Tips for a Love that Lasts: Building Stronger Member Relationships

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and it’s got me thinking about true love. Cinderella has her Prince Charming, Elizabeth Bennett has her Mr. Darcy, and cultural institutions have their members! 

Members are the heart of any visitor-based organization. They’re your biggest advocates, they recommend you to their friends and family, and they believe in your organization. They provide financial stability, and they can be a great prospect pool for your donor pipeline. All in all, they’re definitely marriage material.  

So, how do you build a relationship that lasts?   

Here at Schultz & Williams, we partner with zoos, aquariums, and visitor-based organizations across the country to help their membership programs thrive. We’ve collected our top relationship tips for keeping your members engaged and renewing. Don’t worry, heart-shaped chocolate boxes are not required.  

Communicate Openly  

Communication is the foundation of strong relationships. Your members care about your organization, and they want to know what’s going on. Many organizations send regular “member news” emails, letting their member base know about anything new onsite, upcoming events, or ways members are making a difference for the mission.  

You can also send what we call cultivation emails. Is there a research project, a community program, or something going on behind the scenes that furthers your mission? Members love feeling like they have insider knowledge, and asimple, one-off email can go a long way to keeping members invested in the work you do. Connecting them with your mission is a great way to ensure lasting loyalty and support.  

Show Them You Care 

The word membership indicates belonging, and that’s what members want! There are many ways to show members that your organization values them. It can be as simple as physical signage on your campus about memberships or training your front gate staff to greet members with a simple “welcome back!”. Discounts on parking, food & beverage, or the gift shop can show your appreciation and increase the value of the membership. Even something as simple as offering members pre-sale access to event tickets or new exhibits goes a long way to making members feel special.  

Prioritize Quality Time Together  

Member events can be a great way to add value to the membership offer and elevate the feeling of exclusivity. Many of our clients offer things like Member Early Entry or Member Evenings so members can enjoy the facility with fewercrowds. We’ve also seen larger Member Appreciation Nights featuring food, drinks, and live music.  

Now, we know the idea of big member events like this can be daunting, but they don’t have to be! There are plenty of ways to offer special opportunities that are both cost-effective and a relatively low lift for your staff. In fact, we’ve seen some great examples of this recently. Our friends at the New England Aquarium recently hosted a virtual trivia night for their members that was met with rave reviews. Last week, our friends at the Phoenix Zoo gave their members an opportunity to decorate valentines that will be used as behavioral enrichment for animals around the Zoo. They had over 600 members join in on the crafting fun!  

We hope these tips help your relationship go the distance! Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the key metrics and benchmarks you can use to evaluate your membership program. If you want to chat more in the meantime, I’d love to hear from you!