We may think about engagement in terms of metrics: renewals, registrations, purchases, logins, and clicks. Members think about engagement in terms of emotions.
A highly engaged member talks about the feelings of being a member. They might say things like:
- The organization is my professional family.
- The association is my intellectual home.
- I feel a deep sense of belonging.
- What I say matters here.
We can’t directly measure belonging, connection, or confidence which are some of the feelings of engagement. The actions that build real engagement, like kindness, generosity, and openness are not easily quantified either.
Measurable outcomes might be the eventual signs of engagement but, renewals, registrations, and purchases are not engagement.
Related: