a_association-education_4-things-your-should-be-doing-to-attract-retain-the-next-generation-of-members_newsletter_2013

Association Education Newsletter Update May 2013 Learning Resources Network (LERN) © LERN Exclusive to Members Four Things You Should be Doing to Attract and Retain the Next Generation of Members By Susan Davis, CPP Like many associations, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is working diligently to attract and retain the next generation of members In 2008, ASCE formed a committee to ensure the association was providing the right resources to younger members and communicating with them through the appropriate channels Recommendations included: • Encourage increased employer support of younger members • Involve younger members in government relations and local infrastructure assessment • Present opportunities through webinars and roundtable discussions In this ongoing effort, ASCE’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) created an inter-divisional working group This inter-divisional group’s purpose was to consider enhancements to member benefits in the summer of 2012 One of the group’s tasks was to identify member benefits that would attract new members and retain more existing members The group conducted research, discussed ASCE’s current practices, and prepared recommendations for the SLT to consider As a Gen Y member of the working group, I was asked to lead the younger member (YM) and students’ section of the working group report A summary of our findings: Find out what younger members want Associations must first understand what younger members want out of a professional membership Then, make it easy for them to find out how your professional organization can satisfy that want Data from focus groups, surveys and meetings can provide insight into the daily lives and needs of younger members This data can help associations serve them better According to, The End of Membership as We Know It1, “younger people seek a return for membership including: • Tangible member services • High levels of accountability Identify what your association has to offer them • Identifiable career advantages Any association or group that wants to attract and retain a younger audience must start with the basics: • A sense of professional community • Opportunities to serve within associations” • Make sure the benefits and resources you already offer to younger members are clear and easy to access • Benefits should be listed as outcomes1 For example, if members report that association membership led to more job offers, such reports should be noted as a beneficial outcome • Websites should not look as if they were the first webpage ever created Remember that Gen Y grew up on the internet and expects organizations to keep up with technology Susan Davis, CPP, is a Senior Coordinator in the Continuing Education Department at the American Society of Civil Engineers She graduated from Longwood University in 2007 with a B.S in Psychology 3 Reach out to potential members Clarify your message and benefits, then find out where your potential members search for information: • Gen Y spends a lot of time online – find out where your target audience convenes and connect with them there For example, study how colleges are using Pinterest as an educational tool2 • Enlist the help of Gen Y’s to attract their peers Younger member blogs or testimonials provide peerto-peer insight A good example of such a practice is seen on the blog “Bridging the Gap,” in which a younger ASCE member shares his experiences as a young engineer and his involvement with ASCE3 Keep younger members engaged Make sure your association has the resources and opportunities to keep Gen Y members engaged in order to retain them as members or customers • Increase student and younger member participation/ exposure One recommendation was to reserve spots on the ASCE board/committees for younger members Participation early on in one’s membership will likely lead to a more active member later on in their career • Create more sessions/events geared towards younger members to make those events more attractive to these younger members • Conduct speed networking for students and younger members at conferences This twist on standard networking events will promote the meeting of individuals who may be hesitant to meet without a structured environment • Add multimedia to younger member and student member web pages Multimedia elements will enrich content and attract visitors • Create a YM Spotlight For providing guidance to students preparing to transition into their professional careers, a YM Spotlight provides a path they can follow Resources Sladek, Sarah L 2011 The End of Membership As We Know It: Building the Fortune-Flipping, Must-Have Association of the Next Century, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, Washington, D.C http://www.avatargeneration.com/2012/12/15-collegesusing-pinterest-as-educational-media/ Maschke, Ken, “Bridging the Gap” Retreived February 4, 2013 http://blogs.asce.org/bridgingthegap/ Future Research SEO.com Retreived February 10, 2013 http://www.seo com/resources/10-step-guide-for-using-pinterest-formarketing-ebook/thanks/ http://themillennialimpact.com/wp-content/ uploads/2012/06/TheMillennialImpactReport2012.pdf Associations must evolve to attract the next generation of members We must begin now to develop our resources and communications to attract those who represent our future Non Profit Organization US Postage Paid Saginaw, MI Permit No 52 www.lern.org Learning Resources Network PO Box River Falls, WI 54022 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Association Education Newsletter Update May 2013 Four Things You Should be Doing to Attract and Retain the Next Generation of Members By Susan Davis, CPP Learning Resources Network (LERN) © LERN Exclusive to Members