It will come as no surprise to those in the industry that the association landscape is changing. 

Indeed, it has been in flux for some time, and many organisations have seen membership numbers dwindling as they struggled to stay relevant in a new digital age. 

However, new research suggests that membership growth may be finally on an upward trend.

A recent Australasian Society of Association Executives (AUSAE) report found that in 2023, 50% of associations reported that their membership numbers increased, with 6% seeing ‘significant’ growth. Of those whose membership fell, most reported a decline of less than 3%.

While every association faces its own unique advantages and challenges, there are some trends that savvy leaders have employed to retain members and protect their organisation’s long-term success.

Become a must-join organisation

One of the best ways associations ensure success is by becoming essential to their members.

For some professional bodies, this comes built-in. For example, CPA Australia manages the Chartered Practising Accountant accreditation, meaning members must maintain their membership to keep their CPA status. 

However, organisations without accreditations can also become must-join associations.

The key to success here is having a great member value proposition (MVP) that includes clear added value and benefits to target members, audiences and segments. Research has shown that fewer than 60% of associations have a clear MVP.

Behind a great MVP is a clear understanding of what members really want. This can vary greatly depending on an association’s audience, but often, this will include things like regular high-quality events, opportunities for development and networking sessions and news and updates about the profession or area of expertise.

Not only does a compelling MVP help retain members, but many associations are finding it’s a valuable source of new members, with referrals accounting for 24% of all new membership growth.

Market effectively

In a time when many associations are having to do more with less, it can be challenging to justify the cost of marketing and communication activities.

However, the value of marketing is clear, with 66% of membership growth facilitated by improved brand awareness or reputation.

While actual investment can vary, some say that a non-profit marketing allocation, including staff costs, should account for at least 5% of an organisation’s budget. 

But, when money is tight, savvy association leaders are taking time to figure out where their dollars are best spent and finding creative ways to get more bang for their buck.

For example, one organisation found they could boost their email effectiveness by 22% by pairing them with a simultaneous LinkedIn ad. Not only did this boost outcomes, but it also reduced the number of pay-per-click ads required, thereby reducing overall spend. 

Effective marketing can have a huge impact on an organisation’s recruitment and retention success, but it must be done strategically, consistently and in an engaging and targeted way.

Appeal to a younger crowd

Another common challenge for associations today is the struggle to attract younger members. However, as older generations retire and transition out of the workforce, it’s vital that associations replace them with younger members.

When it comes to appealing to the youth, association leaders need to be aware of and avoid the false consensus effect.

The false consensus effect is when we assume others are far more similar to us than they are. In an association setting, this can see senior leaders project the interests, goals and thoughts of their younger selves onto the young people of today, rather than taking the time to understand what they really want and need. 

Right now, organisations of all types are trying to understand Gen Z—those born between the mid 1990s and the early 2000s. Research shows this generation of digital natives value authenticity, peer recommendations and clearly-defined association benefits far more than older groups. 

The American Marketing Association has been successfully leveraging Instagram to engage with a Gen Z audience, creating dynamic and relevant content that meets their needs.

Invest in events

For many individuals, events are one of the largest benefits of being a part of an association. 

Indeed, research has shown that networking with colleagues, peers and other industry professionals is the top reason people join an association, representing 67%. Education (42%) and accessing up-to-date or specialist information (32%) took out second and third place, with discounts, career advancement, advocacy and mission-based drivers falling behind. 

Events are the one thing that can meet all three of these top needs.

Further, events contribute to a sense of community amongst members. Having a strong community facilitates support, collaboration and knowledge sharing, thereby increasing an association’s MVP and helping them retain members. 

Of course, the key for many association events professionals is delivering valuable, engaging events within a limited budget. 

One way some association leaders are navigating this is through an increased focus on online events, like webinars. Not only are they relatively cheap to produce, saving money on venues, catering, travel and staffing costs, but they also open up the possibility of reaching new members in regional and rural areas, as well as across the globe. 

Another exciting development is the new trend of associations offering on-demand content, which is particularly valued by younger members, such as Gen Z. This allows associations to populate a digital library of pre-recorded events, webinars and other online content, which can then be offered as a value-add to members. 

Some are even embracing on-demand content as a way to increase revenue, offering access to the wider public for a one-time or ongoing fee. In fact, one organisation that adopted a subscriber approach found that their non-member subscribers made a bigger financial contribution than their members!

Ready to revolutionise your events?

At evexus, we work with associations from across Australia to help them deliver incredible events to their members. Our event management software is easy to use and seamless to run, saving you time and money while boosting your event success. 

Get in touch today to book a demo or find out more.