5 Reasons Your Member Engagement is Down + Quick Fixes

You’ve noticed it — attendance at events is dwindling, member feedback is scarce, and the once-vibrant conversations in your community are fading. What if we told you the problem isn’t your members but the way you engage with them?

In this age of constant digital innovation, it’s easy for associations to fall behind by using tools and strategies that no longer resonate with today’s members. If your member engagement scores are dropping, now is the time to rethink your approach to communication, available opportunities, and recognition.

Reigniting member engagement all starts by understanding the root causes of decline. Let’s look at five common pitfalls and their quick fixes.

1. Ineffective or outdated member engagement tools.

In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, members expect a seamless digital experience that allows them to connect and access resources effortlessly. However, your association might rely on outdated or inefficient tools that make members feel disconnected, frustrated, or overwhelmed by the inefficiency.

Whether it’s an aging website, a clunky member portal, or ineffective communication channels, outdated tools can create barriers for members trying to connect with your association. The result? Lower participation rates, missed opportunities for growth, and an overall decline in member satisfaction.

How to improve your tech stack

  • Invest in an association management platform. This type of software centralizes different aspects of running your association, including member engagement efforts. Protech recommends looking for software that offers membership management, event planning, professional development, e-Commerce, fundraising, reporting, and marketing tools to provide exceptional member experiences.

Key AMS features to prioritize to combat low association engagement

  • Offer a modern member portal. Your AMS may offer this feature! Create a branded, private site where members can log in to update their profiles, network with other members, find learning opportunities, browse events, and more. As a bonus, make sure your member portal has gamification tools that award badges, points, or other rewards for completing tasks, attending events, or participating in community discussions.

  • Leverage a learning management system (LMS). An LMS allows you to offer courses, certifications, and training programs that align with your members' professional development goals. Your LMS should integrate with your other engagement tools for a seamless experience, enabling members to access learning materials and track their progress. Before buying and implementing your AMS, confirm that the platform integrates with your preferred LMS.

2. Lack of personalized communications. 

In a world flooded with emails, notifications, and constant digital content, members may experience “information overload” or member fatigue. When your association fails to personalize communications, it might add to this burden, making members feel like they’re being bombarded with irrelevant or generic messages.

As a result, engagement drops, and members may start tuning you out completely. To combat this, move beyond one-size-fits-all communication strategies. Personalized messages will cut through the noise and make members feel seen.

How to improve message personalization

  • Segment your audience. Use data from your member portal to group members based on their interests, industry, or engagement history. Creating distinct segments allows you to tailor messaging to promote specific events, resources, or other opportunities that more closely match individual needs.

  • Create newsletters with dynamic content. Dynamic sections in newsletters automatically adjust content based on recipients’ preferences or behaviors. For example, feature content related to individuals’ professional development goals or regional events they might be interested in.

  • Engage across multiple channels. Using multiple channels will increase the likelihood of members seeing your messages. Send tailored emails, post on social media, follow SEO best practices for your website content, and send push notifications to engage members across multiple touchpoints. When crafting your multi-channel approach, prioritize members’ preferred channels.

3. Inadequate value proposition.

Another common reason for low association engagement is poor perceived value of your offerings. It could be that you aren’t truly delivering enough value to your members. However, it could also be that you’re not communicating the value of your offerings well.

Poor program planning can exacerbate this problem. People will quickly lose interest if your events, workshops, or initiatives are poorly organized, lack variety, or don’t address members’ current needs. Without careful planning that considers member preferences, emerging trends, and participant feedback, your offerings won’t resonate, leading to lower engagement and higher member attrition.

How to communicate value

  • Define your unique value proposition (UVP). Write a clear statement about what sets your association apart from others and the specific benefits you provide members. Whether it’s access to industry experts, advanced learning opportunities, or a tight-knit community, emphasize these differentiators across your website and other marketing materials.

  • Highlight benefits in regular communications. For example, consider including a "Benefit of the Month" section in your newsletter that spotlights specific perks available to members and explains how they can make the most of these offerings. You could also feature members’ personal stories about how a specific benefit, such as professional development opportunities, helped them advance their careers.

  • Conduct regular member surveys. Regularly ask your members what they need and value most. Encourage suggestions for new programs or offerings too. A routine survey will help gauge engagement, so you can adjust your offerings and provide the benefits that matter most to them.

4. Difficulty accessing resources.

If members aren’t engaging with your resources, they might not know how to access them. Even if your association offers valuable content, events, or tools, members may grow frustrated if they can’t easily find them. This could stem from:

  • Poor website navigation

  • Outdated portals

  • Members experiencing trouble with login credentials or access permissions

However, the problem could run a bit deeper. You might not offer sufficient resources that meet members’ needs, in which case you’ll need to develop and market new content.

Digital accessibility is an additional factor that often gets overlooked. It’s not enough to simply have resources available — those resources must be accessible to all members, regardless of their abilities or the devices they use. Associations that fail to consider accessibility can inadvertently alienate members who need additional support or have different access needs.

How to enhance resource availability

  • Simplify website navigation. Ensure that your website and member portals are easy to navigate. Organize resources into clear, labeled categories so members can quickly find what they’re looking for. You might even create a centralized resource hub within your member portal for event recordings, courses, documents, and other resources.

  • Provide easy access to portals. When someone joins your association, provide clear instructions on how to access and navigate their accounts. You should also offer password recovery or login assistance for those who have trouble logging in.

  • Prioritize digital accessibility. Ensure that all your digital content meets accessibility standards. Fionta highlights several elements to consider, such as using sufficient color contrast between the text and background, closed captions for videos, descriptive alternative text for images, and sufficient screen reader navigation.

5. Limited incentives or recognition for participating.

Members may not engage if their participation goes unrecognized. Without incentives or acknowledgment, participation can quickly feel like a one-sided effort, leaving members with little motivation to remain active.

When members see that their contributions are valued, they are more likely to stay involved and encourage others to participate. Public recognition, exclusive access, or small rewards can strengthen members’ connections to your association and foster a more motivated, active community.

How to elevate your recognition efforts

  • Create a member recognition program. Develop a formal system for recognizing engaged members. You might give member-of-the-month awards, highlight members’ achievements in newsletters or at events, or feature them on your website or social media. This celebrates their contributions and encourages others to get more involved.

  • Gamify engagement. Introduce a rewards system where members earn badges for their profiles or points for attending events, contributing to discussions, or volunteering. Points can then be redeemed for rewards like event tickets or access to premium content.

  • Use membership management software to track participation. Leverage your membership management software to gather insights on member activity, such as event attendance, content engagement, or volunteer involvement. With this data, you can create targeted recognition programs, offer personalized rewards, and engage members based on their specific contributions.


Boosting member engagement doesn’t happen overnight, but small changes can make a big difference. By implementing thoughtful adjustments and paying attention to what provokes positive responses, you’ll start seeing more active members. Pick one area to focus on first and take it from there!

 
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