Member engagement isn’t just about keeping your community active. It’s about building lasting relationships that drive growth, satisfaction, and loyalty.
When associations create meaningful, personalized experiences, members are more likely to participate, renew, and advocate for the organization.
Longtime AMC client, the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), has seen firsthand how intentional engagement strategies can transform outcomes.
Here are five ways you can boost member engagement, along with tips and real examples:
1. Personalize Onboarding
Start with a warm, intentional welcome. Tailor new member journeys based on why they joined, rather than sending the same one-size-fits-all emails to everyone.
Onboarding is never “set it and forget it.” Treat it as a living process. Dig into your data to see what is working, and adjust what is not to keep improving the experience
ARN Example: At ARN, the onboarding journey includes monthly touchpoints (12 total) where we ask members about their career stage, interests, and goals. These check-ins not only direct them back to resources like education, certification, and member benefits, but also guide them toward areas of engagement we want to emphasize. Members feel heard, while we strategically encourage deeper involvement.
2. Discover Member Intent Early
Find out right away what matters most to your members, such as certification, networking, professional development, advocacy, etc. Their answers should shape your engagement strategy.
Ask about your members’ interests so you can build targeted lists. Even if opportunities aren’t open now, you’ll be ready when they are.
ARN Example: One onboarding touchpoint asks if members are interested in volunteering. Even if volunteer applications are closed, we save that data. It allows us to reach back out when an opportunity opens up, and members are shown that opportunities exist year-round, not just during one short window.
3. Build Segmented Campaigns
Use what you learn to deliver targeted content. For example, members pursuing certification should receive guidance, resources, and reminders relevant to their goals.
Start small. Even two or three audience segments can dramatically increase engagement if the content speaks directly to their needs.
ARN Example: Our certification recruiting, retention, and engagement campaigns started by asking just one question: “Why are you here?” That single piece of data grew into a multilayered strategy and led to an increase in certification applications as well as product revenue.
4. Offer Interactive Content
Quizzes, polls, and challenges not only educate members but also invite them to engage actively, not passively.
Keep it fun and shareable. Short, repeatable content like “weekly quiz questions” or “monthly polls” can create habits that bring members back regularly.
ARN Example: ARN pulled five questions from its certification practice exam and created a “5 Quiz Questions in 5 Weeks” campaign. Within a few months, more than 1,800 people signed up, showing the strong appeal of interactive, educational content.
5. Spotlight Success Stories
Recognize members who achieve milestones, whether earning a credential, presenting at a conference, or publishing research. Recognition fuels connection.
Take opportunities during in-person meetings to collect stories or short videos for sharing later. Seeing peers celebrated motivates others to get involved.
Don’t overthink it—just ask your members! A quick campaign tied to something meaningful like Nurses Month can spark responses. Give members the option to reply anonymously or with attribution, and you’ll have a library of inspiring content to draw from throughout the year.
ARN Example: Even small touchpoints can uncover big stories. A casual email exchange about enjoying one of our products led me to discover that a member had recently taken her certification exam at age 67. Stories like this inspire and create authentic opportunities to celebrate members in meaningful ways.
Anastasia Fidati is a senior marketing and membership manager at AMC.
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