Nearly all of the time association professionals are playing the long game, and we do this because we must earn our member’s trust. Other companies can swindle customers, incentivize impulse purchases and game attention. Spam is on the rise, but this is not a tool for associations. Selfish marketing creates customers who count on sales, coupons, and tricks to make purchases. Great members, on the other hand, are generous.
Customers are not members. Customers are transactional, while members are engagers. Members do much more than buy. Members learn, converse, read, write, present, mentor, think, cheer and volunteer. The short-term tricks of corporate marketers will not work for the long-game of association marketing.
Instead, our marketing messaging must offer value in the messaging itself. Association communications must be optimized to get members what they need when they need it. And as a result, members will feel helped after interacting with every message from the association.
Does your association marketing target customers or members?
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