I recently
attended a breakout session on lapsed member recruitment led by Vivian Swertinski. We could all learn from the following ideas
the next time we decide to kick-start a lapsed member campaign.
Oh by
the way, don't make it up as you go! Here's her four step strategy of lapsed member campaign.
1.
Analyze the data
What happens
after they lapse?
- What do they
have access to
- What do they
still need
- What would
be different or new
Reasons for
not renewing - forgot to renew, not sure of ROI or no longer working in
industry.
Message to
deliver - be part of the solution, access to the latest information to help you run your business.
And by the way, your lapsed
members are still engaging with you, you just don't know it! At the organizational level people are still
working with those lapsed members.
2.
Target Audience
- Length of
time lapsed
- Length of
relationship
- Demographic
data
- Membership
type
Talk about
what they've missed during the time that they lapsed
3.
Create the Campaign
- You want to
make an emotional connection
- They take
center stage
- Renewal is
not the end goal
Assume they
forgot to renew. The pitch -
we're committed to help your small business, the top priority for us is to
be your advocate and we want to make sure you have the latest information to be
successful.
Attached is
your invoice to make it easy for you to get back in the know, game, etc.
4.
Execute the Plan
- Friendly
From (what name would they recognize - CEO)
- Subject Line
(we want you back)
- Short and
Long Message
Automate your campaign and segment your messages. Message to 3 - 6 months lapsed members, assume they forgot to renew. Message to 7 - 24
months lapsed members, showcase new programs, focus on whatever is new that they may not know
about that your doing for the small business sector or the community at
large.
A couple of tips:
- Subject Line: Rediscover the (Name of Your Chamber);
- It's been x amount of time since you lapsed and we want to
highlight what's new; and
- We encourage you
to visit (you fill in the URL) and see where you can plug in.
At the end
of the day, you want to serve them and let them plug themselves in where it
appeals to them.
Don't use
the "We Miss You" verbiage letter, make a connection with what they need. It's all about them, not us.
Try to make an
emotional connection with your lapsed member - it's all about the altruistic member.
Use a theme like "get back in the game" and don't forget to make it easy for your lapsed member to renew!
If they renew, give them a
special thank you (handwritten note) when they renew not just the normal acknowledgement email the
typical renewal member gets.
In Summary:
Analyze your data, target your audience, create a campaign and execute your plan.
Remember, lapsed members are generally your warmest leads so spending some quality time in communicating with them with the right message can yield positive outcomes.
Good luck on your next lapsed member campaign!
