It is my pleasure to announce the release of the 2014 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report. This marks the sixth year that Marketing General Incorporated (MGI) has surveyed associations to better understand what is going on in the membership market and what is working best to recruit members, engage new members, renew existing members, and reinstate former members. It also marks the highest level of association participation with 865 separate associations sharing their data. The 2014 Report includes new questions related to social media usage, email frequency and open rates, and who pays membership dues (individuals or companies). A free download of the full report is available from the Marketing General Incorporated website.

1. 2014 Membership Marketing
Benchmarking Report
Presented by
Tony Rossell
Senior Vice President
Marketing General Incorporated
Review of Findings

2. What are the Trends in Association Membership?
•Sixth Year Produced by
MGI
• Up Front Disclaimer….
What, not why.
Correlation, not
causation.
1

3. Research Goals
1. Gain an understanding of the membership marketing
practices of associations
2. Determine the challenges in membership marketing
faced by individual membership and trade associations
3. Define what practices they believe are most effective
4. Understand through cross tabulation with new
member, renewal and growth numbers what
practices are related to better outcomes
2

4. Survey Overview
1. Survey open from January 7, 2014 to February
18, 2014 – 7 Weeks Total
2. 6,483 requests to participate
3. Total Response Rate: 1,043
– 865 completed surveys
– 178 completed at least 25% or more
4. Margin of error for the sample of + / - 3.0% at a
95% confidence level
3

5. FINDINGS
Key Statistics

6. CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP OVER PAST ONE YEAR—COMPRESSED
2014
(n = 884)
2013
(n = 691)
2012
(n = 689)
2011
(n = 642)
2010
(n = 405)
Percentage Increased Overall 53% 52% 52% 49% 36%
Percentage Unchanged Overall 16% 16% 16% 16% 14%
Percentage Declined Overall 27% 31% 29% 34% 48%
Percentage Unsure 4% 1% 3% 2% 3%

7. CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP OVER PAST FIVE YEARS — COMPRESSED
2014
(n = 881)
2013
(n = 690)
2012
(n = 689)
2011
(n = 639)
2010
(n = 405)
Percentage Increased Overall 54% 54% 52% 51% 57%
Percentage Unchanged Overall 10% 7% 9% 9% 8%
Percentage Declined Overall 33% 36% 34% 38% 30%
Percentage Unsure 5% 2% 5% 4% 5%

8. CHANGE IN NEW MEMBER ACQUISITION OVER PAST YEAR — COMPRESSED
2014
(n = 887)
2013
(n = 690)
2012
(n = 687)
2011
(n = 638)
2010
(n = 405)
Percentage Increased Overall 58% 63% 60% 57% 42%
Percentage Unchanged Overall 21% 17% 17% 21% 20%
Percentage Declined Overall 13% 16% 15% 16% 26%
Percentage Unsure 8% 4% 10% 8% 12%

9. CHANGE IN RENEWAL RATE OVER PAST YEAR — COMPRESSED
2014
(n = 875)
2013
(n = 691)
2012
(n = 683)
2011
(n = 638)
2010
(n = 403)
Percentage Increased Overall 31% 35% 36% 32% 21%
Percentage Unchanged Overall 36% 30% 33% 37% 27%
Percentage Declined Overall 27% 31% 22% 24% 44%
Percentage Unsure 7% 4% 10% 7% 8%

10. *2014 and 2013 versions of the survey allowed for an open-ended response and not a choice of categories.
**Not sure was not included as an option in 2014 and 2014

11. MEAN MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL RATE
Less than 80%
renewal
80% renewal
or higher
Individual
Member
Trade Combination
Mean 64% 88% 76% 85% 80%
Median 70% 88% 80% 88% 82%

12. *2014 and 2013 versions of the survey allowed for an open-ended response and not a choice of categories.
**Not sure was not included as an option in 2014 and 2014

13. MEAN NEW MEMBER RENEWAL RATE
Less than 80%
renewal
80% renewal
or higher
Individual
Member
Trade Combination
Mean 52% 78% 62% 79% 66%
Median 52% 82% 64% 85% 66%

14. MEMBERSHIP TYPE BY STUDY YEAR
2014
(n = 886)
2013
(n = 693)
2012
(n = 643)
2011
(n = 643)
2010
(n = 404)
Individual Member 44% 48% 54% 49% 54%
Trade 28% 30% 28% 36% 28%
Combination 26% 20% 15% 13% 17%
Other 2% 2% 3% 2% 1%

15. FINDINGS
Challenges

16. REASONS FOR NOT RENEWING MEMBERSHIP
2014
(n =
802)
2013
(n =
691)
2012
(n =
687)
2011
(n =
639)
2010
(n =
400)
Lack of engagement with the
organization
17% 15% 14% N/A N/A
Could not justify membership
costs with any significant ROI
12% 11% 11% N/A N/A
Budget cuts/economic
hardship of company
11% 18% 17% N/A N/A
Employer won’t pay or
stopped paying dues
10% 10% 12% 15% 25%
Left the field, industry, or
profession
10% 7% 8% 12% N/A
Lack of value 9% 10% 11% 24% 36%
Too expensive 5% 5% 5% 14% 11%
Company closed or merged 4% 3% 2% 7% N/A
Forgot to renew 3% 4% 4% 7% 6%
Lack of relevance 3% 1% 3% N/A N/A
Retirement 2% 2% 2% 2% 4%

18. HOW TO YOU MEASURE YOUR MEMBERSHIP MARKETING?
52%
34%
22%
21%
13%
17%
11%
18%
29%
2%
49%
37%
25%
24%
17%
16%
15%
5%
4%
31%
2%
49%
29%
16%
20%
15%
7%
6%
40%
Response rate analysis
Return on investment (ROI)
Source code or keycode…
Cost of acquisition
Liftetime value analysis
A/B split marketing tests
Computer matchback to…
Recency/Frequency/Monetar…
Regression analysis
Data mining/modeling
None
Other
2014 (n = 743)
2013 (n = 691)
2012 (n = 667)

19. FINDINGS
Recruitment

20. REASONS MEMBERS JOIN ASSOCIATION
2014
(n = 863)
2013
(n = 693)
2012
(n = 684)
2011
(n = 641)
2010
(n = 400)
Networking with others in the field 21% 24% 22% 25% 24%
Access to specialized and/or current
20% 13% 12% 14% 13%
information
Advocacy 8% 8% 12% 10% 11%
Discounts on products or meetings 8% 4% 5% 5% 6%
Learning best practices in their profession 6% 8% 7% 7% 9%
Continuing education 5% 7% 8% 7% 11%
Accreditation or certification 4% 4% 5% 4% 4%
Conferences/trade shows 3% 6% 4% 5% N/A
Association publications 3% 4% 4% 3% 6%
Prestige of belonging to the association 3% 4% 4% 5% N/A
Advancing in their position 2% 2% 2% 2% 2%
Insurance (Affinity programs) 2% 1% 1% 1% N/A

21. TOP THREE MOST EFFECTIVE
MARKETING CHANNELS FOR NEW MEMBERS BY
ASSOCIATION TYPE
Individual Member 2014 (n = 380)
Most Effective
Word-of-mouth recommendations 50%
Email 43%
Direct mail 30%
Trade 2014 (n = 244)
Most Effective
Word-of-mouth recommendations 49%
Personal sales calls 36%
Email 32%
Combination 2014 (n = 227)
Most Effective
Email 52%
Word-of-mouth recommendations 43%
Promotion to/at your own
30%
conferences/ trade shows

22. Over the course of the past fiscal year, excluding staff costs, how did the amount of
your budget change for each of the following membership marketing programs?
32%
30%
19%
17%
13%
59%
62%
74%
75%
80%
9%
8%
7%
8%
7%
Awareness and
Branding
Recruitment
Engagement/On-boarding
Renewals
Reinstatement/Win-back
Increased Stayed the same Decreased

24. FINDINGS
Engagement

25. What are your association’s top membership goals? (You may select up to three choices.)
67%
64%
60%
28%
27%
25%
11%
3%
Increasing member engagement
Increasing membership retention
Increasing membership acquisition
Increase understanding of member
needs
Increasing dues revenue
Increasing non-dues revenue from
members (attendance at…
Increasing member diversity
Other
2014 (n = 784)

27. Associations Report Program Increases by Memberships that
Increased/Unchanged/ Decreased)
- Attendance at annual conference/trade show (55% vs.
45% and 34% respectively)
- Attendance at professional development meetings (52%
vs. 38% and 33%)
- Attendance of webinars (70% vs. 45% and 54%)
- Volunteerism (37% vs. 30% and 17%)
- Number of members who acquire or maintain certification
(59% vs. 42% and 36%)
- Purchase of non-dues products (45% vs. 24% and 25%)
- Purchase of non-dues services (46% vs. 28% and 17%)
- Number of visits to members-only section of website
(61% vs. 48% and 36%)

31. TOP 5 COMMUNICATION METHODS USED TO ONBOARD NEW MEMBERS
2014
(n = 852)
2013
(n = 693)
2012
(n = 685)
2011
(n = 643)
2010
(n = 402)
Email welcome 71% 79% 72% 71% 72%
Mailed welcome kit 55% 60% 64% 67% 68%
Members-only website sections 49% N/A N/A N/A N/A
Membership card or certificate 44% 51% 51% 51% 59%
Volunteer or staff welcome
26% 31% 29% 30% 32%
phone call

32. FINDINGS
Renewal

33. WHAT MARKETING CHANNELS GENERATE THE MOST RENEWALS
72%
56%
40%
18%
10%
7%
7%
4%
3%
3%
1%
1%
1%
1%
7%
Email marketing
Direct mail
Staff phone calls
Peer member contacts
Telemarketing
Board phone calls
Chapter phone calls
Employer contacts
Magazine cover wraps
Social media contacts
Fax
Texting
Renewal app for mobile devices
Tweeting
Other
2014
(n=796)

34. 44%
25%
24%
21%
21%
19%
13%
12%
47%
28%
25%
26%
20%
19%
18%
14%
46%
32%
24%
26%
22%
22%
15%
46%
32%
24%
28%
25%
21%
15%
46%
33%
22%
28%
19%
10%
Installment renewal payments (monthly, quarterly)
Multi-year renewals
Automatic annual credit card renewal
Renewal bill-me
Lifetime membership
Early renewal discounts
Automatic annual Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
renewals
Gift or premiums for renewal
2014 (n = 520)
2013 (n = 469)
2012 (n = 445)
2011 (n = 440)
2010 (n = 246)
RENEWAL OPTIONS OFFERED

35. RENEWAL RATES BY START OF RENEWAL EFFORT
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATIONS (n = 301)
Three months
or less prior to
expiration
More than three
months prior to
expiration
Less than 80%
renewal
45% 39%
80% or higher
renewal
55% 61%
RENEWAL RATES BY WHEN RENEWAL EFFORTS STOP
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATIONS (n = 299)
Three months
or less prior to
expiration
More than three
months prior to
expiration
Less than 80%
renewal
45% 41%
80% or higher
renewal
55% 59%

36. FINDINGS
Social Media

38. SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE
Facebook
(n=707)
Twitter
(n=671)
YouTube
(n=408)
LinkedIn
(n=494)
Generating awareness of association 88% 40% 10% 0%
Harvesting contact information for recruitment 18% 2% 1% 0%
Promoting association events 82% 24% 8% 1%
Promoting educational opps/certification programs 60% 12% 3% 0%
Promoting industry events 44% 8% 3%
Promoting membership 56% 16% 4% 0%
Promoting socialization/discourse among event
37% 5% 5% 0%
attendees
Promoting socialization/discourse among members 48% 6% 4% 100%
Promoting specific association benefits 71% 23% 3% 0%
Promoting specific sessions and programs at events 42% 7% 3% 0%
Providing advocacy 40% 9% 1% 0%
Providing association news 75% 17% 3% 0%
Providing how-to information 19% 15% 0% 0%
Providing industry-related information 50% 11% 3% 0%
Soliciting new members 43% 12% 3% 0%

40. Questions?