. Her association has a variety of information about her, but it’s siloed. Therefore, at any given point the marketing department may see her as a membership risk while the membership department sees her as a steward or champion.
Using Technology to Understand the Member Holistically
No association needs to utilize every tool on the market. Believe us, there are a lot and none of them are perfect. Associations should prioritize finding the right tool for right now, and then be prepared to adapt and migrate to new technology more rapidly than ever before. The following tools and tech are crucial in building a holistic understanding of your members.
AMS Platform
Associations absolutely must have a powerful Association Management System to engage and manage members these days. These member-focused CRM platforms like iMIS or YourMembershp track member interactions, purchases, renewals, and so much more. There are options for every budget, regardless of association size. What is becoming one of the most important determining factors for an AMS is the ability to share data with other systems (import AND export) via an API. Without this, your valuable data will remain walled off from any other system that you might use to make decisions.
Website Analytics
While associations will have extensive data points from their membership platforms, emails, and social media tools, the power of website analytics should never be overlooked. Utilizing tools like Google Analytics and Heat Mapping tools like Hot Jar, the user journey can be tracked on the website providing a deeper understanding of both members’ behavior and potential members’ interactions with an association’s website features. Reviewing these analytics allows you to understand why drop-offs occur and what content is most engaging, allowing for a more customized member experience in the long run.
Email Marketing
While most marketers undoubtedly have their favorite email marketing tool like MailChimp or HigherLogic, there are hundreds of email marketing platforms out there, some with more features than others. When considering an email marketing platform for associations specifically, you’ll want to pay close attention to integration and segmentation capabilities.
- Can the tool integrate with your AMS via an API or otherwise?
- Is there a tool that’s available as a native add-on?
- How much data can be written directly back to your members’ profiles in the AMS so that you have one-stop access to increased engagement?
- How much data from your AMS can be used to build segments or lists in your email marketing?
Even though inboxes are seemingly flooded with emails every day, email continues to be ranked as the most preferred and effective method of communication to members from their association.
Automation
Now, if we’re considering purchasing these various tools, how do we prevent them from still staying siloed? Automation. Associations need to leverage data across disparate platforms by using automation tools like Zapier to pull data together in one location. That may be your AMS (hopefully), but it may not. There are other tools on the market that serve as analytical dashboards that use automated data flows from four, five even ten different sources to build more robust portrayals of your members. The presence of APIs that we mentioned above is a necessity for automation.
And of course, AI
It’s time to use AI as more than a replacement for your search engine. With a centralized database of valuable member information, AI can empower you to make decisions on new member benefits, engage with members via chat, run analyses on the members most at risk of lapsing and so much more. Whether your organization uses something that’s already on the market like DataScout, or works with a consultant to craft an AI agent specific to your mission, it’s time to take it seriously as your association’s best new way to benefit your members.
Markitecture Can Assist in Turning Data into Actionable Insights
Are you an association looking to utilize your existing data to create actionable marketing strategies for your members? Markitecture has proven experience with associations of varying sizes in helping them achieve their goals through membership marketing strategies. Contact us today to learn more.