Member onboarding is more than simply sending out a welcome packet. It is a big piece (if not the biggest piece) of the membership life cycle.
Statistics show that it costs 7x more to obtain a new member than to retain a current one. Proper onboarding is critical to member retention and pays off in the long run.
Connecting and engaging an association member during their first 12 months is important because:
- Members are new, motivated, and excited
- You have their attention and one chance to set the tone
- First-year members have the worst renewal rates
If your onboarding protocol is simply adding a new member to your association’s email list, you’re not only missing a valuable opportunity, you’re creating more work for yourself in the long run.
You can use our free timeline as a guide to help new members become engaged with your association. Take it a step further and automate your plan with GrowthZone membership management software.
Remember, a strategy to improve onboarding and engagement builds a strong foundation for long-term membership, so it’s a process that is worth investing in.