It’s true. Eager to get some overgrown garden beds under control, last weekend our family became the proud owner of a Ryobi 40-volt brushless lithium-ion cordless chainsaw. Because I’m not in the habit of buying power tools, and the cost of all available options wasn’t what I could classify as insignificant, I approached the purchase as I do most others. I asked friends and family for their thoughts, went online, watched a handful of videos and read reviews on different hardware store websites before walking into the store and completing the transaction.

While I’ve spent much of my career in nonprofit technology, an equal number of years saw me working in ecommerce. As a marketer, and a product manager, I built campaigns and tools to help retailers and brands reach consumers no matter where they were – on a mobile device, online, in-store – and to ensure the experience was a seamless one. The idea of omnichannel wasn’t new to me and has been the way I’ve bought pretty much everything for the last decade (or more).

Apparently, I’m no longer alone. According to Google, 98 percent of Americans switch devices over the course of that day and IT research firm Aberdeen Group reports more than half of all companies are trying to reach us through no fewer than eight channels. It seems all of us have become accustomed to what retailers have dubbed the omnichannel experience, where a shopper engages through a series of channels to complete a transaction. Whether it’s the chainsaw you started researching online and bought in-store, or the beauty product you saw on the shelf and purchased via the web after reading reviews, the importance of a consistent experience designed to help the end user accomplish a goal has never been more important.

What does it all mean for nonprofits? A lot, actually.

Personify first noticed this phenomenon in our landmark Young Members 2.0 research published earlier this year. Digital, social, live events and even phone calls worked together to communicate value, creating a memorable, meaningful experience and both Millennial and Gen Z members reported engaging through a variety of channels in pursuit of what they understood as a single, consistent objective: to be a member. We found ourselves asking if this was isolated behavior, unique to young members who we recognized as sophisticated in their technology use or was there more to the story?

If you want answers, you need to ask questions. In July of 2019, we launched new research into the field, to expand on some of Personify’s earlier discoveries, exploring how all members, regardless of where they are in their membership journey, perceive membership and to better understand how they engage with the various channels used by associations.

What did we learn? A lot. While we’re putting the finishing touches on the report itself, we discovered that the omnichannel behaviors members show as consumers are now influencing how they engage with membership organizations. With the ability to deliver a seamless and consistent experience across channels, omnichannel can boost both a deeper relationship between the member and association plus yield bottom-line results driving a 30% higher lifetime customer value.

Other key findings:

• Engagement via different channels isn’t a phenomenon unique to younger members. 73% of users across all generations report using multiple channels to engage with their favorite brands when provided with the option to do so.
• Membership is important…but it may not be enough long-term. Nearly three-in-four of members surveyed reported that it is important to them personally to be part of an association, with half contending it is very important. But this wasn’t the feeling across all generations and there was a sharp drop-off in value with one particular segment we surveyed.
• The top engagement channels weren’t necessarily the ones associations are telling us are their areas of focus, and there was a huge surprise in terms of what most beloved by our youngest survey respondents.
• In-person events continued to perform well as an engagement channel, but many channels associations are using to replicate these connections online aren’t just failing to meet expectations, they’re actively disliked!

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There were additional bombshells that caught us off guard and very obvious ways in which associations can leverage what was uncovered about channel effectiveness to begin crafting that retail-like omnichannel experience members crave.

Interested in learning more? Join us for a free on-demand Webinar.

The post Omnichannel Membership: 4 Ways Consumer Trends are Influencing Your Constituents’ Behavior appeared first on Personify.

Personify’s EPiC Program

What goes in to becoming an EPiC Specialist, which stands for someone who has Exceptional Potential early In their Career? The EPiC Program a year-long rotational program at Personify with rotations in three departments, with four months spent in each one. EPiC Specialists develop new skillsets in each department and become crucial members of the team throughout each rotation.

As a member of Personify’s inaugural EPiC class, I can share that I have learned so much over the past months of being an Epic Specialist, not just about who I was professionally but as a coworker, employee and mentee.

My EPiC Rotations

I started my rotation in Human Resources, learning the ins and outs of a company and understanding what it takes to create a strong corporate culture and environment within a company. My first rotation helped me understand how to interview candidates for jobs, recruiting best practices and how to create a team of happy employees at Personify. I am convinced that everyone should work in HR at some point in their life to understand just how impactful they are to driving the company’s culture and that they are the foundation for the organization’s success.

My next two rotations had me join the marketing team, initially in Brand and Communications and then in Demand Generation. My daily activities include managing social media, creating content and learning the ins and out of the tactics and execution of a marketing campaign. As part of the marketing team, I learned how much work and persistence goes into the daily upkeep of a corporate brand. I was given countless opportunities for new experiences that I never thought I would be doing. From planning our annual Sales Kick Off meeting, planning and attending PersoniFest, our annual user conference, and helping create content for social media–I had multiple experiences that helped me grow.

I was faced with challenges and tasks that helped me grow in my career. Throughout the rotations, I interacted with departments across the organization where I need to hone my project management skills and develop close relationships with new teammates. I didn’t just learn about Human Resources and Marketing, I learned life skills that I will take with me wherever I go. While I developed tangible career skills, I learned a lot about myself as well—including how I best work with others, meeting deadlines under pressure and managing my daily tasks.

Reflecting on my Experience

As a recent college grad, job hunting was a daunting task that sometimes seemed impossible and, without truly knowing what I wanted to do, I was afraid that my job search would be an uphill battle. Then I found the EPiC Program. This program is perfect for someone who isn’t quite sure what they want to do but are looking for exposure to multiple teams and projects.

As I am closing this chapter as an EPiC specialist, I am reflecting back on how many opportunities I had to learn and grow in this program. I discovered what I really enjoy doing and the environments that help me thrive and grow. The EPiC program allowed me and my colleagues to better understand how different departments and teams come together to build a successful organization.

I was able to take the skills I already had and further develop them. I would encourage any  growing organization to create a program like this one that helps young professionals try on different career opportunities and expand their areas of expertise. I feel as if I can take on the world now because of my experience and opportunities as an EPiC Specialist here at Personify.

p.s. Personify is hiring. Check out our job openings!

The post Reflections from an EPiC Specialist at Personify appeared first on Personify.

Is it just me or is 2019 flying by?

It feels like yesterday that I was rolling my eyes at Valentine’s chocolate displays because it was only January but when I went to Target over the weekend there it was, staring me in the face….the wall of graduation cards.

Graduation? Already?

It’s true. According to the National Center of Education Statistics the coming weeks will see universities and colleges across the country award close to 4 million associates, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees awarded at universities and colleges.

Many of those receiving their diploma have augmented their studies with the support of professional associations. Student membership makes a lot of sense, providing access to additional training information, news and other resources designed to help them apply what they’re learning in the classroom.  But while 87% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed in Personify’s Young Members 2.0 study (PDF) report that it’s important to be part of an association, less than a quarter of student memberships convert to full membership, down 5% year over year. And that’s being optimistic: Marketing General’s 2018 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report (PDF) recently shared that 40% of associations report their student-to-full conversion rate is even worse, at only 10%…or less.

Helping new grads fly with a net

The needs of student members don’t stop the day they receive their diploma. Career-focused programming and content remains core to a young members’ interest in association membership, with 92% of Millennials and Gen Z identifying educational content as “very important” and 87% placing a high-value on the networking opportunities made available through membership, according to our research.

Extending the value of student membership, even if just repackaging the same – or similar – programs at a different price point, can be an easy but hugely influential way to keep new graduates involved in your organization but curating programs may not be enough. Watch our on-demand Webinar where we review:

• What young members are looking as they make the leap from student- to full-time membership
• How to create and introduce the perfect offer to support new graduates
• Tips to get the word out with collegians before they receive their diploma
• Ways to ease the financial burden and keep membership accessible
• …and much more

The post Totally GRAD-ical appeared first on Personify.

Believe me, I didn’t believe it at first either.

When a lot of us think of a Millennial or member of Gen Z, we think of them with a phone in their hand, connecting with friends via social media or texting. Wired magazine reports people are checking their smartphone an average of 150 times per day. But actually using the phone to….talk? Really?

But that’s what they told us. According to the young members who participated in our Young Members 2.0 study, 78% of Millennials and Gen Z reported that phone calls are either somewhat or very effective in engaging them. Not texting, an actual phone call.

Reflecting on it further, it makes sense. According to author Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in the Digital Age, the endless streams of texts, tweets, Facebook posts, instant messages and snapchats – simultaneous, rapid-fire “sips” of online communication – are leaving us parched for real conversation and connection.  And when it comes to membership, those real, one-on-one connections really matter.  When Personify asked how important it was that an association facilitates connections with authentic people who understand their unique needs, 94% of young members identified it as important, with almost two thirds suggesting it’s very important.

Digital communication isn’t going anywhere there’s an opportunity for associations, and nonprofits of all stripes, to revisit the simple phone call. And while surprisingly effective with young members, a phone call delivers value across all segments. Phone calls allow for more organic conversation, follow-up questions and clarifications in real-time. They also feel more personal, giving you the chance to hear important cues that provide additional insight into how your organization (and messages) are being received.

For organizations, phone calls also offer a low-cost, high-impact, easy-to-implement way to engage members, both those who are making the calls and those picking up on the other end. You’ve already invested in your membership database. We know in-person conversations are meaningful, and you have access to both members and a board who probably have a telephone they can use for a few phone calls. What should you talk about?

While many organizations leverage call campaigns to drive dues renewals, take this opportunity to expand the conversation and engage members in a way that’s not so explicitly tied to an ask. Here are 5 ideas to get you started:

• Ask how a member is enjoying membership. Are there things they’ve particularly enjoyed, or programs they’ve been disappointed in?
• Invite them to an upcoming event that they may not know about. Sometimes being asked personally to attend can make all the difference.
• Tell your story. If you have members who are new to an organization, welcome them with a phone call and allow them to hear the value of membership firsthand.
• Share research. Many organizations work to provide their members with valuable information and perspective. Phone calls are a fantastic way to get the word out about and creates the opportunity for them to ask questions and share their own reaction.
• Solicit ideas! As your feet-on-the-street, members often have great perspective on new content, events or concepts you can bring to your membership.

It’s inexpensive, it’s easy, it’s meaningful. As we mentioned in our recent webinar on creating connection with young members, Philadelphia ad agency NW Ayer & Son’s was on to something with their 70’s ad campaign for AT&T which encouraged consumers to reach out and touch someone. The full line was actually, “To communicate is the beginning of understanding. Reach out and touch someone.”

40 years later the telephone – whatever its shape or form – continues to be an invaluable tool in building connection with young members. Not just texting either, be real conversations between actual people. Maybe it’s time to revisit the humble phone call.

Looking for more ideas specific to improving your understanding, acquiring, engaging and retaining young members? Check out our all new Young Member Spotlight, with on-demand webinars, ebooks, links to other blog posts and much more!

The post 5 Ideas for a Great Phone Conversation appeared first on Personify.

Our Young Members 2.0 report, published in February, laid out what’s proven a surprising statistic for many readers. Millennials will represent half of the global workforce by 2020 and Gen Z will make up an additional 20 percent by 2021. That’s right, young members will make up 70 percent of the global workforce in less than two years.

Yet according to Marketing General’s recently released 2018 Membership Marketing Benchmarking report, despite being a growing majority of the workforce, Gen Z and Millennials together still only represent only a quarter of association membership.

We apparently still have a lot to learn.

Thus far we’ve been lucky enough to host a number of webinars and conversations on the topic of young members. We’ve done a walk-through of the report and last month spent some dedicated time doing a deep dive on topic of young members and affordability.

But we’ve continued to receive interesting questions from association professionals like you around different pieces of our research and were recently asked about connection. How can we position the relationship and in-person connections that have always served as the cornerstone of membership with this emerging demographic?

What is Connection?

Connection, per social science, generally refers to the feeling that you belong to a group and feel close to other people.

I like to think of it as both the driving need behind and the outcome of engagement. The interactions young members have with you – whether in person or online – are done out of a need for, and a want to, connection. At the same time, the culmination of these interactions – their level of engagement – creates connection.

This connection is what will position organizations for long-term success with young members, ensuring they have a fulfilling experience and that you keep your retention numbers high.

IRL and the Value of In-Person Interactions

Think connecting with young members is all about digital? Think again.

Our Young Members study found one-on-one conversations with real people matter and remain essential in demonstrating value and creating a meaningful experience.  When asked how important it was that an association facilitates connections with authentic people who understand their unique needs within the initial part of their journey, 94 percent of young members identified this as important, with almost two thirds suggesting it’s very important.

81 percent report attending an in-person event in the last 24 months. Top events from our respondents include:

• Workshop
• Networking
• Community Service
• A gala/party

Young members are significantly less likely to attend an annual conference. There are a number of reasons why – early career young members may not be in a position to request travel budget and Millennials with small children may have to balance demands of work and a young family. But this is concerning for those of you looking for young members to not only support growth in your dues revenue but also your non-dues revenue.

The Telephone…Friend or Foe?

In 1979 Philadelphia ad agency NW Ayer & Son came up with a new ad campaign for AT&T. The jingle encouraged consumers to reach out and touch someone. The full line was actually To communicate is the beginning of understanding. Reach out and touch someone.

40 years later the telephone – whatever its shape or form – continues to be an invaluable tool in building a connection with young members. Not just texting either, be real conversations between actual people.

According to our study:

• Only one third of young members report receiving phone calls from their association yet a larger percentage of young members report phone calls work, with 78 percent of all members saying phone calls are either somewhat or very effective in engaging them.
• Almost half of Generation Z found these phone calls very effective.

When was the last time your organization called a young member to check in and talk about something other than a dues renewal?

Driving Digital Results

According to Forbes, Gen Z uses an average of 5 different screens – smartphone, TV, laptop, desktop and tablet – to peruse information media, compared to millennials who typically switch back and forth between 3 screens.

With all the interconnectivity and information available you would think it would be easy to engage young members, right? Or does the seemingly endless collection of platforms and channels make engagement harder?

I’d argue it provides more opportunity to connect with young members, but in different ways. Email is a critical components of your communications strategy. It is the way members stay informed about your organization and about the various opportunities you provide to help them build those connections.

According to Adobe’s fourth annual Consumer Email Survey, workers between ages 25 and 34 spend 6.4 hours a day checking their email and our report found almost three-quarters of young members report receiving email from their association often, either in the form of a newsletter (72%) or a more personalized message (73%).

But when it comes to young members, email seems quaint, old-fashioned especially in an environment where social media seems to reign supreme. According to Marketing General’s benchmarking report, 70 percent of associations report an increase in member engagement and participation on their public social network within the last 12 months

Which channels are associations using in their social media outreach?

• Facebook used by 93% of associations
• Twitter used by 89% of associations
• LinkedIn used by 69%
• YouTube used by 60%
• Instagram used by 40%

We know that young members are engaging via social medi

a and that associations have picked up on it – using a number of channels to engage members there. But which channels are young members using to create connections? And what’s working? Facebook tops the list at 80 percent, followed by Twitter (74%), Instagram (76%) and Snapchat (68%).

Personify has a number of tools designed to help you understand young members and optimize your efforts to help them form a connection to your organization, and with one another.

Get started with our on-demand webinar and eBook. When you’re ready, check out our other young member-related resources!

The post Young Members 2.0: Deepening Relationships appeared first on Personify.

Last month, Personify published our Young Members 2.0 eBook and much of the report focuses on young members and their concept of value. For example:

• When asked about their experience with the association in which they’re the most active, almost half of young members, Millennials and Gen Z, responding to Personify’s recently published Young Members 2.0 report agreed that their experiences with associations have been “underwhelming.”
• Almost half of respondents in this study agree with the statement, “There isn’t a strong return on investment when it comes to participating in associations.”
• One in three respondents and two out of five Millennials agree with the statement, “I have no idea how being in association actually benefits me.”

Moreover, only 40 percent of young members report their experience is “worth the dues (I) pay to be a member.” When asked why they let their memberships lapse, young members told us, “(Associations) need to increase the value of benefits if they are increasing fees,” and, “Sometimes I need a payment plan.”

What is Affordability?

During a recent live webinar where we walked through the data with association professionals, we were asked, “What is affordability?”

It’s a great question. What is affordability? What can young members afford? How can associations work to eliminate those barriers and make membership more accessible to those Millennials and Gen Z interesting in joining?

Affordability is defined as the extent to which something is affordable, as measured by its cost relative to the amount the purchaser is able to pay. While the perception of affordability is shaped by value – the more someone sees the value in a particular good or service, the more likely they are to ensure they have the money to pay for it –young members face additional financial pressures:

• According to Statista, the median debt balance for Millennials living in the country’s 50 largest cities is $23,064. Student loans account for the highest share of America’s Millennial debt, comprising 40 percent of their total credit and loan balances.
• 45 million people across the U.S. are carrying student debt with a fifth of them owing $100,000 plus.
• Data from the Federal Reserve shows that the amount of student loans stood at $480 billion in 2006 and by 2018, the debt had mushroomed to $1.53 trillion.

Although they’re showing signs of a greater aversion to debt than their Millennial counterparts, Generation Z is earlier in their career and just entering the workforce. Entry level roles with lower wages and less influence over management purchase decisions, the burden of potential student debt and the costs associated with starting their post-college lives may leave Gen Z with less budget for discretionary spending and no funding for membership from their employer.

Aligning membership packages with the programs young members value most is paramount. Ensuring the content, networking opportunity and career support millennials and Gen Z are looking for are available is essential in establishing the perception of value necessary to getting them to commit to your organization.

However, curating programs may not be enough. Introducing additional flexibility into how young members engage and pay for their membership can create the affordability necessary to get – and keep – them on board

 Watch our on-demand Webinar now!

The post Young Members 2.0: Affordability appeared first on Personify.

As long as nonprofits have been acquiring members so too have they been taking (or at least we hope they’ve been taking) the steps necessary to retain them, to keep them on board and part of the organization.

But it’s a brave new world filled with seemingly boundless free resources and an emerging population of members used to the transient, subscription-based models of things like their gym, streaming media or meal kits. In a previous blog post and in our recently published Young Members 2.0 report we shared the good news, that member not only still relevant but, in the eyes of younger members, is becoming more important. But is that enough to retain them?

Dark Clouds on the Horizon

Ensuring an authentic connection with young members is, unsurprisingly, an important indication of how difficult it will be to retain them and of their overall satisfaction with their membership. It is a culmination of your engagement efforts, where the rubber meets the road.

When asked if their association seemed out of touch with younger members, both Millennials and Generation Z respondents were more likely to agree than disagree, with African-American respondents in particular suggesting their associations were missing the mark (25 percentage points higher than average). Almost half agree that their experiences with associations have been “underwhelming.”

More concerning:

• Almost half of respondents in this study agree with the statement, “There isn’t a strong return on investment when it comes to participating in associations.”
• One in three respondents and two out of five Millennials agree with the statement, “I have no idea how being in association actually benefits me.”

In a word? Ouch.

Why Are They Leaving?

Only 40 percent of young members report their experience is “worth the dues (I) pay to be a member.” These perspectives show in questions asked to young members about retention.

In our report, almost one-fifth of all young members have let a membership lapse in the last year. When asked why, young members told us:

We also asked young members what is it that associations don’t get about asking them to renew their membership. Here’s some of what we heard:

• “They need to increase the value of benefits if they are increasing fees”
• “Sometimes the process is too lengthy when they could produce an online form instead of a paper membership form.”
• “They typically don’t ask if there is anything that they could do better”
• “Sometimes I need a payment plan”
• “The more they push or use sales pitches, the more they’re are losing me as a customer”
• “I would automatically renew if they targeted my age better with more members of my age and our shared interests incorporated as well.”

Recapturing the Magic

How can you overcome the retention hurdle with young members? The good news is that although the data in our study is pretty eye-opening, the steps you can take to mitigate the risk that you’ll lose them in the retention process are pretty straightforward and benefit all of your members:

• Reinforce the value you’re providing every step of the way. Consider taking a page out of the consumer sector and provide members with a year-end summary statement of benefits, quantifying the value of the benefits they’ve received.
• It’s been said before but bears repeating: Make membership affordable. Explore opportunities to align your existing membership offers with the preferences of subscription-savvy young members with monthly billing options.
• Make renewals easy with a streamlined, online process and automated workflows to send proactive reminders.

While membership is viewed as important by young members, the need for membership organizations to articulate a clear return on investment in order to stay relevant has never been clearer. Leaders interested in attracting, and retaining, young members must not only prove the real-dollar value of their membership but also coach young members in internalizing what membership means and in bringing this message to their own leadership teams and other prospective members.

Interested in learning more about what this means for your organization? There’s still time to join us for Personify’s upcoming webinar, February 27^th, where we’ll take a deep dive into the data to understand how to build awareness with Millennials and Generation Z and what you should be thinking about to drive conversion with these prospective young members.

Reserve your spot today.

The post Young Members 2.0 Lessons in Retention appeared first on Personify.

Oh engagement.

Coming off the Valentine’s Day holiday, mere mention of the word maintains its rosy glow as that most symbolic of next steps in a relationship, deepening a commitment in (what is often) a romance-fueled moment where two people agree to build a life and a future together.

In the nonprofit world, the word engagement takes on a slightly less sentimental definition but is no less important as we look to build, and strengthen, our bonds with constituents. Today’s member engagement is about expanding beyond transactional data. It is about those things plus value creation and using that value to deliver a compelling experience members can’t help but want to be a part of.

This is all happening while the world we live in is becoming increasingly interconnected. An explosion of publicly available content has given members accessibility to a variety of product, services and information services. No generation has benefited more from this environment than young members, commonly identified as those who are Millennials (1981-1996) and Generation Z (1997-2012). According to Forbes, Gen Z uses an average of 5 different screens – smartphone, TV, laptop, desktop and tablet – to peruse information media, compared to millennials who typically switch back and forth between 3 screens.

With all the interconnectivity and information available you would think it would be easy to engage young members, right? Or does the seemingly endless collection of platforms and channels make engagement harder?

Personify took the step of fielding our own original research and in December of last year asked 1,000 Millennials and Generation Z members for their perspective on a variety of topics. Our recent published Young Members 2.0 report examined not only the preferences of Millennials and Generation Z with regards to awareness and making the decision to join, but also sought to understand how they engage with the organizations they join.

The (Continued) Power of Email

With an early exposure to technology and smart devices, it’s no surprise that email is often the go-to communication tool for Millennials and Gen Z. According to Adobe’s fourth annual Consumer Email Survey, workers between ages 25 and 34 spend 6.4 hours a day checking their email. Generation Z in particular views email as essential, per The Future of Digital Communications, a study by SendGrid and Egg Strategy, and expects their use of email to grow.

These preferences extend into young members’ relationships with their association. Our report found:

• Almost three-quarters of young members report receiving email from their association often, either in the form of a newsletter (72%) or a more personalized message (73%) and both are effective in keeping young members informed and up-to-date.
• A majority report a preference for content weekly or more, with Gen Z members having a slightly higher appetite for greater frequency.

Staying Social

While email was a top engagement channel for young members in our report, social media also plays a critical role in keeping young members informed. Pew Research reports the typical 18- to 29-year-old surveyed in their research uses four social media platforms, whereas the average 30- to 49-year-old uses three. According to our data:

With opportunities for high-impact videos and visual stories that capture members who look and sound like them, Instagram ranked second among our survey respondents, with almost half of young members reporting they use it to keep up with their association and over three-quarters saying it’s an effective way to stay in touch. Surprisingly, few young members – just over one in ten – report engaging with their organization via Linked In.

Standing Out…Via Phone?

Reach out and touch someone with a phone call? Really?

Only one third of young members report receiving phone calls from their association yet a larger percentage of young members report phone calls work, with 78 percent of all members saying phone calls are either somewhat or very effective in engaging them. Almost half of Generation Z found these phone calls very effective.

When was the last time your organization called a young member to check in and talk about something other than a dues renewal? When it comes to engagement – creating and articulating the value membership provides – these opportunities for 1:1 interaction can prove invaluable in driving short-, and long-term, satisfaction.

Up Close and Personal at Events

We know in-person conversations play a large role in influencing a young member’s decision to join and engagement. Content is king, serving as a primary value driver for membership. The intersection of these preferences can be found at events.

When asked whether they had attended an in-person event for their association in the last 24 months, 81 percent of all respondents responded yes, with the number of Generation Z members attending events slightly lower than the overall average (77%). Which events are they attending? Workshops and trainings were at the top of the list with 49 percent, followed by parties (31%), networking events (30%) and a community service event (26%).

While satisfaction with these events was high, with 91 percent of young members reporting the events attended were at least somewhat valuable, a surprising 29 percent failed to receive any sort of post-event follow-up from their association – leaving a huge opportunity for engagement on the table.

Engaging Young Members

Today’s young members face a relentless bombardment of information and knowledge from a myriad of sources and bring to membership rising expectations of the value from their association. How can you stand out from the crowd and improve engagement with this growing demographic?

• The first step is to identify and acknowledge young members as a unique target market, and to understand their needs and desired experiences. Take the time to understand their goals, attitudes and perceptions regarding engagement and give them a seat at the table to ensure their voices are heard.
• Align outreach efforts with the preferences of young members and use each opportunity to consistently reinforce the value of association engagement. Newsletters, long a cornerstone of association communication programs and popular with the young members surveyed in Personify’s research, offer a great place to start.
• Don’t neglect the power of your people. Young members’ need for connection extends beyond recruitment. Create ample opportunities for 1:1 engagement, not only within your programming but also in regular communication.
• Stretch the value of events. Leverage a strong follow-up process, with testimonials from members who look and sound like them, to make a lasting impression. Create working groups in private communities to keep learning fresh and use the unexpected personal touch of a phone call to create a personal connection

Interest in learning more about what this means for your organization?

Watch our on-demand Webinar

The post Young Members 2.0: Lessons In Engagement appeared first on Personify.

About 51,100,000 results.

That’s what I got recently when I Googled “marketing to Gen Z.” For the curious, searching for “marketing to Millennials” yielded 56,200,000 results.

We read headlines about younger generations daily, but it’s not every day we get the opportunity to hear from young members (and prospective young members) directly but in December of 2018 Personify surveyed 1,000 Millennials and Generation Z members to understand their perspectives on membership and the organizations with which they engage.

While we talk about them as one audience, young members represent a diverse group. Millennials, born roughly between 1981 and 1997 include those finishing college to parents well into their careers, perhaps with kids. Generation Z is just starting to enter the workforce.

The first trick in getting young members onboard involves capturing their attention. How can associations and other member-focused organizations attract these generations?

Meeting Young Members Where They Are

When asked about all the ways they became aware of the association in which they were the most active, two-in-five young members report they were recruited by someone they already knew and two in five also report they were recruited in person at an event. Other top activities include:

• Via email
• Through an online ad
• Via Facebook

While Facebook performed well in our survey with regards to awareness, other social channels delivered mixed results in terms of their effectiveness in building awareness. In something of a surprise, LinkedIn ranks last among younger association members when it comes to initial recruitment with only seven percent of respondents becoming aware of an association via LinkedIn. In fact, twice as many (15%) attributed early awareness to Instagram.

Their appetite for digital media makes sense. There’s no shortage of articles talking about how digitally fluent Millennials and digital native Gen Z are early adopters in terms of their technology and are never more than arms reach from a mobile device. However, this deep experience has created heightened expectations. Millennials and Gen Z members demand the convenience of a seamless experience at every touch point with brands, both in-person and online. Each touch point must build on the last and be consistent with the next.

Harnessing the Power of Your People

Even with an array of channels with which to get the word out, traditional advertising messages don’t cut it with young members – you need something extra.

A recent study from Google found that Generation Z wants brands to be “a representation of their values, their expectations of themselves and their peers.” If they adopt the brand, what does it say about them as a person? Gen Z uses brands to help shape their world.

Why? The implications of being associated with a particular brand is part of it but there are thousands of products in-market today and the options are almost limitless. Although an extreme view, knowledge is available to anyone willing to look for it and networking can be achieved for free through digital sites.

They need a reason why becoming involved with your organization is going to create value in their lives, and they want to see the proof from their peers. After all, both generations distrust advertising and are leery of marketing messages. According to Hubspot, 84 percent of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising and data from SocialChorus shows only six percent of millennials consider online advertising to be credible while 95 percent do trust their friends. Research recently featured in AdWeek suggests  63 percent of Gen Z wants to hear from peers and everyday folks, not celebrities. All told, Gen Z is 1.3 times more likely to purchase a product recommended by one of their favorite influencers than by a television or film celebrity.

Personify saw a similar preference expressed in our own research. When asked where they would be likely to go to learn more about an organization they’d consider joining, young members report turning to other members. In-person conversations, whether at an event (49%) or with someone they already know (42%), proved the most effective in conversion. These one-on-one conversations with real people matter and remain essential in demonstrating value and creating a meaningful experience. When asked how important it was that an association facilitates connections with authentic people who understand their unique needs within the initial part of their journey, 94 percent of young members identified this as important, with almost two-thirds suggesting it’s very important.

Interest in learning more about what this means for your organization? Download our Young Members 2.0 report or watch our on-demand Webinar.

The post On Brand, On Message, On…Insta? appeared first on Personify.

About a week ago, I went to my mailbox and found in it two magazines. Both featured cover stories around the emergence of Generation Z. Then there was the post-holiday onslaught of email newsletters with articles like:

• Make way for Generation Z in the Workplace
• How Generation Z Will Impact Your Workplace
• How Generation Z Will Transform the Future Workplace

The focus and attention on generations is understandable. It’s a fascinating, ever-changing topic with broad application and a lot of appeal. We each belong to one of the groups studied and have an opportunity to talk with others about how we either align or differ from stereotypes presented.

In addition to our personal lives, as noted from the content showing up in my inbox, the potential implications of demographic shifts on the workplace are nothing short of seismic. Millennials, generally identified as those born between 1981 and 1996, are expected to represent half of the global workforce by 2020 while Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, will make up an additional 20 percent by 2021.

The last several years have seen the introduction of multiple studies designed to help nonprofits understand different generations, highlighting what makes each unique and providing guidance on how to best meet their particular needs. But we couldn’t help feeling like there was more to learn. For example:

• How do the trends we’re seeing in the nonprofit align or differ from what’s being reported in other areas of media?
• Has the behavior of Millennials changed as they’ve grown in their careers?
• Are there notable differences in the preferences of Millennials and Generation Z that nonprofits should be aware of?

We had questions and wanted answers.

While the publicly available data was helpful, Personify took the step of fielding our own original research and in December of last year asked 1,000 Millennials and Generation Z members for their perspective on a variety of topics including their lives, how they learn about organizations, make the decision to join, the best ways to engage them—and the best ways to retain them.

The good news?

Across the board, young members remain steadfast in their commitment to membership with 87 percent of those responding to our survey reporting it is important to be part of an association and more than half (51%) reporting that being part of an association is becoming more important than it used to be.

But there’s more to the story.

The complete findings are being published today in our brand-new, complimentary report, Young Members 2.0: Understanding and Benchmarking the Membership Preferences of Millennials and Generation Z.

We’ll be walking through the results in more detail in our upcoming webinar: Young Members 2.0. While the data affirmed some of the things that we believed to be true, there were a number of surprises:

• The role that personal, one-on-one IRL (in real life) interactions play at different stages in the membership journey
• Which social media channels topped the list – and which fell flat
• How young members are, and are not, engaging with the events programming driving your non-dues revenue
• The potentially catastrophic retention issue taking root with Millennials and Gen Z

Membership matters. While each organization’s membership is unique, we believe our findings can inform and support strategies designed to support the long-term growth and success of your organization.

Young members, Millennials and Gen Z, like generations before them are turning to organizations for leadership, knowledge and the personal connections as a springboard to their personal success. The time has come for organizations to do the same. Let’s get to work.

The post Young Members 2.0 Our New Benchmark Report appeared first on Personify.