How Associations Are Solving Membership Challenges in 2026: Real Questions, Practical Answers

Association teams are being asked to retain members, demonstrate value, modernize systems, and respond to constant change—often with limited staff and budget.

During our 2026 Association Trends and Predictions webinar (which had over 1,000 registrants!), association professionals asked candid, practical questions about what’s driving member engagement, where efforts fail, and how to make progress without adding unnecessary complexity.

Below, we’ve expanded on those questions with practical guidance—grounded in benchmark data and real-world association experience—to help you prioritize the strategies that drive measurable results.

1. Our email open rates are high, but clicks are low. How can we improve click-through rate?

High open rates indicate trust and recognition. Low click-through rates usually point to uncertainty about what happens next or whether the action is worth taking.

In many associations, emails attempt to serve multiple goals at once. Calls to action compete with one another, language reflects internal priorities rather than member outcomes, or key links appear too late in the message.

Ways to improve click-through rates include:

• Reduce competing CTAs: One primary action is easier to evaluate and act on.
• Use outcome-driven language: Button copy should reflect what members gain, not what the organization is offering.
• Test placement: Placing the primary CTA earlier in the email often increases engagement.
• Design for clarity: Buttons are more visible and usable than text links, particularly for desktop readers.

2. Most of our members are older and primarily desktop users. How do we get them to click?

Click behavior is less about age or device preference and more about clarity.

Desktop-first members tend to engage when they understand what they will receive after clicking and when the interface feels straightforward to use.

Effective approaches include:

• Clear, literal CTAs such as “View Agenda” or “Download the Checklist”
• Larger buttons with sufficient color contrast
• Plain language in place of clever phrasing
• Brief reinforcement of value immediately before the CTA

Accessibility improvements benefit all members, not only older audiences

3. The Member Experience Report seems focused on professional associations. How does it apply to trade or corporate memberships?

The underlying drivers of membership value are consistent across association types. What changes is how that value is framed.

Across professional, trade, and corporate membership models, data shows that members respond to:

• Relevance to their work or business
• Clear return on investment
• Ease of participation and engagement

For trade and corporate associations, this often means emphasizing business outcomes, peer insight, and shared problem-solving rather than individual career advancement.

4. Is phone outreach still valuable for prospective members?

Phone outreach works best when it’s used strategically, not as a blanket tactic.

It’s most effective for:

• High-value prospects
• Lapsed members with prior engagement
• Corporate or enterprise memberships

Think of phone calls as a conversion assist, not a primary acquisition channel. Email and digital channels build awareness; phone outreach helps clarify value and remove friction.

5. How do we balance email compliance laws with acquisition goals?

Compliance and growth align when communication is based on trust.

Associations that prioritize consent, relevance, and member choice tend to maintain stronger engagement over time. Practical approaches include:

• Clear value exchange at signup

• Preference centers instead of blanket unsubscribes
• Segmentation that reduces volume but increases relevance
• Automation that respects member behavior

Over time, trust-driven engagement beats aggressive sending.

6. We’re raising dues but not telling members until renewal. Is that risky?

Yes. Waiting until renewal increases the likelihood that members experience the change as a surprise rather than a continuation of value.

Most associations ask this question because they’re worried about backlash—but silence often creates more risk than transparency.

Members respond more positively to dues increases when they understand what their membership supports and have time to plan. Communication is more effective when it connects pricing to outcomes and impact. Clear, early and ongoing communication about membership value supports trust and retention.

7. Members want in-person networking, but it’s not feasible. How do we balance needs and reality?

Associations often have limited resources (both financial and manpower). Sometimes you’re just not going to be able to do what your members are asking for. When this happens, you have a couple options.

• Ask yourself what the motivation is behind what members are asking for. For example, requests for in-person networking often reflect a need for connection rather than a specific format. So if When travel, staffing, or budget limits make in-person events difficult, associations can focus on delivering access to peers and shared discussion through other means. That might include:

1. • Topic-based micro-communities
   • Region-specific virtual roundtables
   • Facilitated peer discussions
   • Chapter-led or member-hosted meetups

Kelly Whelan encouraged associations to look past format and focus on motivation: “If you dig into what they actually want out of in-person networking, you can often meet that need in a different way—even if you can’t deliver the exact format.”

• Ask yourself if there’s something you’re doing now that members don’t value as much as the new request. Sometimes we get stuck in “the way we’ve always done it.” But putting your members current needs at the forefront is how you evolve and continue delivering value. Sometimes you can strategically abandon an outdated effort to open up capacity for something new that will make members really happen.As Reggie Henry called out, “If this is really important to your members, and they’ve said that, there’s probably something that you’re doing that costs money that’s not so important to your members; maybe a legacy project or something like that. We’re in a time right now where we’ve got to make choices. Especially if your membership renewal are declining. We have to pay attention to what members say they need from us.”
• Leverage sponsors and partners. If your organization doesn’t have the capacity to take on something new, explore whether there are other organizations in your space that you could partner with to make it happen. Sponsors are often eager to show their support for (and get access to) professionals in the industries they serve.

When resources are limited, the goal is to meet the need, even if you can’t deliver it on your own or exactly how members envisioned it.

8. How do we manage expectations and clearly communicate our value proposition?

Value is clearer when it is framed around outcomes rather than features.

Effective value communication shows how membership enables members to solve problems, make progress, or reduce friction in their work. Reinforcing this consistently throughout the year is more effective than relying on renewal messaging alone.

9. Are associations succeeding with text messages or push notifications?

Yes, when used for specific purposes.

Text messages and push notifications work best for reminders, renewal notices, and time-sensitive updates. They are most effective as a complement to email and community communication.

10. How can small-staff associations automate without a huge learning curve?

Automation is most effective when applied to repetitive, predictable processes.

Look for areas where repetition already exists in your processes. Common starting points include:

• New member welcome journeys
• Renewal reminders tied to engagement
• Community digest emails
• Inactivity nudges

Automation can help reduce your manual workload and maintain consistency.

11. Do you have data linking engagement levels to retention?

Yes. Engagement levels strongly correlate with renewal intent.

Highly engaged members consistently report:

• Higher perceived value
• Greater satisfaction
• Stronger long-term renewal intent

Engagement isn’t a vanity metric—it’s a leading indicator of retention.

12. What about bundling memberships or certifications?

Bundling supports retention when it aligns with member needs.

Effective bundles:

• Reflect logical progression
• Make intuitive sense to members
• Support clear learning, credential, and career pathways
• Feel like added value—not forced upsells

When bundles align with real needs, they can strengthen retention.

13. Top tips for micro-staff organizations

Small teams benefit from focus and restraint.

Common priorities include:

• Focusing on one primary engagement channel, and doing it well
• Automating processes in existing programs before adding new programs
• Using community-generated content to fuel marketing efforts
• Saying no to low-impact initiatives

14. Does auto-renew improve membership retention?

Auto-renewing memberships often support retention when paired with transparency.

Members are most comfortable with auto-renewal when they understand the ongoing value of their membership, receive clear confirmation of their renewal, and can easily manage their preferences or opt-out when needed.

Convenience supports retention, but transparency preserves trust.

15. Should we host more events when resources are constrained?

Adding events does not guarantee higher engagement.

In many cases, increasing volume divides attention and strains staff capacity. A better approach is to extend the life of the events you already run:

• Host follow-up discussions in your online community
• Share recordings and curated resources
• Use post-event prompts to keep conversations going

As Reggie Henry shared during the webinar:

“More events don’t create more engagement. They often just spread the same audience thinner.”

Fewer, higher-quality experiences almost always outperform higher volume.

Final Thoughts

Across these questions, patterns emerge. Associations are not struggling because they lack ideas or effort. They struggle when members don’t understand their value, engagement feels fragmented, or decisions are driven by habit instead of evidence.

The strongest performers are not doing everything. They are making deliberate choices: clarifying what matters most to members, reinforcing that value throughout the year, and using technology and communication to reduce friction rather than add noise.

Planning for 2026 does not require dramatic reinvention. It requires focus, consistency, and a willingness to align strategy with how members actually engage today. When associations do that well, growth and retention follow.