Millennial Engagement Strategies for Associations

Millennial Engagement Strategies for Associations | August 18, 2016 with Gail Straus & Jason Stone

Millennial EngagementStrategies for Associations

With Gail Straus & Hosted by Jason Stone, Engage

Association Best Practice Series


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Jason Stone

• Internet marketer since 1996

• Washington University, MBA

• Member, ASAE

Email [email protected]

Twitter @StoneSTL

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/jasonhstone

VP, Sales & Marketing, Engage


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Housekeeping

• All attendees are in “listen-only” mode.

• Q&A session at the end of the presentation.

• Use the chat box to ask questions or alert us to any technical difficulties.

• A recording of today’s presentation will be made available.


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Post Webinar Survey

There will be a 5 question survey at the end of the event. Completing the survey enters you into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card!

Your Feedback Is Important to Us!


Millennial EngagementStrategies for Associations

With Gail Straus & Hosted by Jason Stone, Engage



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Gail Straus

• 40-year specialist in developing audience strategies and brand platforms

for non-profit organizations, higher education and service-oriented

businesses nationwide

• Served as Director of Research for Magnani Continuum Marketing, Senior

Vice President at Lipman Hearne, Dean of Enrollment Management and

Director of Market at National-Louis University

• Independent market research and strategies, specializing in helping

nonprofit organizations reach their audience attraction and retention goals


Twitter @gailstraus

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/gail-straus-57ba311

Solutions through insight


A frame of reference check

• Classic Baby Boomer

• Parent of a Millennial

• Conducted research into the habits and

desires of Millennials

• Consulted with several professional

associations

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Who are Millennials?


What we know about Millennials

• Ambitious

• Impatient

• Self-confident

• Demanding

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What we know about Millennials

• Ambitious

• Impatient

• Self-confident

• Demanding

• Entitled

• Self-indulgent

• Skeptical

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Their Reality

• Real debt from education

• Have postponed family and mortgage

• Often time starved (really)

• Have always been the hero of their own lives

• Employer reimbursements less available

• Social media provides easy access to many

communities

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What they expect

• Authentic experiences

• Real work-life balance

• Fair treatment

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What they expect

Reports on this rising group of members suggest that there

is interest in engaging, particularly if the association

facilitates connections with other professionals.

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What they expect

Associations facilitate:

• Contributions to their careers

• Mentorship and career support

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Because they know we can

• Technology – enables... organizations to

• Personalization – know me and... to use

• Customization – show it

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Loyalty and affiliation

• Frankly, the jury is still out

• Evidence suggests that Millennials are fickle (not

brand loyal). They can be your biggest advocates...

and biggest detractors

• They want to belong – to something that has value

to them

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Volunteerism

• They do and will volunteer

• Likely to separate their professional lives from their

discretionary time

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The question of value

• Define it in their terms

• Don’t assume they want what you want

• Express benefits of membership as immediate,

personal, and tangible needs

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Here’s the thing

• The things they want are things we all want

• The difference is that they expect to have those

things

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Strategies for associations

What can you do to recruit and retain this new cohort

of professionals?

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Address cost issues

Costs can be a big barrier to entry

• Consider discounts for early careerists

• Offer subscription or payment plans

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Recognize the need for segmentation

• Research will tell you how different they are from

your historical membership cohorts

• Be wary of generalizing from others’ experiences

• Look for ways to customize your membership offers

and communications

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Get them involved

• Consider associate memberships

• Generate involvement through “junior” boards or

advisory groups

• Make direct “asks” of individuals: “You would be

great for this committee.”

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Create experiences

• Whether face-to-face or online, make events

experiential and collaborative

• Tell stories that demonstrate what the association

values

• Demonstrate ROI on an individual basis

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Socialize early and often

• Find ways to connect to students and early

careerists

• Leverage trusted professors and other influencers

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Communicate

• Have a manageable social media strategy

• Email continues to be the best channel – but use it

judiciously, focus on experiential content

• Text

• Leverage word-of-mouth

• Mobile

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Wrapping it up

• Millennials continue to rise in leadership positions across

professions and industries

• Associations best serve them by

• Using appropriate technology, including social

media, mobile presence and video, to customize

communication

• Providing immediate, personal and tangible value

• Offering authentic experiences

• Knowing who they are and what they want and meeting

their expectations

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Connecting the Dots…

• 9 millennials on staff

• Analytics, Design, CMS, AMS, CRM, and custom software development

• All developers and designers are US-based here in St. Louis Missouri

• 17 years of software development

Website engagesoftware.com

Twitter twitter.com/engagesoftware

LinkedIn bit.ly/engage-li

About Engage

http://www.engagesoftware.com/

http://www.twitter.com/engagesoftware

bit.ly/engage-li


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How Engage WorksProject Lifecycle


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Google AnalyticsBuilding a Millennials Segment Filter


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Q&AQuestion and Answer


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Don’t Forget Our Survey!

There will be a 5 question survey at the end of the event. Completing the survey enters you into a drawing for your $25 Amazon gift card!

Your Feedback Is Important to Us!


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Next Webinar

Improving the Online Member Experience

Presenter: Protech Associates

October 20, 2016 2:30PM EDT

Save the Date!



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Thank You for Attending!

Gail Straus


Twitter @gailstraus

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/gail-straus-57ba311

Jason Stone

Phone (314) 884 - 2448


Website www.engagesoftware.com

Business

Millennial Engagement Strategies for Associations