5 Ways To Make Your Membership Program Stand Out

Written by: Kadena Tate, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

If you're looking for ways to make your membership program stand out, you're in the right place! In this blog post, we will discuss five ways that you can create a member-centric culture and improve your membership experience.

Cultivate a Disruption Mindset

Cultivating a disruption mindset is key – members today are looking for more than just discounts and access to content. They want unique experiences and opportunities to connect with other members. For example, here are the seven futurist tools to support you:

• The Exponential Organizational Model which helps you identify and map out the key areas of your membership program that need to be disrupted for it to stay relevant. Perhaps it is time to overhaul your communication strategy, dues offerings, or event schedule?

• The Double Diamond Design Process which is a framework for thinking about and approaching design problems in a more human-centered way. This can be applied to the design of your member journey, from awareness to advocacy.

• Futures Wheel which is a tool that helps you explore future scenarios and identify key areas of change. This can be used to help you anticipate member needs and design membership offerings that meet those needs.

• Foresight Mapping which allows you to identify weak signals and trends that could impact your membership program in the future. This can help you be proactive in your approach to membership and stay ahead of the curve. For example, in order to pivot during periods of economic downturn, you may need to offer more flexible membership options or services.

• The STEEP Framework which is a tool for identifying social, technological, economic, environmental, and political trends. This can help you understand the macro-environment in which your membership program operates and identify potential opportunities or threats.

• Trendspotting which is all about identifying new trends and patterns in data. This can be used to help you identify new opportunities for your membership program, as well as areas that may need some attention. For example, demand for virtual events skyrocketed during the pandemic and as social distancing measures continue, it is likely that this trend will continue.

• Organizational Transformation Roadmaps which help you understand how different innovations can be integrated into your organization to create a more member-centric culture.

Clarify Value Proposition

The second step to creating a member-centric culture is understanding why people join your association, membership program, mastermind, or recurring based subscription experience. It's not enough to simply offer discounts or access to content ‒ members today are looking for more unique experiences that offer opportunities to connect with other members. Some questions you can ask yourself to clarify your value proposition include:

• What needs does my membership program meet?

• What are the unique benefits that my membership program offers?

• How does my membership program compare to other similar programs on the market?

• What makes my membership program different and unique?

By taking the time to answer these questions, you will be able to develop a clear and concise value proposition that will help you attract and retain members.

Improve Member Experience

The third step to creating a member-centric culture is improving your member experience. This can be done by ensuring that your membership program is easy to use and navigate, providing valuable and relevant content, and offering opportunities for members to connect with each other. Some ways you can improve your member experience include:

• Making it easy for members to find what they are looking for on your website or within your membership portal

• Offering a variety of interesting and engaging content that meets the needs of your members

• Creating opportunities for members to connect with each other, such as through forums, social media groups, or in-person events

• Making it easy for members to provide feedback so that you can continuously improve your offerings

Innovate your service delivery model

The fourth step to creating a member-centric culture is innovating your service delivery model. This means thinking outside the box to create unique and memorable experiences for your members. Some ways you can innovate your service delivery model include:

• Offering exclusive access to content or events

• Creating a VIP experience with special perks and benefits

• Developing an engaging and interactive membership portal

• Making it easy for members to connect with each other through social media groups or forums

• Hosting virtual events or meetups

Iterate your way to awesome

The fifth and final step to creating a member-centric culture is iterating your way to awesome. This means continuously testing and refining your offerings to ensure that you are providing the best possible experience for your members. Some ways you can iterate your way to awesome include:

• Conducting surveys or focus groups with members to get feedback on your offerings

• Testing new features or content on a small scale before rolling them out to all members

• Implementing changes based on member feedback

• Continuously monitoring engagement levels and making changes as necessary

By following these five steps, you can create a member-centric culture that will help you attract and retain members. By taking the time to understand the needs of your members and delivering an engaging and memorable experience, you will be well on your way to success. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for creating a member-centric culture, these five steps will help you get started. Keep in mind that it is important to continuously test and refine your offerings to ensure that you are providing the best possible experience for your members. By taking the time to understand the needs of your members and delivering an engaging and memorable experience, you will be well on your way to success. What are some other ways you can make your membership program stand out? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Kadena Tate, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Kadena Tate is the author of “Cultivating Courage: The Path to Reclaiming Your Power” and contributing author of the NY Times Bestseller “Business Model You,” published by Wiley Press. In addition to writing books, Kadena also works as a revenue strategist and business model designed for authors, coaches, and speakers who want to create movements, masterminds, and membership programs.