How Associations Can Use Marketing Cloud Account Engagement to Maximize Membership Renewals

Membership dues are a critical source of revenue for associations and nonprofits. To maintain a healthy membership base, organizations must focus on membership renewals. However, this can be challenging, especially when members are bombarded with messages from multiple organizations. To address this challenge, many associations are turning to Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (MCAE), formerly Pardot, a powerful marketing automation tool allowing associations to create personalized campaigns to engage with members.  

By leveraging the rich data available in Salesforce and Fonteva, associations can create targeted messages that resonate with members and increase the likelihood of renewals. Here are some best practices for using MCAE to maximize membership renewals: 

Identify Members at Risk of Lapsing 

The first step is to identify members who are at risk of lapsing. Use Dynamic Lists to identify members who are within 60 days of lapsing. These lists are criteria-driven and updated automatically based on member data, allowing for easy audience segmentation. 

Create Personalized Engagement Paths 

Once you have identified members at risk of lapsing, it’s time to create personalized engagement paths. Use Engagement Studio, MCAE’s journey builder, to create engagement paths for different member segments. For example, a path for lapsed members may include a re-engagement email series, while a path for new members may include a welcome email series. Engagement Studio provides a robust set of tools to help associations engage with members in a personalized way, increasing the likelihood of renewals. 

Send Personalized Messages 

To create effective membership renewal campaigns, sending personalized messages that resonate with members is essential. Use custom fields to pull data from Salesforce or Fonteva to create personalized messages. For example, you can reference the member’s past purchases, event attendance, or engagement with your organization. By sending personalized messages, you can increase the likelihood of renewals and drive engagement with your organization. 

Use Urgency and Language to Drive Action 

Throughout the campaign, the language and urgency of the ask can evolve based on whether members renew or not. For example, you can start with a gentle reminder email and gradually increase the message’s urgency as the renewal deadline approaches. By using urgency and language to drive action, you can increase the likelihood of renewals and ultimately drive success for your organization. 

In conclusion, Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (MCAE) can be a game-changer for associations looking to maximize their membership renewals. By following these best practices, associations can create effective membership renewal campaigns that drive revenue and engagement. MCAE provides powerful tools to help associations engage with members in a personalized way, increasing the likelihood of renewals and ultimately driving success for the organization.