What Are You Doing With Your Member Data?

As every member organization knows, when you have members, you’ve got data — who members are, where they live, how long they’ve been with the organization and much more. This data can be used to gauge member engagement metrics for data-driven decision-making.

All that data is a gold mine, so how is your organization harnessing it and using it to your benefit?

Identify Gaps

Members across most of the area you cover respond to your communications, except for a few notable pockets. When your data uncovers gaps in coverage, communications and/or response, it’s easier to address those variations with data-driven decision making.

Once you’ve identified disparities, you can take steps to reach out to engage those members and get them to take the action(s) that best benefit the organization and its growth.

Communication

We all have communications calendars – notifying members about upcoming elections, requesting feedback, asking members to recommit to the organization, even birthday and holiday cards. But when member databases aren’t up to date, mail goes undelivered and electronic communications bounce.

Take every opportunity to keep member contact information up to date. From in-person transactions and conferences to communication through social media, be sure to consistently request correct contact information from any and all members to track member engagement metrics.

Marketing

Are the marketing dispatches your organization is sending the messages your members are most receptive to?

Too many choices, too few choices, confusing information, too many repeat communications – when you analyze member data you will find the patterns in your members’ activities and responses. Identifying those patterns can allow you to more precisely target your members and get them to engage at new and higher levels. Show a member their historical relationship with the organization and you can recommend ways to expand the relationship that makes good sense for them.

Grow Your Member Base

Look at the areas where your member base is underrepresented and where you’d like to grow (geographically, across industries, etc.) When you use data to understand what your members find most valuable about your organization, you can customize your outreach to share those benefits in new target areas.

Outside of the basics, how do you start collecting and analyzing member data? First, ask for it! Second, you could conduct a carefully compiled member survey to help fill the gaps of the member data you’re currently missing. Third, consider using your election as an in with members – election data can be a treasure trove of information! We’ve got more information on that right here.

Your members are an asset to your organization and their data is as well, as long as you put it to work for you.

Need more ideas on how to gather member data and what to do with it when you’ve got it? Contact us any time, we’re here to help!