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[ RESEARCH COMMUNITY ] August 26, 2022

How to increase member retention for your organization

It doesn’t matter whether you’re just beginning your career or have decades of experiences under your belt, society memberships offer individuals within the research community a chance to learn, access relevant content, and be a part of something bigger than themselves.

But these relationships still come with annual fees, and as global costs of living increase, many may begin to reassess the value that these memberships provide.
How can organizations build a loyal community and support their members in an evolving academic landscape?

 

Stepping into a digital future

The next generation of scientists are calling for their voices to be heard. Despite the unprecedented challenges of the last few years, early career researchers remain ambitious and resilient, searching for opportunities to connect, collaborate, and increase the impact of their work. It’s up to organizations to meet these needs while also being mindful of the desires of their older, experienced members who may prefer more traditional approaches to sharing ideas.

Embracing emerging digital tools can be the key to creating meaningful experiences for everyone involved. You can provide virtual networking opportunities that allow researchers across the globe to come together. For those who find video chats confusing or awkward, you can offer live chat tools to facilitate impactful discussions after a conference presentation. 

With the right technology you can provide the experience that will inspire your members to keep renewing each year, no matter what stage of their career they are in. 

 

Beyond the conference

The annual conference provides your members with a chance to share and build on their ideas, learn about the latest research in their field, and meet potential peers and collaborators. But it shouldn’t end there. 

Your organization needs to continue delivering value for your members outside of your annual meeting and throughout the year.

Creating opportunities for your members to share their ideas with the world before, during, and after the conference boosts the visibility of your community’s work and allows your members to gain valuable insight and recognition.

Digital research libraries give organizations the opportunity to extend the lifespan of the academic conference and give exciting early-stage ideas a whole new life online. In this digital world, through chat features and Q&A tools that allow learners and authors to communicate and discuss research, you can offer your members what matters most to them: connection.

 

The power of perspective

Delivering more value to your community and increasing member retention means expanding your organization’s offerings and capabilities. Investing in strategic partnerships allows your association to gain valuable, fresh perspectives that make becoming bigger, better, and more efficient possible.

Initiate conversations with corporations within your field that may be interested in conference sponsorship or joining forces and going places with your members and their ideas. Try building a relationship with a technology partner whose solutions may help put your organization’s research on the map.

 

Solutions that support your community

Members have no time to achieve their goals, and publishing is too long and cumbersome. We need efficient solutions that are easy for them to use and put their experience first. You can help your members become more efficient, and advance their careers by helping them publish research objects other than the journal article. 

Simple doesn't mean cutting corners. Your members value research integrity, but we can bring that to them in a user-friendly way. Imagine a single solution that saves your members' time and helps them advance their career, while simultaneously giving you the data and insights you need to chart emerging research topics and trends that your newest members care the most about. The more problems you solve for your members, the more likely they are to return each year.

 

Conclusion

Your members’ needs will continue to vary and evolve as time goes by.

At Morressier, we believe that with the right technology and support, you can keep up with the pace. Our powerful end-to-end solutions can help your members share and learn together, and take their bold ideas even further.

View of earth from space next to messaging on how infrastruture enables global community