15 Strategies for Membership Renewals

As the leader of a membership organization, one of your biggest concerns might be seeing loyal members slip away over time.

You might have spent countless hours building a strong community, but now you’re noticing a shrinking number of membership renewals. It's frustrating, right?

This struggle with membership churn is a common pain point for many organizations, especially as competition grows and member expectations evolve. 

Understanding why members leave and how to encourage them to stay is critical, especially since maintaining existing members is significantly easier (and cheaper) than acquiring new ones. Read more in our blog post.

Why membership renewals really matter?

Membership renewals are key not only to an organization’s sustainability but also its growth. From a psychological perspective, existing members often feel a sense of loyalty and belonging, making them more likely to stay if engagement remains high.

Economically, focusing on renewals is much more cost-effective than attracting new members. Many studies show that acquiring new members costs 5x more than retaining current ones.

This makes retention non-negotiable for both nonprofits and for-profit membership organizations.

With strong member engagement ideas and a well-planned membership renewal process, you can build deeper relationships with your members while maximizing your organization’s ROI.

💸 Did you know that Certifier offers a 15% lifetime discount for all plans to non-profit organizations? Take care of membership renewal rate with proven solutions. Credential your members.

What is a membership renewal rate to aim for?

A strong benchmark for membership renewals typically falls between 75-90%.

To figure out your renewal rate, take the number of members who renew and divide it by the total number of members up for renewal. Then multiply by 100 for your percentage.

For instance, if 1,000 members are up for renewal and 800 of them renew, your rate would be 80%.

To raise this percentage, focus on factors like member benefits, engagement activities within your online community, and timely renewal reminders. Keeping current members engaged year-round is crucial for sustaining a loyal member base.

Here are a few examples to help you visualize this:

A professional association introduces a mentorship program as a benefit and sees a 10% increase in renewals among younger members, proving the value of ongoing engagement.

A nonprofit offers early renewal discounts and experiences a 15% jump in renewals from loyal members.

A fitness membership organization uses personalized renewal reminders and notices a 12% boost in members renewing on their membership expiry date.

What membership renewals tell you about your business?

At first glance, membership renewals may seem like just another business metric. But if you dig deeper, they reveal crucial insights about your membership organization.

The membership renewal shows how well your members engage with your community, how valuable they find the member benefits, and whether your member engagement strategy is working.

While the typical advice is to “boosting member engagement” or “remain engaged” with members, there’s a contrarian perspective: renewal rates can sometimes mask deeper issues, such as dissatisfaction or low value perception.

Here are 9 conclusions you can draw from renewals:

• The success of your member engagement tactics

• How many members feel your membership expires with no value

• Trends in loyal member base activity

• Whether members engage with online platforms

• The impact of auto-renewal options

• Success in member communication efforts

• How well new members integrate

• The appeal of networking opportunities and upcoming events

• The importance of renewal date reminders

Best member engagement ideas for renewals

Ready to keep your members more engaged and eager to renew? In this section, we'll walk you through some of the best member engagement strategies out there. Keeping your community active is the best way to make it engaged and constantly excited to be a part of your organization.

01 Prepare for renewals in advance

Contrary to popular belief, waiting until the renewal date to focus on member retention is too late. 

The process begins long before that, and proactive planning is essential for successful renewals.

To encourage members to stay engaged, start by understanding your membership lifecycle and creating a strategy that keeps members coming back. You can build stronger member relationships so that members renew without hesitation.

Here are three ways to map out and optimize the journey:

Talk to members about their membership and get invaluable insight.

Analyze member comments to identify pain points in the membership experience.

Develop a membership engagement strategy that highlights mentorship programs, user-generated content, and membership benefits to keep members engaged year-round.

By focusing on these areas, you’ll not only boost member retention but also see a growing community of engaged members who find significant value in their membership.

02 Create a dedicated renewal communication strategy

What makes members renew? Is it simply the benefits they receive, or does the way you communicate their value play a larger role? A well-crafted renewal communication strategy can make all the difference in member retention.

Four pillars of a successful communication strategy include:

01 Clarity: Be transparent about what membership entails and the significant value it offers. Members need to know exactly why they should stay.

02 Personalization: Tailor your messaging to address the individual needs of active members. A single member's experience should feel as important as the community as a whole.

03 Multi-channel communication: Use a variety of platforms – email, social media, phone calls – to reach members where they are.

04 Consistency: Engage members year-round, not just at renewal time, with regular updates, member stories, and content that reinforces your organization’s value.

A thoughtful communication strategy allows members to renew with confidence.

What to include in your membership renewal communications strategy?

The timing and approach to your renewal reminders are crucial. You’re not just reminding members their membership is expiring, but you're also reinforcing why they should stay.

Consider sending multiple reminders, as people can easily overlook or forget to act on just one communication.

Try implementing a strategic renewal timeline tactic like this:

4 months before membership expiration: Send a friendly heads-up that their membership is nearing its expiration. Highlight key member benefits and include a subtle incentive like a loyalty reward or early renewal discount. Encourage engaged members to renew sooner rather than later.

2 months before expiration: Follow up with a reminder email that builds on the previous message. Reinforce the value of membership and remind them of any exclusive benefits. Include a convenient link to renew with minimal steps required.

2 weeks before expiration: Send a more urgent reminder, encouraging members to take action before their membership expires. Emphasize the value of staying connected and highlight upcoming organization events or member perks they could miss out on.

After membership lapses: If the membership expires, send a final note acknowledging the expiration and kindly reminding them of any grace period you offer. Use this time to express the importance of their membership and how it contributes to the organization’s mission.

03 Automate your membership renewal process

Automation is the key to simplifying member renewals and improving retention rates. Manual follow-ups and reminders often result in missed opportunities and lapses in member engagement.

Automated systems can send personalized emails reminding members of upcoming renewal dates and highlight the significant value of maintaining their membership. This helps growing memberships by engaging each single member in a timely manner. You can also incorporate automatic payment options, making the renewal process seamless and hassle-free for happy members. With automation in place, your team can focus on other essential tasks and no member slips through the cracks.

🚀 Certifier tools automate membership renewals with reminders to engage members. Two weeks before the membership expiry date, the tool distributes follow-up emails to encourage the members to renew their membership. The email templates are fully customizable, from colors to text and the CTA button.

This is an example of a follow-up email for a membership renewal. You can create such template in the Emails tab within the Certifier dashboard.

04 Send satisfaction surveys regularly

One of the biggest challenges membership organizations face is understanding why members fall off before renewing. Often, organizations don’t ask for feedback early enough, missing the chance to address concerns. By sending satisfaction surveys regularly, you can get a clear picture of what active members value most.

These surveys offer insight into what drives member engagement strategies and helps fellow members feel heard.

Gathering feedback from new members and potential members allows you to refine retention strategies and improve membership benefits based on real input. Plus, you can use members comments to highlight success stories and strengthen the organization’s mission.

Listening to members brings you closer to an ultimate goal – they remain engaged and feel their membership dues provide real value. And the survey doesn't have to be complicated AT ALL.

05 Provide special benefits and incentives

Here’s a shocking statistic: 80% of people are more likely to renew when offered exclusive incentives. Offering special benefits to members who renew early can significantly boost retention. For example, some professional organizations offer early renewal discounts or access to exclusive events for engaged members.

You can also offer unique benefits that are only available to renewing members, such as advanced listing in the member directory or discounts on paid ads. By creating incentives, you make members feel valued, turning a new member into a happy member. These strategies also encourage other members to stay engaged and keep them invested in your organization.

06 Use digital credentials to boost engagement

Digital credentials are more than just symbols of achievement – they serve as powerful tools for enhancing member engagement and fostering long-term loyalty. By offering digital certificates and badges, you create a sense of accomplishment and prestige for your members. These credentials are not only easily shareable on social media platforms but also provide members with a way to display their professional growth and contributions within your organization.

For example, a certificate of membership can be awarded to those who have completed significant milestones or attended key events. You can explore free and editable membership certificate templates to get started.

Certifier takes this experience to the next level by making it seamless to create, distribute, and manage digital credentials. Offering certificates and badges through platforms like Certifier allows members to showcase their achievements with a simple click, whether it's on LinkedIn, their email signature, or on a digital wallet.

In addition to celebrating membership achievements, these digital credentials help members promote their personal brand and increase their networking opportunities.

Learn more about how to make a certificate of membership to enhance member visibility. This flexibility boosts visibility and allows members to stay connected with fellow members and potential employers.

07 Build a comprehensive membership retention plan

A successful membership organization doesn’t leave retention to chance – it requires a well-thought-out plan. A comprehensive membership retention plan targets specific engagement tactics that resonate with your members. By using historical data, you can identify patterns and adjust your approach to better serve new members and your existing base. The plan should include clear member engagement strategies, tailored to different groups within your organization.

For example, you could track the power of membership renewals by looking at how 150 people discovered your organization through shared credentials. This shows that your members are great at promoting your group. You could use this in your membership renewal strategy by thanking members who share their credentials or even offering them rewards. This makes members feel valued and happy to stay in an organization that others recognize and respect.

08 Offer flexible payment options

One of the simplest ways to encourage members to renew is by making the payment process as convenient as possible. Offering various payment methods, such as monthly installments or automatic payments, removes barriers for members.

This flexibility gives you one main benefit – every single member, regardless of financial circumstances, can stay part of the community. The more convenient the renewal process, the more likely you are to retain happy members and ongoing member engagement.

Here are flexible payment options to consider:

• Monthly installments: Break down annual fees into smaller, manageable payments.

• Automatic renewal payments: Allow members to opt into auto-renewals, reducing the chances of lapses.

• Pay-as-you-go options: For members who prefer flexibility, offer pay-per-event or pay-per-service models.

• Discounts for early renewal: Encourage early renewals with a special rate for members who renew ahead of time.

• Multiple payment platforms: Provide options to pay through various methods like credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers.

• Deferred payment plans: Allow members to delay the first payment for a set period, easing financial pressure.

• Custom payment dates: Let members choose their own renewal date to fit their financial schedule better.

09 Give members something to anticipate

Engagement isn’t just about maintaining the status quo – it’s about offering value that excites members. By creating exclusive content, perks, or events that renewing members can look forward to, you build anticipation and loyalty.

This could include access to special webinars, discounts on services, or exclusive networking opportunities with other members. When members know they have something exciting in the pipeline, they’ll be more eager to renew, keeping your professional organization dynamic and engaging.

10 Write a compelling membership renewal letter

We understand that life gets busy, and renewing a membership may slip out of mind. That’s why it’s important to send an empathetic, personalized renewal letter that resonates with your members.

A compelling renewal letter should clearly state the value of continued membership, addressing the unique benefits each engaged member enjoys. Highlight how their involvement has impacted the organization and what they can look forward to in the future.

11 Set up a multi-channel communication strategy

Relying solely on one method limits your reach.

Instead, use multiple channels, from email and phone calls to social media and even direct mail, to make sure you're meeting members where they are. Some members may respond better to a quick phone call, while others might engage more through online platforms. No single member gets left out of the conversation and your professional organization keeps growing its connections.

You should also take advantage of every opportunity to encourage your members to renew their membership. Certifier handles it for you. Besides follow-up emails and automatic renewals, it shows a red banner on the digital wallet when a credential expires. This feature adds value to your membership organization by simplifying communication and improving retention efforts.

12 Show members you understand their needs

A member once told us: “I stay with this organization because they always seem to know exactly what I need before I even ask.”

Personalizing your communication shows that you’re listening to each member’s preferences.

Whether it’s sending a reminder about a specific membership benefit they’ve used or recommending mentorship programs they’re interested in, this kind of attention helps members feel valued. People don’t just join membership organizations for services – they join to be part of something that understands and anticipates their needs.

13 Review historical renewal data for insights

Imagine you have two groups of members – one renews consistently every year, while the other tends to let their memberships lapse. By comparing these groups and their engagement behaviors, you can identify patterns and adjust your strategy.

Reviewing historical renewal data helps you understand why certain members stay engaged and others fall away. Whether it’s offering different membership benefits or adjusting your communication strategy, this analysis allows you to fine-tune your approach to create a more engaged, growing membership.

14 Clarify the grace period for renewals

What if your members want to renew but miss the deadline by a day?

Without a clear grace period, they might feel like they’ve lost their place in your community. Being transparent about renewal deadlines and any grace period allows your members to plan ahead without the pressure of a hard cutoff. Let them know how long they have to renew after their membership expires and what steps they need to follow. A defined grace period gives members a sense of flexibility, encouraging more to renew while still keeping your growing membership intact.

In case you decide to implement a badging program for associations, keep track of membership renewals (it’ll be easier to do so). The Certifier dashboard allows you to easily spot membership expiry dates and react accordingly.

15 Get personal with your outreach

Ever wonder why some members renew without hesitation while others seem to forget? The answer might be in how you communicate. 

Members are more likely to respond to personalized, meaningful messages that reflect their individual contributions.

Use data to craft your renewal reminders in a way that speaks directly to each single member – mentioning their involvement in people join organizations for reasons like professional growth, networking, or specific perks. When members feel seen and valued, they are far more likely to renew, keeping your community strong and constantly growing.

Keep the membership renewal rate up and running

In conclusion, creating a strong membership renewal strategy is essential for boosting renewals and long-term retention. Offering personalized communication, flexible payment options, and engaging digital credentials, you can keep members motivated to stay involved.

Certifier provides the perfect solution to boost your renewal efforts, offering digital badges and certificates that add value and prestige to memberships.

These tools not only make renewals more enticing but also strengthen member relationships and retention. To elevate your membership engagement, it's worth checking out Certifier’s solutions to streamline and enhance your renewal process.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for free.