The next time you go to build a communication for members, whether it’s general engagement, for an event or some other purpose, try this approach and see what happens. Ask yourself, “What would be nice to know from members that they care about, and will help us understand them better?”

Have you heard of the Sunday Scaries? I’ve suffered from this phenomenon myself. If you’re not familiar with the term, it refers to the anxiety - perhaps, dread - that many people feel on Sunday, in anticipation of the work week ahead. Ironically, in the process of anticipating Monday, having the Sunday Scaries actually robs one of the enjoyment of half of their weekend.

Recently, an association leader who was on a call with our team re-stated the challenge of association member communications with a baseball analogy. His take: the majority of communications sent to members are “Home Run Emails,” or emails with calls to action that ask a lot of a member. when this communication style is the majority of how your members are interacting with the organization, they begin to tune out, no matter how great your copy is written and call to action is worded. It all looks and feels the same after a while, literally.

With the release of several industry reports, including MCI’s Association Engagement Index 2022, Higher Logic’s 2022 Association Member Experience Report and Amanda Kaiser’s New Member Engagement Study (NMES), there is a heightened buzz in the association community around how well members are being served, heard and valued. Across these reports, the consensus is that most associations are providing a C level experience. Associations are making some efforts, and members are recognizing them. For example, the Higher Logic report indicates that “64% of members said a personalized member experience is important to them, but only 46% said their association provides a personalized member experience.” There is hope, and still a lot of work to be done when it comes to fully serving members.

What's the difference between PropFuel and marketing automation? There are some very distinct differences between the two; and, you can use the platforms together to create a powerful, ongoing process of understanding member needs and delivering on them.

In our first “Fireside Fuel” – a video conversation to highlight PropFuel client successes – Lili Arguello from PIHRA joins PropFuel team members, Ashley Wucher, Client Success Manager and Brianne Wheeler, Director of Marketing, for a conversation around two campaigns that solved data challenges, helped PIHRA gain new member insights and enabled the association to take immediate action.