Re:member Consumer Membership Report 2021

Re:member CONSUMER MEMBERSHIP REPORT 2ND EDITION

The 14 trends that are shaping membership and how to make them work for you

About us Think is the UK’s leading membership communications agency, helping organisations start meaningful and intelligent conversations, cultivate relationships and change lives.

We create memorable and relatable content to turn your audience communities into your biggest brand advocates.

Working with clients in the membership sector (a combined audience of four million members), our award-winning teams cover all channels and content types, from magazines, email, social media and virtual and live events to audio, video and thought-leadership reports.

Our teams don’t just create great content. We devise content strategies to deliver the right messages to the right communities on the right channels at the right time.

We can take you on the digital transformation journey from stand-alone publishing solutions to integrated omnichannel programmes. And we can market your messages through paid and earned amplification.

Our goal? To make your organisation more relevant to your members than ever before.

To find out more or to arrange a meeting, call Melissa Michael on 020 3771 7204 or email mel.michael@thinkpublishing.co.uk www.thinkpublishing.co.uk @ThinkPublishing

Recent awards for our work MemCom Awards 2020 Best Annual Report: ZSL Annual Report (ZSL) Best Email Newsletter (highly commended): UK Landlord (NRLA) Best Public Awareness Campaign or Advancement of a Cause (highly commended): Influence Mental Health Campaign (CIPR) Agency of the Year: Think PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2020 Commercial Partnership of the Year: Professional Engineering (IMechE) and Arm E-Newsletter of the Year: Better Managers (CMI) Launch/Relaunch of the Year: CMI magazine (CMI) Writer of the Year: Tom Seymour, RPS Journal (RPS) Brand of the Year (highly commended): Wanderlust PPA/PPA Scotland Awards 2020 PPA Special Interest Magazine Brand of the Year (Silver Award): Wanderlust Member Magazine of the Year: National Trust for Scotland Magazine (NTS) Special Interest Magazine of the Year: RPS Journal (RPS) Cover of the Year: Environmental Health News March 2020 (CIEH) Sales Team of the Year: Professional Engineering (IMechE)

Welcome Re:member is the only survey of its kind, exploring current trends in membership communications and customer relationships.

This edition is by far the most wide-ranging report we have written, spanning contributions from over 200 membership bodies across all types of subject matter. Over the past decade, societies, associations and institutions have shared their desire to be more relevant, more joined-up and more innovative as they seek to acquire, engage, entertain and retain members, and embrace digital transformation.

The impact of Covid-19 has prompted huge changes in every industry, accelerating digital adoption and behaviours in a matter of weeks and months instead of years. While it’s been an extremely challenging period for membership bodies, 2020 was also a catalyst for change, inspiring organisations to embrace new ways of engaging with their members. We’ve seen progress, not perfection. We’ve seen agility. We’ve seen compassion and creativity.

What follows is a snapshot of a sector that has experimented, listened and learned, and is now ready to take those lessons on to the next stage, establish sustainable working practices and align operations with members’ new expectations.

This edition of Re:member looks specifically at membership bodies that talk to consumers (rather than professional members), mapping the landscape with insights from arts and heritage bodies, visitor attractions, conservation groups, mutuals, charities and unions. These organisations establish a unique relationship with their members, often born from a personal passion or deep conviction, but sometimes purely by providing access to an experience that their audience enjoys.

We hope that the report will serve as a reassuring roadmap and encourage you to remain bold, relatable and inspiring as you plan for the future.

After all, everything that you do depends on the relationship you build with your members.

JOHN INNES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CONSUMER MEMBERSHIP john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Re:member / thinkpublishing.co.uk / 1

Contents Cause for change?

6

If you only read one thing in this report…

10

1. Chase cut-through, not channel

12

2. Strategy is the key that unlocks success

16

3. Which of your communications do members actually value? 18

By listening and responding quickly to the needs of members, we have seen engagement levels soar. How do we keep being responsive without it feeling relentless?

22//thinkpublishing.co.uk thinkpublishing.co.uk//Re:member Re:member

4. What members value versus effectiveness

20

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff

22

6. Delve deeper into the data

28

7. Adopt an innovation mindset

30

8. It’s time to get serious about email

34

9. Keep it real

38

10. Make print count

41

11. Make virtual substantial

44

12. Get serious about social

48

13. Expand your financial comfort zone

51

14. Focus on the bigger picture

54

You have questions? We’ve got answers

56

This year has helped us change the way we communicate with members, try new channels and connect in a meaningful way. There is no going back

Our professional Insights from our team talented insights team

IAN MCAULIFFE

MELISSA MICHAEL CLARE HARRIS

RACHEL ANNA VASSALLO​ WALDER​

CEO

BUSINESS CLIENT ENGAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MANAGER

ACCOUNT CLIENT ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR & BUSINESS DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT

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‘Data, data, data, data.

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MATTHEW KIERAN PAUL​ BALL

MICHAEL MELISSA MICHAEL COULSEY​

TOM SONAL FOUNTAIN MISTRY

GROUP ACCOUNT CREATIVE DIRECTOR

BUSINESSSALES DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MANAGER

PARTNERSHIPS SALES DIRECTOR

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The Et que new voluptionet email andeatur, virtual odit porrum aut rathat communications accum we res esequid have launched eoshave dolore been nones sum received with neopen quos arms simaxim by our members olessim NAME OF PROFESSIONAL Re:member / thinkpublishing.co.uk / 3

Our research canvassed organisations throughout the sector representing the views of over 200 different membership bodies. In this report we look in detail at consumer members rather than professionals. We have also highlighted instances where professional bodies have taken a different route or demonstrate dramatically different results from those aimed at consumers.

37%

of respondents have fewer than 10,000 members

20%

Data from 55 leading consumer membership organisations

PLUS unions, mutual organisations, and sporting bodies

have more than 100,000 members

76%

say members join to support their work

69%

know that members join for a specific benefit

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16% heritage

22%

27%

have a visitor attraction

wildlife and conservation

12% hobbyist

13%

arts and culture

47%

of the organisations taking part are also campaigners/ charities

Re:member in numbers

More respondents, more insights and more powerful trends than ever before…

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Cause for change?

Differences between memberships that are driven by a benefit versus those that put purpose first signpost the need for a change of tone

At a time when doors were shut, events were cancelled and opportunities for social interaction limited, the value of a membership could have felt under threat – but the value of community has never been stronger.

During lockdown, people took comfort in membership, through the connection, solidarity and support of a community of like-minded people.

Our research has shown that membership organisations that focus on their fundamental cause have been 6 / thinkpublishing.co.uk / Re:member

much more likely to retain members than those that market a specific benefit (such as free entry to an attraction). In our data, more than a quarter of cause-driven organisations have seen a growth in membership during 2020, compared with only 15% of benefit-driven organisations.

Benefit-driven organisations have also suffered a higher level of member attrition during 2020 than those whose members joined in order to align themselves with a cause or specialist interest.

WHAT’S THE CAUSE?

It’s therefore vital to reaffirm what your organisation stands for, reminding your members how their support contributes to your cause, and thread the importance of long-term support through all of your communications.

Helping members feel part of a group that is working together for a purpose will result in higher retention and an engaged, passionate supporter base.

Comparing the performance of consumer memberships with their professional counterparts, we see that professional bodies have been more robust. This is most likely due to the need that homeworkers had for professional advice over lockdown, but it underlines the need to provide tangible value to members at all times.

Consumer organisations remain upbeat and are more optimistic about the future than their professional peers.

The majority of respondents (37%) believe activity will normalise in 2021, but a fifth think that they will never return to ‘business as usual’, compared with nearly half of professional bodies.

So who will be proved right? And will consumers revert to old habits when some level of normality returns, or could these new behaviours stick around?

Although some of the initiatives that membership organisations have implemented during the pandemic may have started as sticking-plaster solutions, teams have been surprised by the speed at which members have flocked to new ways of engaging.

Not only have members responded to virtual talks, digital content and new email streams, but the evidence suggests that they now attribute higher value to this type of content than they did in the past, signposting the direction of travel towards digital interaction.

Memberships that are driven by a passion for a cause have been more resilient than those that are benefit-driven BENEFIT

CAUSE

What drives member acquisition?

MEMBERS JOIN TO SUPPORT OUR WORK

76%

MEMBERS JOIN FOR A SPECIFIC BENEFIT

69%

MEMBERS TEND TO JOIN AT ONE OF OUR SITES

17%

OUR SUPPORTERS ARE PART OF AN ADOPTION SCHEME

7%

Since 2020, membership numbers have INCREASED

24%

DECREASED

44%

STAYED THE SAME

32%

26% OF CAUSE-DRIVEN organisations have seen membership grow versus 15% of benefit-driven organisations

52% OF BENEFIT-DRIVEN organisations have seen membership decline versus 38% of cause-driven organisations

Here’s where professional bodies plan to invest in 2021.

What direction will you take?

LESS INVESTMENT PLANNED

57%

FACE-TO-FACE EVENTS

Obvious in 2020, but many expect this to ramp up again in 2021

41%

DIRECT MARKETING IN PRINT

Low on perceived effectiveness and not valued by members but still effective for fundraising

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41%

DIGITAL MAGAZINES

Extremely low user engagement displays the limitations of on-screen magazines

MAINTAIN INVESTMENT

65%

62%

Low on perceived effectiveness and not valued by members but still effective for fundraising

Low on perceived effectiveness and not valued by members but still effective for fundraising

ONLINE CONTENT

TWITTER

FUTURE PLANS

MORE INVESTMENT PLANNED

68%

VIRTUAL CONFERENCES, EVENTS AND AWARDS

Virtual events are on the rise, but cutting through in a crowded market will be a challenge in 2021

65%

61%

Webinars reigned supreme in 2020 and have seen sustained engagement from members

Video continues to be one of the go-to tools for social engagement, grabbing attention on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

WEBINARS AND ONLINE TALKS

Virtual events have been the breakout star of 2020, delivering real engagement from members

VIDEO

61%

PODCASTS/ AUDIO

An obvious opportunity to engage in a new way, with a low cost of entry

as that All of the aroedies expect membership bin the next to expand re digital 12 months a

58% MEMBER MAGAZINE

Reductions in frequency paired with increased pagination and quality are making budgets stretch further

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If you only read one thing in this report…

Did you rip up your membership communications plan in 2020 and start again? These 10 tips from Think’s John Innes will help you navigate the new landscape…

1.

2.

HAVE A GAME PLAN The number of channels open to you is greater than ever, but your resources and budgets are finite, the digital space is more saturated by the day and attention spans are narrowing. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once, so identify which channels can deliver your messages most effectively and support your long-term objectives, then focus your efforts on using them brilliantly.

3.

BE MEMBER-CENTRIC Although consumer membership organisations are more integrated in their content planning, many are still overly preoccupied by the channel rather than the consumer experience. Remember, all content is membership communication and should be consistently excellent, whether it’s a long-form article in your member magazine, a Facebook campaign or a renewal email.

4.

5.

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LET DATA INFORM YOUR APPROACH Targeted communication yields results, but it relies on solid data. However, SEO and analytics are cited as the second biggest skills gap among respondents, and just 3% describe the quality of their data as excellent, indicating that there is significant room for improvement in data use. A truly data-driven culture requires upskilling if organisations are to harness the full creativity at their disposal.

THINK BEFORE YOU PRESS SEND With more content creators on the scene, how do you get noticed? Social listening tools such as Falcon, Sprout Social and Hootsuite are a good way of tuning into your members’ interests.

So before you fire off another blog, check whether it’s what they want to read about and then consider what the content adds to the conversation. If the answer is nothing, reinvest that time in something that really moves the needle.

REMEMBER YOUR PURPOSE A flexible content plan is vital in a fast-changing world, but don’t lose sight of your strategy if you want to remain relevant. That means giving thought to the distribution and long-term goals of a new podcast launch rather than throwing money at a one-hit wonder. Think about how your content fits in with your overall marketing strategy – or doesn’t – and commit to growing your audience.

KEY MESSAGES

6.

7.

8.

INNOVATE TO RESONATE The member magazine continues to rank highly for effectiveness and perceived value (see page 20), but 2020 has doubled down on digital content, such as highly segmented email, interactive online quizzes, podcasts and video, at an accelerated speed. With rising printing costs and digitally native consumers, your print offering has to be part of a much smarter marketing mix if you want to resonate with your audiences.

MAKE THEM CARE Organisations have pivoted at speed to the virtual events world, and while consumers have been grateful for this continued access, some of the exclusivity and magic from a physical space has been lost along the way. Give your members a reason to skip the washing-up and tune into your content by thinking about your value-adds. This could be through celebrity guest speakers, unique access to your people and places, or real-time interaction with like-minded peers in your community.

9.

10.

OPEN YOUR MIND Advertising revenues had their worst year on record in 2020 due to Covid-19 – and print spend was hit hard. But consumer membership organisations also unearthed new revenue streams and embraced different types of advertising as a result of the constraints. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (74%) acknowledged they are not maximising their commercial potential – the question is, why not?

ABC – ALWAYS BE CHANGING If Covid-19 hadn’t happened, would you still be churning out the same content? The world is unrecognisable to that of January 2020, and who knows what the next year will bring. So, adopting a business-as-usual mindset won’t cut it. Keep listening, learning and evolving.

DON’T SCRIMP ON SOCIAL You’ve spent hours crafting your content – now it’s time for people to see it. But social media marketing shouldn’t be an afterthought; it requires careful research, planning and investment from the outset if you want to land your message successfully. Facebook is one of the best channels for member acquisition yet the fifth most timeconsuming channel to manage, according to our respondents. Could the right digital marketing skills increase your organisation’s productivity and allow your team to deploy their efforts elsewhere?

JOHN INNES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CONSUMER MEMBERSHIP john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk

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1. Chase cut-through, not channel Digital channels are gaining ground as organisations pivot to serve informative content to their members at speed.

But could internal barriers stifle success?

Zoom bombing, elbow bumps, Grayson Perry’s Art Club, family quizzes, designer face masks and Bridgerton – the cultural landscape changed significantly in the year when Covid-19 propelled consumers towards digital services and platforms at full pelt.

Today, organisations are three times more likely to say that the majority of their customer interactions are digital than they were before the crisis, according to McKinsey.1 But despite this exponential rise in digital adoption, our research suggests that the printed word remains an important refuge for consumers. Member magazines are published by the bulk of consumer membership organisations and have high perceived value for recipients who view it as a tangible benefit of membership. As one

organisation said, their magazine is the physical representation of being part of a club. Although the magazine remains a key retention tool for many organisations, digital channels have become acquisition drivers.

Facebook usage continued to increase during 2020 with daily users up 12% year-on-year. All respondents to our survey now use Facebook versus 93% in 2018. Instagram use is almost twice as popular among consumer membership organisations than professional bodies, used by 94% versus 50%. While Twitter use is high, interestingly it is the channel that most membership teams would most like to close given the choice, highlighting the relentless nature of content production for the platform.

This constant churn of content for Twitter highlights a bigger issue: the concentration on channel filling rather

than strategic planning. With only half of respondents having built a set of member personas and a third unable to say how their members prefer to access their online content, it’s clear that strategy is not actively driving content creation for many organisations. And if they are not giving sufficient thought to their data and audience segments, how can they successfully implement more personalised, insight-driven content that resonates with members?

While digital becomes increasingly important as an acquisition tool, now is the time to really think about how that expanded digital footprint can deliver real value. With membership recruitment and retention cited as two of the biggest challenges that teams face, could a more tactical approach to lead capture actually help retain members and stand out from the crowd in 2021?

A survey of 16- to 64-year-olds revealed that 46% have increased their smartphone use since Covid-19* Source: Statista (July 2020) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1121168/device-usage-coronavirus-in-the-uk

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*AND THE REMAINING 54% WERE LIKELY FIBBING

CHANNEL MIX

The most used communication channels EMAIL/E-NEWSLETTERS

100%

FACEBOOK

100%

Up from 93% in 2018

ONLINE CONTENT (OPEN TO ALL)

94%

INSTAGRAM

94%

TWITTER

92%

MEMBER MAGAZINE

81%

VIDEO

80%

DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES AND RESOURCES

70%

RESEARCH/REPORTS/WHITE PAPERS

67%

VIRTUAL EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

66%

LINKEDIN

65%

DIRECT MARKETING IN PRINT

59%

Down from 67% in 2018

WEBINARS

59%

Down from 67% in 2018

DIGITAL MAGAZINE (PDF)

58%

ONLINE CONTENT (BEHIND MEMBER WALL)

56%

ONLINE ‘MAGAZINE’ CONTENT HUB

56%

FACE-TO-FACE CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

48%

INFOGRAPHICS

45%

DIGITAL MAGAZINE (ON-SCREEN PAGE-TURNER)

37%

TOPIC/EVENT MICROSITES

29%

PODCASTS/AUDIO

29%

JOBS BOARDS

19%

DIGITAL CONTENT VIA AN APP

12%

1 https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/ our-insights/how-covid-19-has-pushed-companies-over-the-technology-tipping-pointand-transformed-business-forever#

Down from 85% in 2018

Down from 42% in 2018

Down from 29% in 2018 Down from 35% in 2018

Enormous drop!

The slice of success Are you putting your energy in all the right places?

100%

Widely used but not highly effective – yet

C HA NNE LS BE ING USE D BY ME M B E RS H IP B O D IES

80%

Twitter Instagram

Downloadable guides/resources LinkedIn

Research/reports/ white papers Direct marketing in print

Digital magazine (PDF)

60%

Online content (behind member wall)

Why bother?

Online ‘magazine’ content hub Infographics

40% Digital magazine (on-screen page-turner)

Topic/event microsites

20%

0

2.8

3

3.2

3.4

EF F E CT IV E NES S O F E AC H C H A NNE L 14 / thinkpublishing.co.uk / Re:member

CHANNEL MIX

Our ‘slice of success’ provides a snapshot of the channels that consumer membership bodies are using and their relative effectiveness. Member magazine and email are in a sweet spot, seen as effective and widely used. They also lead the charge when it comes to the items that members value.

Meanwhile, face-to-face events have understandably reduced over the past 12 months but remain valued and highly effective as a way of bringing a community together in a spirit of unity.

Webinars have yet to break through in terms of usage, but those who have been using this channel have found strong engagement from members. With 65%

of organisations intending to invest more in these over the next 12 months, we’re watching this (virtual) space.

Instagram and Twitter, meanwhile, lag in effectiveness, and LinkedIn is out in the cold.

You’ve seen what the industry is doing, but how do you measure up? Are you getting a slice of the action, or is it time to slice and dice your communications programme?

Facebook

Email/ e-newsletters

Online content (open to all)

Member magazine

Video

Virtual events and conferences Webinars

E OF

SLIC

ESS C C SU

Paused in 2020 but very effective

Huge potential for member engagement

Face-to-face conferences and events

Podcasts/ audio

Effective but underused

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

4.4

2. Strategy is the key that unlocks success The mantra should always be ‘think first, create second’ Too often content teams are tasked with filling ‘buckets’ of content. Annual reports, monthly magazines, weekly emails, daily Facebook posts, hourly Instagram images and minute-byminute Twitter updates create a culture that is driven by the medium rather than the message and leave little time to step back and think ‘Why are we creating this content?’

We advocate a strategy-first approach that is centred on the audience, what you want to communicate and what aim you want to achieve before anything else. Rather than starting on the outside ring of our wheel of engagement (see right) and trying

to squeeze as many channels as possible into those forward plans, we suggest putting the audience at the centre of everything you do.

Who are they? What do they need to feel valued and engaged? How do their wants fit in with your business strategy and priorities?

What ideas and messages do you need to communicate, and in what way should you communicate them? How much should you be focusing on your own mix of channels, and are you doing enough to become more visible through paid and earned media?

Switching your content planning to align with this model helps organisations escape from the drumbeat of constant content.

“There’s nothing more important than the right strategy, research, analysis, and insights to generate the right content for any audience” 16 / thinkpublishing.co.uk / Re:member

Omnichannel is an audience-first approach to content generation, rather than a channel-first approach

SMART THINKING

HOW

U

C U R AT I O N

A

WHY

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I

AM

IO

O

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R

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EG

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EAR

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BU

WHAT

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SO

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IA ET ED G M ID G SIN PA PO VE UR HI EP ARC

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WHERE

AUDIENCE D IT

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OWNED MEDIA

Strategic stage

E FE

D

Planning stage

Is all the activity for your communications channels planned together or do different teams/departments manage different channels?

EVERYTHING IS PLANNED TOGETHER

43%

SOME ACTIVITY IS PLANNED TOGETHER, BUT WE COULD DO MORE TO INTEGRATE EVERYTHING

49%

ACTIVITY IS PLANNED SEPARATELY BY A RANGE OF DIFFERENT TEAMS

8%

SO 57% think they could do more or are not doing it at all!

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3. Which of your communications do members actually value?

Average score out of

LOW PERCEIVED VALUE

2.36

DIGITAL CONTENT VIA AN APP

Suffers from trying to replicate the immediacy of online content within a gated environment

2.78

HERE TO STAY

2.9

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Continues to be seen as the domain of work-related content

The quantity of content, putting the image before the brand, counts against Instagram as a valuegenerating channel

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3.0

3.03

3.5

Gaining traction, podcasts are being trialled for short ‘seasons’ by many organisations

The channel with the most ferocious appetite for content can be a solid driver of traffic

The ubiquity of video means it’s hard to stand out, but get it right and real engagement follows

PODCASTS

TWITTER

VIDEO

REAL VALUE

HIGH PERCEIVED VALUE

3.7

FACEBOOK

One of the key acquisition channels for many consumer membership organisations

4.0

4.09

4.12

4.4

VIRTUAL EVENTS

EMAIL NEWSLETTERS

FACE-TO-FACE EVENTS

MEMBER MAGAZINE

Delivering real member engagement, these events have come of age

Increased segmentation of content-driven newsletters pays dividends

On pause for now but expected to bounce back in 2021/22

Continues to deliver high perceived value as a physical item and as part of a cross-channel mix

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4. What members value versus effectiveness

4.7

4.2

Often, the trigger for becoming a member is the desire to be part of a community of likeminded individuals or to align with a shared world view. But understanding which benefits of membership are perceived as valuable is key to retaining those hard-won members.

Content and the channels that we use to deliver it are tools we can use to give members a deeper, more fulfilling and valuable experience. For example, if a key benefit of a membership is access to a visitor attraction, content is the tool that can inspire the member to use that benefit more often, aiding retention. If the key motivator is supporting a charitable project, content can engage the member in the subject and build a deeper, longer-lasting bond.

For other organisations the content that is produced is a key benefit in

itself. The traditional printed magazine continues to inspire considerable value, beyond any other channels represented in the survey, but it doesn’t come cheap. And, with the immediacy afforded by digital content, organisations are focusing on quantity, creating higher-quality magazines with increased pagination but at a reduced frequency. Many are pairing magazines with contentdriven email, allowing organisations to showcase value, reduce costs and provide highly responsive content.

Virtual events have taken off, with many surprised by the level of engagement from all age groups.

Facebook too continues to perform well as a key acquisition tool. But the channel most respondents say they would close tomorrow given the choice is Twitter, highlighting that social media effectiveness remains a bugbear for many.

W H AT M E M B E RS VA LUE

The most important chart in the report

3.7

3.2

Digital magazine (on-screen page-turner)

LinkedIn

2.7

Rethink Are you hitting the same sweet spot in your communications programme or is it time for a rethink? Stay true to your strategic objectives and the needs of your members, and your channel tail won’t wag the content dog.

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Jobs boards

2.2 2.8

SMART THINKING

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND VALUED Member magazine

Still the most valued channel Downloadable guides/resources

Online ‘magazine’ content hub

Email /e-newsletters

Virtual events are growing rapidly

Face-toface conferences and events Webinars

Online content (open to all) Facebook Virtual events and conferences

Research/ reports/ white papers

Online content (behind member wall)

The channel that organisations would close if they could

Digital magazine (PDF) Twitter Topic/event microsites

The channels that most organisations want to improve

Video

Direct marketing in print

Over 10 million people are listening to a podcast every week in the UK – 18% of the adult population on average – up from 14% in spring 2019

Podcasts/ audio

Infographics Instagram

LESS EFFECTIVE AND POORLY VALUED

3.2

Source: Spring 2020 MIDAS Survey (Measuring Internet Delivered Audio Services)

3.6

4.0

4.4

EF F ECTI VEN ES S O F E AC H C H A NNE L Re:member / thinkpublishing.co.uk / 21

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Member bodies may be more agile than ever in the way they work, but strategy can fall by the wayside without a long-term view

If the disruption to our normal practices caused

by Covid has taught us anything, it’s that a speedy response means letting go of perfectionism. When the pandemic hit, membership bodies were forced to rip up their marketing plans and start again quickly – launching new projects and resources literally overnight.

Interactive content, video and virtual events were created at breakneck speed, podcasts were launched and new family

resource packs built from the ground up.

The usual design polish was left at the door and, inevitably, the odd mistake crept in along the way. But members accepted these imperfections ­– or what we call ‘rustic comms’ – with good humour, grateful for a connection with the membership bodies they belong to.

Since then, many teams have been emboldened and are pushing the envelope with their activity. In fact, 81% say their content programme is now more agile than ever and they’re planning in

THREE WAYS TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR STRATEGY

1.

ESTABLISH YOUR RAISON D’ÊTRE What is important to your organisation and what do you stand for?

2.

REVIEW YOUR AUDIENCES Who are you targeting? You’ll need to know if you want to produce relevant and valued content on the right channels.

3.

ALIGN YOUR BUSINESS AND CONTENT GOALS What do you hope to achieve through content and what do your audiences need to do to help you get there?

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detail less far ahead, with the majority now taking a three-month view. While this agility is to be welcomed, it’s important not to lose sight of the basics. A content strategy is more than a calendar – it’s a roadmap that allows you to achieve your objectives by providing members with the right content on the right channels at the right time. Aligning content with your business objectives allows you to develop a joined-up brand story that creates a deeper, more personal connection with your members.

Timeliness matters, particularly when it concerns response times from brands on social media: 40% of consumers expect brands to respond within the first hour of reaching out on social media, while 79% expect a response in the first 24 hours Source: 2020 Sprout Social Index: Above and Beyond https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/05/05/2027374/0/en/New-DataReinforces-Social-Media-s-Role-in-Driving-Bottom-Line-Growth-as-More-Consumers-Plan-toIncrease-Spending-on-Brands-they-Follow-on-Social.html

FEELING AGILE?

44%

31%

of organisations have ripped up their comms plan as a result of Covid-19

66%

say creating an effective content strategy is their biggest skills gap

76%

are squeezing all of their budgets at the moment

3 MONTHS 8% in principle

How confident are you that, as a result of Covid-19, your current strategy is meeting your membership needs?

VERY CONFIDENT

16%

QUITE CONFIDENT

65%

NOT CONFIDENT

19%

How far ahead do you plan your content in detail?

68% in detail

51%

4-6 MONTHS 33% in principle

39%

7-12 MONTHS 34% in principle

26%

8% OVER 2 YEARS 5% in principle 3% in detail

18% in detail

1-2 YEARS 20% in principle 6% in detail

1% in Detail

5% in detail

Do you have a content strategy in place that coordinates all your communications channels?

36% in principle

YES

26%

YES, IN PART

46%

NO

13%

CONSIDERING

15%

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Are you being resourceful with resources?

Time is often our biggest enemy, so it’s important that we deploy resources where we can make the biggest impact. Some organisations spend a lot of time creating new member content when refreshing, updating and reworking archival material would be more efficient.

SEO can also be a great driver, letting you see where you have gaps and the new content that can be used to increase your organic reach.

Which member content channels do you spend the most time delivering?

E-newsletters 82%

Do you build SEO into your content development? sed A mis unity t oppor

26% YES

40% NO

34%

DON’T KNOW

Are you making the most of your content archive?

Member magazines 62%

20% YES

Online content (open to all) 45%

52% NO

28%

DON’T KNOW

Interesting!

Are you adept at repurposing and reusing content?

Facebook 25% Virtual events 16% Twitter 10%

46% YES

17% NO

37%

DON’T KNOW

So 54% don’t repurpose content well or don’t know if they do!

FEELING AGILE?

Rustic comms: 5 hacks to help you swim, not sink

In 2020, membership organisations shifted from established communications programmes to agile, hyper-relevant, content. For the planners among us this approach doesn’t come naturally, but in a changing environment it’s a necessity. Use these tips to avoid getting left behind…

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

It’s time to mine your archive

Review your email programme

Have a weekly check-up

Remember substance over style

Be honest about your limitations

Each year, organisations tell us that resource is one of their biggest challenges. This year was no different: 89% of respondents say it is hampering their content strategy efforts, yet 100% of organisations think that they are not making the most of their archive.

Repurposing and reusing content is not cutting corners; it’s smart time management and can actually help boost your profile online. Plus, Google rewards those who actively go back and update previous content too.

More than four-fifths of member organisations (82%) say email/e-newsletters are their most labourintensive channel, so now is the time to think creatively about the structure of your emails.

Carefully analysing which stories are driving members to your website can help you make the choice between a 10-story newsletter, where only four stories get engagement, or a shorter one, where all of the content delivers results.

Do you dread your monthly marketing update meeting? Does it always overrun?

Consider weekly updates instead.

Regular meetings will enable you to respond more quickly to the news agenda, create relevant content and help your team feel connected in this working-fromhome era.

We all take pride in our work – but don’t live and die by your style guide. And certainly don’t hold back a timely piece of content because it’s not been through the third set of design approvals.

Chances are you’ll be the only one to spot that the blue in your email banner is off-brand.

More member professionals are pointing towards strategic and digital skills as areas where they have the biggest gaps. Be honest about your own limitations and concentrate on delivering more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

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The 10 challenges keeping you awake at night Feeling time-poor took on new meaning in 2020, as membership organisations balanced myriad commitments and channels while trying to be as responsive as possible in a fast-changing environment. Here are the biggest issues our survey respondents are juggling at the moment…

1.

2.

‘WE’RE TRYING TO DO MORE WITH LESS’ With channels growing by the day and budgets trimmed, membership communications professionals feel like the proverbial hamster on the exercise wheel. More than half (51%) are not confident that they are making the most of their content, but many of them don’t have the time or the right skills within their team to address this.

As one respondent admitted: ‘Getting things out the door is sometimes more important than maximising impact.’

‘DIGITAL NOISE MAKES IT HARD TO ACHIEVE AN IMPACT’ As the saying goes, there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen. In 2020, our transition to digital accelerated by years in a matter of months – and for many of us, the fatigue of Zoom calls set in quickly. Organisations are now asking: How can we achieve cut-through and maintain effectiveness when there is so much content out there, from Netflix and Amazon Prime to family quizzes, that is fighting for the attention of our audience?

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3.

4.

‘HOW DO WE RUN VIRTUOSO VIRTUAL EVENTS FOR MEMBERS?’ In a world of narrowing attention spans, maintaining engagement has never been more challenging. After all, how many of us have watched TV recently while checking Twitter and scrolling through our latest Instagram obsession?

Your members certainly have. The secret to success is delivering content that puts the member, and their obsessions, at the heart of your digital content. Embrace the medium and create content that people will keep coming back for.

‘THE NEED FOR AN INNOVATION MINDSET’ Strategy took a back seat in 2020 as marketing teams around the UK scrambled to meet the needs of their members in new and innovative ways. Some 69% of organisations abandoned their communications plan and returned to the drawing board, and now few are planning more than three months ahead. Teams have adopted an ‘innovation mindset’, building new content and testing new initiatives with the expectation that some will fail but that they’ll learn valuable lessons along the way.

WHERE NEXT?

8.

5.

‘WE DON’T KNOW WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE’ As more content shifts online, the need for continuous and accurate measurement has become clear, not only for membership organisations, but also for their commercial partners. However, many member bodies tell us they lack both the tools to track and analyse return on investment – and the people who can decipher that data. Many are turning to specialist agencies to provide benchmarking insights, and bringing in SEO experts to help create a framework for future content development.

6.

‘MEMBERSHIP INCOME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER’ In 2020 organisations saw revenues from visitor attractions, retail outlets and cafés disappear overnight. However, many of our respondents have reported not only a resilience in membership, but also a rise in both acquisition and renewal rates as members evolve the relationships with the hobbies and interests that define them. With 97% saying that member income is increasingly important, organisations need to deliver extraordinary content to keep members on board.

7.

‘OUR CONTENT NEEDS TO BE MORE TARGETED

9.

10.

‘REACTING BECAME MORE IMPORTANT THAN PLANNING’ The usual rules were thrown out the window in 2020 as government advice, tiers and travel restrictions changed with dizzying speed.

Organisations found that they needed to start each week afresh, taking nothing for granted and pivoting their offer as they went. Continuing with this mindset will ensure that communications remain relevant to members wherever they are.

‘WE NEED TO FUTURE-PROOF OUR OFFER’ Why belong to a membership organisation?

Demonstrating value and doubling down on the emotional aspect of joining a group will become key points of positioning in membership marketing from here on.

‘KEEP USING THE CHANNELS THAT WORK, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO TEST NEW WATERS’ Budgets are tight, so persuading your executive team to prospect in new communication channels is a challenge. This year’s findings have demonstrated just how far the balance has tipped in favour of new types of engagement, but traditional analogue communications such as print continue to deliver solid engagement and, critically, perceived value to the member. So make sure you use the most successful tools to engage your audience, but keep evolving the work that you do in order to remain relevant to your members.

Improving and expanding member data to better target communications is an ongoing journey for many organisations. While 55% have built a series of member personas or segments, many have not incorporated these insights into their content strategy. With only 30% describing the quality of their data as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, personalising the member experience remains an uphill struggle.

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6. Delve deeper into the data The data that membership organisations have access to remains sketchy, with just 3% of respondents describing the quality of their data as excellent Many organisations regarded General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as a huge regulatory burden when it came into force in 2018, due to its onerous requirements, but it has forced them to up their data collection game considerably and think about how they deliver personalised content to members.

The GDPR has had an extremely positive impact on data segmentation, for example, with the number of those segmenting by membership status, geographic location, industry sector and user preference rising sharply in the past two years.

More organisations tell us their databases are improving, but getting to grips with that data still remains the holy grail. Organisations cite SEO and analytics as their biggest skills gap (41%) and although almost all (97%) use analytics tools to inform and drive their content strategy, they know they could be doing better.

There is also room for improvement in the quality of the data they are collecting: less than a third (30%) of organisations describe it as good (27%) or excellent (3%). In addition to the need for better data, organisations need the right talent internally to understand what is being collected and how to translate those insights into tangible actions that create a personal, relevant member experience.

By using the data at our disposal, no matter how small that is, we can segment the members and prospects into different groups depending on, for example, size, engagement, lifetime value or age. This essentially creates

Do you know your audience?

Half of cause-driven organisations have built a set of member personas versus 44% of benefit-driven organisations.

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a map of the universe that we are talking to. This map allows us to target key segments and plan where we are going to put our resources and, crucially, the areas that we are not devoting resources to.

By establishing clear segments and targeting these with content tailored to achieve a specific response, not only can you allocate budget and effort more effectively, but you will also be able to measure success more accurately.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

How do you segment audiences?

ANALYTICS TOOLS

97%

READERSHIP SURVEYS

47%

FLASH POLLS

13%

FOCUS GROUPS

30%

OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

3%

How would you describe the quality of your member data?

39%

SATISFACTORY

27%

31% POOR

GOOD

3%

EXCELLENT

How do you measure the performance of your communications channels?

2020 2018

MEMBERSHIP STATUS

78%

57%

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

75%

52%

USER PREFERENCE

29%

–

EMPLOYMENT LEVEL

11%

–

PURCHASE HISTORY/ACTIVITY

31%

19%

LENGTH OF MEMBERSHIP

50%

–

LIFETIME VALUE

33%

–

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICALLY

19%

–

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INNOVATE NOW

7. Adopt an innovation mindset In an increasingly saturated digital landscape, how do you gain an edge?

Digital innovation was already high on the business agenda at the start of 2020 as companies looked ahead to another decade of transformation.

But as a result of lockdown, many adopted an ‘innovation mindset’ where they were willing to launch new initiatives in a fraction of the time they previously would. Although new initiatives were often started as shortterm solutions, many answer longer-term shifts in business models and consumer behaviour that predate the pandemic.

Today, membership bodies are pivoting to digital channels as consumer media consumption also shifts online.

As digitisation gathers pace, the landscape is becoming increasingly crowded for member bodies, and creative thinking and innovative content is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s the order of the day.

According to our research, virtual events, video and podcasts are becoming standard practice as organisations are investing more in these channels.

Two-thirds of benefit-driven consumer membership bodies plan to invest more in online content, with this being the channel that most would like to improve.

For cause-centric organisations, email is cited as the channel most in need of attention.

Video continues to be a strong focus; its value has been reaffirmed in 2020, with 77% of organisations using the channel as part of their member acquisition strategy.

Only 41% of respondents say video was important in their communications mix in 2019, and nearly three-quarters (72%) now say the channel is very important.

Podcast listenership in the UK has been increasing year-on-year, reaching an estimated 15.6 million listeners in 2020.

As more organisations see opportunity in this format, due to its audience reach and ability to build a following, a third of respondents (33%) launched a podcast in 2020, and 83% say their podcast engagement has increased over the year.

Although take-up is still relatively low among consumer membership organisations at 29%, branded podcasts can be a powerful addition to the marketing mix. Executed successfully (and strategically), they have the potential to generate real cut-through with audiences.

So, with the right marketing support, could 2021 be the year that podcasts

take off in the membership space?

We’re staying tuned. But before you record your own, work out how they fit in with your overall marketing strategy and wider business objectives. If they don’t, steer clear.

Despite predictions that 2020 would cause membership organisations to go dark and raise the drawbridge (literally in some cases), it’s been the year where we’ve seen more innovation, more testing and more creativity than ever before.

The six traits of an innovation mindset We need to be open to change, have a bias towards creativity, have an ability to think big, have the courage to challenge the accepted norm, have the acceptance that a test may fail, and be characterised by speed of thought and execution.

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What is the most popular method of accessing your online content?

More than p to tablet, lap op and deskt ! combined

69%

45% Mobile

OF ORGANISATIONS HAVE SEEN UNIQUE USERS INCREASE SINCE MARCH 2020

3% Tablet

7%

66%

Laptop

33%

12%

Don’t know

HAVE SEEN PAGE VIEWS INCREASE SINCE MARCH 2020

Desktop

54%

What is the most viewed content on your website?

HAVE SEEN THE LENGTH OF VISITS INCREASE SINCE MARCH 2020

48%

EVERGREEN CONTENT

VIDEO

35%

DAILY NEWS

32%

INDUSTRY UPDATES

LISTICLES

23% 5%

So how can organisations stand out in a sea of digital content creators? Here are five tactics to consider…

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Look and listen

Think different

Be authentic

Spread the word

Be useful

Social listening tools such as TweetDeck, Sprout Social and Hootsuite can help you learn more about your members and ensure you are creating content that they are looking for and that drives organic traffic.

Know your target audience, adopt a different stance from your competitors and exploit gaps in your content space to get noticed. Use analytics to find out what works (or not) and adapt your messages to the channel.

Explain why you do what you do. Your brand story should form the basis of every piece of content that you create. Don’t rose-tint your content for members – sharing the good times and the challenges will make you more relatable.

Apply the 20/80 rule: spend 20% of your time on content creation and 80% on promotion.

Search engine optimisation (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), social media and email marketing are all part of the mix.

When you create content, think about purpose. Who is this email for? Why would they be interested?

It may be another (virtual) bum on seat for your next event, so make sure you give members a reason to care.

STAND OUT

63%

Replay: Disruption to print distribution in 2020 led to a rise in digital page-turners. While they have been a useful stopgap for many organisations, they deliver poor engagement and are no replacement for true mobile-optimised html content.

OF ORGANISATIONS HAVE MOVED TO A ‘DIGITAL FIRST’ MODEL

With a digital first BUILD SEO INTO THEIR proach, CONTENT DEVELOPMENT ap measurement is key

26%

60%

FIND IT HARD TO MEASURE THE ROI OF ONLINE CONTENT

Online usage vs engagement WHAT CONTENT DO YOU PRODUCE FOR ONLINE CHANNELS? 91% 81%

44%

VIDEO

EVERGREEN CONTENT

DAILY NEWS

43%

INFOGRAPHICS

3% 24% 48%

45%

33%

41%

INDUSTRY UPDATES

21%

36%

29%

CAREERS/ INDUSTRY CPD CONTENT OVERVIEWS

7%

24% PODCASTS

19% LISTICLES

3%

WHICH TYPES OF CONTENT GET THE BEST ENGAGEMENT?

of organisations don’t know how their members prefer to access their online content Re:member / thinkpublishing.co.uk / 33

8. It’s time to get serious about email All content should be viewed as membership comms, whether you’re sending a renewal email or a long-read e-newsletter. But achieving consistency requires an integrated organisational structure – and this isn’t always forthcoming

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INBOX JOY

limit the number % of emails they send to members

65 Two years ago we wrote about the challenges of integration in membership communications when many organisations had siloed their ‘publishing’ department from the rest of their communications and marketing.

The findings from this year’s survey suggest that these internal barriers still persist: less than 40% of organisations tell us that they have integrated their content creation with their acquisition marketing. But prioritising the customer journey requires organisations to think more agnostically about channels, shifting away from: ‘What can I say in my e-newsletter?’ towards: ‘How can I tactically use content in the right channels to deliver the right response?’

We’re happy to report that many are moving in this direction, challenging traditional notions about content and channels, and finding

59%

opportunities in the constraints of the new normal.

One shift was towards a more proactive use of email for regular membership communications, with 82% increasing their email content programme in 2020.

Organisations took a step back to think about whether they could offer highquality content through previously

82%

have increased their email programme in 2020

saw a spike in engagement during 2020, which has remained

more transactional channels, such as email.

Sending out popular feature-length articles in the body of the email has been a successful move for a number of organisations. Others have taken 2020 as an opportunity to look in detail at their segmentation, creating new emails with tailored content, images and designs.

In turn, audience engagement has risen across the board. According to Mailchimp user data, click and open rates in March and April 2020 were higher than they were throughout all of 2019.

Organisations have also increased the amount of A/B testing that they undertake, taking advantage of the opportunity to tweak elements that might improve engagement. We recommend keeping a list of questions and assumptions that can be tested throughout the year, from button colour and size to language, image choice, story layout and personalisation. These can then be prioritised and tested. For example: What is the ideal number of stories?

What is the optimum number of CTAs? Does the choice of image influence clicks?

Should we personalise the subject line?

How much personalisation is too much?

What should the ‘from’ name and pre-header text be?

If there’s a question in the back of your mind, testing it couldn’t be easier.

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The email subject line power words everyone should test

FIRST WORD OPEN % CHANGE

LAST WORD OPEN % CHANGE

[FIRST NAME]

14%

–

INVITATION

9%

7%

INTRODUCING

7%

–

WE

5%

–

A

4%

–

YEAR (EG 2021)

3%

2%

–

3%

UPDATE NEW

3%

–

MONTH NAME (EG JUNE)

3%

3%

SPECIAL/SPECIALS

2%

2%

NEWS

1%

2%

SALE/SALE!

–

2%

EVENTS

–

1%

OFFER/OFFERS

–

1%

Recommendation Build a list of testing priorities and make sure that each email send includes at least one A/B test.

Fast fact: How have different industries fared?

By 25 March 2020, almost all industries saw an increase in email marketing engagement compared to their previous year’s average. A few industries, including e-commerce, were largely unaffected.

Source: Mailchimp https://mailchimp.com/resources/covid19-coronavirusmarketing-trends-report

When planning a test, use the following structure: IDENTIFY A QUESTION

Would inserting localised images increase engagement?

WRITE A HYPOTHESIS

Images that users recognise will make them more likely to read

BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS

Test this first with bespoke header images for one geographical location

RUN AN EXPERIMENT

REVIEW RESULTS AND REFINE

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Pick a good size of send; make sure that the image is the only change between both groups within the send If the engagement rate is significantly better, test it two more times to make sure. If we then know it works, decide what is the optimum size of audience to roll it out to. Can it be automated to remove additional administration?

INBOX JOY

1.4%

After recent testing on a monthly newsletter, we have found that using the editor’s name rather than the title of the newsletter increases open rates by

Average number of emails sent to members each week

6.2%

Types of segmentation used MEMBERSHIP STATUS

79%

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

76%

LENGTH OF MEMBERSHIP

50%

PURCHASE HISTORY/ACTIVITY

32%

LIFETIME VALUE

31%

USER PREFERENCE

30%

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC

18%

EMPLOYMENT LEVEL

13%

Do you find it hard to measure the ROI of email?

YES 40% NO 43% DON’T KNOW 13%

Average email open rates

0%

LESS THAN 2%

2-5%

0%

6-10%

0%

11-20%

6%

21-30%

10%

31-40%

13%

41-50%

23%

51-60%

23%

61-70%

16%

MORE THAN 70%

3%

DON’T KNOW

6%

ations s i n a g r o t s Mo 41-60% f o s e t a r n see ope Re:member / thinkpublishing.co.uk / 37

9. Keep it real Webinars and podcasts are finding favour with members, but are organisations paying enough attention to the strategy and promotion that underpins them? › Webinars and recorded video dominate, followed by filmed interviews and animation › Podcasts are still not a revenue driver for most organisations

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Video can be highly emotive and allow you to build a connection in a way that other channels cannot. One of the reasons the medium promotes brand recall is because it is inherently memorable and is hard-coded into the way we think – we’ve been communicating in pictures since the dawn of time.

It has certainly been an effective storytelling tool for membership bodies during 2020, who have used video to show their human aspect and provide access to resources, advice, attractions and properties during lockdown.

The majority of respondents (78%) are now using video for acquisition and two-thirds are using video as a way to promote membership.

But just because video is set to make up more than 82% of all internet traffic by 2022, this doesn’t mean you should dive straight in without a plan of action.

With Instagram and TikTok vying for our attention, and recorded events and webinars and roundtables accounting for more than 80% of all video produced by our respondents, you must think about how video fits in with your overall marketing strategy (or doesn’t) if you want it to take off.

LIGHTS, CAMERA...

Before you start production…

73% say that video is

Think strategically

really important to their organisation Content best suited for video INTERVIEWS

90%

CAMPAIGNS

87%

PROMOTING MEMBERSHIP

71%

ACQUISITION

62%

What constitutes good video and where are brands going wrong?

More often than not, it comes down to the strategy – or lack thereof.

Think about who you want to talk to with your video content (and conduct persona research), what you stand for as a brand and how that resonates with your audience.

Be outlandish Bland gets signed off all the time, but creativity is even more important in times of uncertainty when everyone is dishing out the same material.

Make sure your content is remarkable, have a point of view and dare to go against the grain – you’ll be remembered for it.

Build an audience The work doesn’t end when your video goes live. Use your email and social marketing activity to amplify your video content. This will ensure it reaches your audiences and they keep coming back. You’ll also need to make sure you optimise your content for social too, as each platform has its own specifications.

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Is video an important part of your communications mix?

PRE-COVID-19

56% 14% 31%

10% VERY IMPORTANT

Do you have a podcast?

3% QUITE IMPORTANT

NOT VERY IMPORTANT

DON’T USE

0% 6%

NO 79% YES 21% 47%

47%

NOW

What types of video do you produce?

How successful do you think your podcasts are?

VERY SUCCESSFUL

35% 32%

FILMED INTERVIEWS

65%

SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL

RECORDED EVENTS/WEBINARS/ROUNDTABLES

81%

TAKE-UP HAS BEEN LOWER THAN WE HOPED FOR

19%

ANIMATION

32%

WE FIND IT HARD TO MEASURE THEIR SUCCESS

14%

COMPILATIONS/ADVERTISING

10%

OTHER

13%

How has engagement with your podcast changed?

INCREASED

71%

DECREASED

0%

STAYED THE SAME

13%

IT LAUNCHED DURING COVID-19

16%

Does your podcast generate significant income for your organisation?

YES NO

SPONSORSHIP

20%

80%

ADVERTISING

0%

100%

AFFILIATE/SALES INCOME

25%

75%

29%

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of organisations launched their podcast in the past six months

Clearly not a revenue stream yet

PRINT POWER

10. Make print count The member magazine tops the effectiveness charts, but with increasing postage costs and the rise of the digital economy, how can you make it work harder and remain cost-effective?

Print is still at the heart of consumer membership publishing Print is the most effective method of supporting the use of member benefits

Quarterly is the most common frequency

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Each year we read that print is dead. Over. On its way out.

A dead parrot. But in the sea of bad and fake online news that was 2020, the thud factor of a magazine through the letterbox was a welcome distraction for many members.

Two years on from our last survey and the member magazine is still the most common benefit. More than eight out of 10 organisations continue to produce a printed magazine and the medium tops the channel rankings for effectiveness. Over 85% of respondents view the magazine as effective or very effective, ahead of both email and virtual events. We see a marked difference in perceived effectiveness of the channel among benefit-driven bodies and causedriven bodies, with 61% of benefit-driven organisations scoring it as extremely effective versus 46% of cause-driven bodies. Similarly, benefit-driven organisations expect to increase investment in their magazine in 2021 compared to cause-driven organisations (26% versus 14% respectively), with the majority maintaining their existing spend.

Given the disruption to all aspects of the publishing supply chain in 2020, it’s no surprise to see average print frequency being reassessed, with the majority of organisations opting for quarterly as the ideal publication rate, often twinned with a more frequent email newsletter (sent monthly or twice-monthly), social media content and virtual member-only events.

Direct marketing’s decline also echoes the direction of travel – down from 67% in 2018 to 59% in 2020 – although usage remains 30 percentage points higher than professional bodies (29%).

Beyond print and postage costs, organisations are eyeing the finite resources they have and weighing up how they can make their printed content work harder as part of their marketing mix.

With 64% of respondents saying ‘print is important, but not as important as it was last year’, we have seen bespoke magazine brands fall out of favour as organisations seek to present a unified voice to their members rather than maintain magazine sub-brands. As this continues, expect titles to align themselves more closely with key marketing events and promotional campaigns.

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Fast fact: Digital magazine PDF usage has increased by 20 percentage points to 58% in the past two years, rising during the pandemic as a stopgap when print runs were halted – but only 50% of respondents perceive them to be effective.

PRINT POWER

Average annual member magazine frequency

4.3 2019

4.1 2020

While many organisations thought that digital editions of print magazines may have been the solution to costly print and postage charges, reader engagement tells another story.

Some 72% of respondents say that they do not find digital editions effective. Comparing the statistics for a typical title in print with page-turner formats, below, makes stark reading.

Maybe it’s time to stop trying to fit a square peg into a round whole. A desktop machine, phone or iPad will never be the best place to read content designed for print. The solution therefore is easy – stop trying to make one format work within a different medium and instead create content for digital devices that is tailored for the most accessible channels: email, online content and social.

PRINT

DIGITAL EDITION

READERS PER COPY

2.1

1

OPEN RATE

UP TO 95%

10-15%

ENGAGEMENT TIME

51 MINUTES

6 MINUTES

How did your print programme change in 2020?

STAYED THE SAME

73%

DECREASED

19%

MOVED ONLINE

8%

INCREASED

0%

81% have conducted a review of

their print and postage costs

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› Virtual events set for growth over the next 12 months › But organisations feel they lack the necessary skills to maximise engagement › Monetising the channel and adding value in a saturated market is a challenge for 2021

11. Make virtual substantial Innovative virtual event formats are extending the reach of membership bodies and diversifying audiences

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GOING VIRTUAL

96%

of organisations have increased their virtual event output in the past year

Although some physical events may return to the calendar in 2021, ongoing uncertainty, changing consumer expectations and the success of virtual activity last year means that digital events will stay put – and grow over the next 12 months at least.

Nearly all organisations surveyed (96%) have increased the number of virtual events that they hold over the past year, and 45% say they have trebled activity.

So what is on the virtual roster? The majority of consumer organisations (85%) are hosting their AGM virtually, and a similar figure expect to continue doing so moving onwards.

Members appear to have adapted quickly to the switch. Of the organisations that have access to the data, 73% have seen increased engagement at virtual events and more than two-thirds (68%) expect to invest more in virtual conferences, events and awards over the next 12 months.

Across professional and consumer bodies, the once little-known Zoom is now by far the most popular videoconferencing platform (60% of respondents) followed by GoToWebinar (15%), Webex (4%) and MS Teams (4%). When asked to rate these platforms, membership organisations gave Zoom a Net Promoter Score of +29 but delivered scathing reviews of GoToWebinar (-36) and MS Teams (-50).

In order to create virtual events, membership organisations have redeployed

6 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR VIRTUAL EVENT A SUCCESS One of the key benefits of being a member is connecting with others who have a shared passion. When members can’t meet in regional or special interest groups, virtual events are a great way to build a feeling of togetherness. Here are six simple tips to remember for every event:

resources to keep pace. This has exposed some skills gaps along the way, with 48% citing virtual events as the key area where they fall short, followed by SEO and analytics (41%), and video (40%).

With audiences growing and member needs changing, organisations will need to work hard to create and promote these events, catering to members who will expect an increasingly high standard of content and experience. That means maximising engagement through different content formats pre- and post-event, adding extras that give your members a reason to tune in, and opening up access to your knowledge and experts to hold attention and build audience numbers.

Organisations need to consider the strategy behind each event, setting objectives and deciding what actions we want members to take as a result of each session. For some that may be purely to offer value and build a deeper relationship with the member; for others, calls to action may revolve around fundraising, activism, volunteering or evangelism. Built correctly, these events can offer real value to members and inspire them to a deeper relationship with the membership body.

Rethink In 2019 the global virtual events market was valued at almost £55bn, and it is expected to grow at 23% annually from 2020 to 2027.

Source: Grand View Research

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1.Make it personal 4.Add extras Expert-led webinars and virtual access to experts and spokespeople have been crucial to garnering emotional connections and boosting engagement with members who want to feel connected in these uncertain times.

2.Find a great host

Having a host who can embody the ethos of the organisation while also being unflappable if technological gremlins pop up is essential. Remember, your host doesn’t need to be an expert in every part of your organisation, but they do need to be able to make your experts accessible for members old and new alike.

3.Polish

Now that we’ve all experienced good and bad virtual events we know that there’s no excuse for substandard graphics or poorly edited video. Pay attention to these elements and make sure that your next event is better than the last.

Give members a reason to join you in real time, manage your sign-ups and make it easy for them to access the live stream. Why not add some real-life magic with a surprise guest or unannounced expert? Add interactive elements, take questions from attendees and follow up with them after the event.

5.Have a plan

It’s essential for your team – and your sponsors and advertisers if you have commercialised the event. If you don’t have it already, create it. That could be through fresh research, polling your members on the issues that matter to them, or building content into a forthcoming campaign.

6.Think long term

Forward-thinking organisations use virtual events as part of an integrated programme, with plenty of opportunities to bring communities together pre- and post-launch. After all, why do a one-off event when you can establish a series?

How are you running these events at the moment?

VIRTUAL

PHYSICAL

HYBRID

CONFERENCES

75%

8%

17%

SEMINARS/TRAINING

92%

0%

8%

AGM

85%

5%

10%

EXHIBITIONS/TRADE SHOWS

80%

20%

0%

AWARDS CEREMONIES

100%

0%

0%

DINNERS

50%

25%

25%

WEBINARS

93%

0%

7%

REGIONAL EVENTS

78%

0%

22%

GOING VIRTUAL

Which age range are your new members coming from?

0%

16% 61+

UNDER 20

33% 20-40

52% 41-60

Where are your biggest skills gaps?

VIRTUAL EVENTS

48%

SEO AND ANALYTICS

41%

VIDEO

40%

ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP SALES

33%

CONTENT STRATEGY

30%

DIGITAL MARKETING

30%

Which of these will continue as virtual in 2021?

AGM

84%

WEBINARS

68%

SEMINARS/TRAINING

53%

CONFERENCES

47%

REGIONAL EVENTS

42%

NETWORKING EVENTS

37%

ROUNDTABLES

21%

AWARDS CEREMONIES

16%

DINNERS

11%

EXHIBITIONS/TRADE SHOWS

11%

OTHER

11%

By what amount have they increased?

WE ARE DOING A FEW MORE EVENTS

32%

DECREASED

21%

STAYED THE SAME

5%

WE HAVE MORE THAN TREBLED OUR ACTIVITY

42%

There’s a delicate balance between digital experiences that bring value and experiences that act as a stark reminder of what’s not possible and fall flat.

Don’t restrict your thinking with something that tries to replicate and be the next best thing. Look for alternatives that bring value in different ways, in order to build the deeper and memorable experiences that consumers value.

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12. Get serious about social Social engagement requires careful research, planning – and investment. So why aren’t more organisations putting money where their mouth is? › Majority of organisations (88%) say a lack of resource is holding them back on social media › Facebook is the most favoured social engagement tool, used by all organisations › Instagram use increased by 37%

Social usage 2020

2018

TWITTER

96%

100%

LINKEDIN

78%

76%

FACEBOOK

100%

96%

YOUTUBE/VIMEO

96%

–

INSTAGRAM

96%

59%

You’ve just posted another great blog for the week.

Job done? The job has just begun if you want to cut through the noise and not just add to it.

Increasingly, your social channel – not your website – is where your member’s journey begins. However, only a third of teams think that they are making good use of social. Why? A staggering 89% point to lack of resource, with nearly half (47%) citing a lack of strategy and 26% a lack of knowledge or training as major impediments.

The nature of interaction on social channels is fleeting (the average engagement rate on Twitter is 0.045% according to 2021 research by Sprout Social),2 which means that every piece of content needs to work as hard as possible.

It also pays to take advantage of the new tools offered by Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to target key

audiences. For example, Instagram introduced many new features in 2020. To help brands sell more effectively Shops was introduced along with shopping tags on Live videos. Reels was added to the suite of Instagram videos, furthering the network’s desire to work closely with creators and brands that have loyal audiences. Many organisations point to these channels as being key prospecting ground for new members, but few are putting in the time and energy needed to make the most of the platforms. But beware of overselling to members. The main reasons that consumers unfollow brands are: irrelevant content (45%), too much advertising (45%), privacy concerns (39%) and too frequent posting (24%). Reducing volume and increasing relevance and readability is the path to success on social.

2 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics

Only 33% of consumer membership bodies think that they are making good use of social media THEY BLAME ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:

89%

Lack of resource

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47%

Lack of strategy

26%

Lack of knowledge or training

BE SOCIAL

Most popular social networks worldwide, ranked by active users as at Jan 2021

Median engagement with promoted content

FACEBOOK

2,740M

YOUTUBE

2,291M

WHATSAPP

2,000M

FACEBOOK MESSENGER

1,300M

INSTAGRAM

1,221M

TWITTER

0.045%

TIKTOK

689M

INSTAGRAM

1.22%

SNAPCHAT

498M

FACEBOOK

0.09%

TWITTER

353M

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TikTok: Don’t believe the hype Despite all the noise around TikTok in 2020, only 3% of marketers consider it effective for reaching their business goals.

Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2021 Survey https://hootsuite.com/pages/social-trends-2021

The social swingometer Other/don’t know (8% IN 2018)

+4%

+2%

+4%

+37%

% growth/decline in social media channels used by membership organisations (2018-2020)

Five tips to make your social strategy sing

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

AUDIT YOUR ACCOUNTS

MIX UP THE METRICS

LISTEN CAREFULLY

TAKE A JOINED-UP APPROACH

PAY WHEN IT MATTERS

Before you add another social media platform to your repertoire, review and define the purpose of each account you already have. If you’re not providing useful content that is also a traffic driver, ask yourself whether it’s worth doing.

Use a mix of vanity metrics (likes, followers and comments) and more actionable metrics (which provide deeper insight into the performance of social media in driving leads, sales, brand loyalty and conversions) when deciding how to measure your social success.

Use social listening to learn more about your audience and make smarter decisions about your content based on their changing needs and concerns. Conduct regular influencer outreach on Twitter and Facebook to support your content objectives.

Social networks should be used to promote all of your membership content – whether that’s a stand-alone blog or a rolling campaign.

Equally, ensure social media links are prominent in your emails and e-newsletters, on your website and across any printed content.

Remember to add a social sharing option to your emails and include popular social content too.

Consider paying to boost your content tactically. Sponsored updates on LinkedIn, for example, can bolster status updates and are seen by followers and targeted users (based on location, company name, job title, skills, age, etc). Remember to research, refine and revise: it will ensure you get the most exposure and best value for your budget.

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INCOME STREAMS

13.

Expand your financial comfort zone Forget selling specific inventory items in isolation – advertisers want creative solutions and deeper engagement

› Digital advertising revenue on the increase coupled with a decline in consumer-targeted print advertising › 71% of organisations are now open to new revenue streams › Internal restrictions stymie breadth of commercial offer

Advertising spend in print has been on a slow downward trajectory for several years, but 2020 has accelerated this trend. Figures from the Advertising Association and WARC show that Q2 2020 was the worst quarter recorded for the UK’s advertising industry as brands cut marketing budgets during the height of lockdown. While investment fell across all channels, online and digital formats outperformed more traditional physical media.

So how has this affected membership bodies? Have they adapted their strategies in line with the shifting advertising ecosystem?

Advertising in print has dropped, and for most respondents of our survey, this has not been offset by increased digital revenue. Two of the largest income Re:member / thinkpublishing.co.uk / 51

generators for magazines have traditionally been travel advertising and insert revenue. During 2020 travel advertising budgets decreased dramatically and spend from inserts shifted towards charities often in direct competition with the magazine’s own fundraising objectives. While income from home and gardenware has increased, the gap left from travel has yet to be filled.

Forty-two per cent of organisations have seen print revenue decrease in 2020 (14% significantly) and 6% have seen email revenue decrease slightly, while only 11% have seen an uplift in online revenue.

Seventy-one per cent of consumer membership bodies tell us they are now more open to accepting new types of

advertising than they were previously.

However, they don’t appear to be moving fast enough, with 74% stating they are not maximising their revenue streams.

Currently, only a third (35%) of respondents have opened up new revenue streams, and just 29% are comfortable allowing partners to produce editorial content for members. Weaker links between teams are also hampering efforts, with nearly two-thirds (65%) saying they do not have an integrated team monetising their portfolio.

With print advertising revenue under more pressure than ever and less than a quarter (24%) able to meaningfully track the performance of their online advertising, if this all sounds familiar, now

is the time to incorporate more creative solutions into your sponsorship teams.

The industry has long focused on reach – getting ads in front of as many people as possible – but, increasingly, advertisers are choosing quality over quantity, recognising the benefits of a more considered approach that targets fewer members more accurately. Those that can develop new income streams through sponsored content, virtual events, brand link-ups, commercial email content, podcasts and affiliate marketing will be able to maintain their current income streams, always remembering that any commercial partnership needs to be the right one for you, your partner and, most importantly, your members.

Since 2020, member organisations say advertising and sponsorship revenue has:

Advertising trends in numbers

71%

are now more open to new advertising opportunities

INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY

5%

INCREASED SLIGHTLY

0%

STAYED THE SAME

41%

DECREASED SLIGHTLY

40%

DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY

14%

Income from advertising and sponsorship

PRINT

65%

DIGITAL

22%

EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

12%

Over the past year, advertising revenues have PRINT

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ONLINE

EMAIL

EVENTS

INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY

0%

0%

0%

0%

INCREASED SLIGHTLY

6%

13%

0%

0%

STAYED THE SAME

35%

11%

6%

11%

DECREASED SLIGHTLY

29%

13%

7%

6%

DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY

12%

0%

0%

18%

DON’T KNOW

18%

63%

87%

65%

Very low awareness of digital income numbers

INCOME STREAMS

35%

have opened up new revenue streams as a result of Covid-19

29%

are comfortable allowing commercial partners to produce editorial content for members

24%

say they have sophisticated tools to track the performance of advertising online

14. Focus on the bigger picture Many things have plagued our thoughts over the past year. Here are some of the biggest issues our survey respondents are battling with at the moment

1.

2.

‘MEMBERSHIP IS ABOUT CAUSE – IT’S NOT A SEASON TICKET’ During lockdown, business models have been entirely disrupted: open spaces have been closed, events have been cancelled and opportunities for interaction have shrunk – leaving many of the key drivers for membership severely diminished. As such, organisations must reaffirm what they stand for as a business, remind members why they joined in the first place, and thread that fundamental ‘cause’ through everything they do.

3.

‘MEMBER ATTRITION IS CANNIBALISING OUR BUDGETS’ The membership sector has been more resilient than many predicted, but managing costs and balancing member numbers is a continuing source of strain for organisations. Two-thirds of respondents (67%) say they are squeezing all of their budgets, highlighting the scale of the challenge at hand. Ensuring publications are engaging yet cost-effective without leaving members feeling short-changed is a tricky balancing act, and with 97% saying that membership income is increasingly important, the stakes are high.

4.

‘RESOURCES, RESOURCES, RESOURCES!’ People resourcing, financial resourcing, ideas resourcing… the list goes on. Two years on and lack of resource is still one of the most often cited challenges that our respondents bemoan, whether they are delivering virtual events, developing a new brand identity or getting a new webinar series off the ground. And as the ecosystem of channels grows larger (see our channels list on page 13 for an idea), the pressure is set to build further. Not only is this hampering communication teams’ ability to get the job done, it is occupying valuable headspace and stifling creativity for future campaigns.

‘MARKET UNCERTAINTY MAKES IT TRICKY TO PLAN AHEAD’ Navigating the economic fallout of Covid-19 is the toughest professional challenge that many of our respondents have had to face to date. Trying to offer members value at a time of enforced closures, creating content when events are not allowed to take place and persuading new members of the value of signing up in difficult financial times are just some of the issues they are battling. A lack of clarity about when the Covid-19 fog will lift just complicates the picture further, and has led to the rise of hypersensitive content planning, with 84% of organisations looking just three months ahead.

THE LONG VIEW

5.

‘HOW DO WE ENGAGE BUT NOT OVERLOAD?’ Organisations are working around the clock to support their members through the pandemic.

But with industry and government updates coming at all times of the day, informing consumers without overcommunicating is a perpetual worry.

This isn’t without good reason: a study by Unhooked Communications at the end of March 2020 revealed that a quarter (23%) of British people were finding the level of communications from businesses ‘overwhelming’. Having something useful to say is an important starting point, but adopting the right tone and delivering it in a timely way, on the right channel, will continue to be crucial over the next 12 months.

7.

6.

‘CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE FEELS IMPOSSIBLE’ Maintaining momentum online when more brands are pivoting to digital channels feels like wading through treacle, but many organisations are rising to the challenge and pushing the envelope with creative solutions. Influencers have been engaged, podcasts have been launched and free skill shares have rolled out with great success.

As more money flows into new formats and the technology powering them settles, the true winners will emerge.

8.

‘IT’S VITAL THAT WE CLOSE THE DIGITAL GAP’ Digital exclusion predates Covid-19, but the pandemic has compounded the problem for membership organisations as they look to harness digital channels while remaining inclusive to some of their longest-standing members. Reaching both members and non-members who are not online will be crucial for acquisition and retention rates in 2021 and beyond, and requires organisations to forge closer ties with these communities through transparent decision-making, regular member outreach and plenty of opportunities for feedback.

‘WE DON’T HAVE THE FULL PICTURE’ Relevant content is more important than ever – but this relies on reliable data, and for many member organisations, audience profiles are fragmented at best. As well as insufficient, often poor data (nearly a third of organisations describe their own data as such), many firms lack the right teams to crunch the numbers and glean insights for the business to act upon. Indeed, SEO and analytics rank second on the list of areas where consumer-facing membership organisations feel they fall short. Until this is addressed, accurate segmentation and true personalisation is just pie in the sky.

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You have questions?

We’ve got answers If your team has a question about membership communications, our team has got it covered THERE’S SO MUCH WE NEED TO DO – WHERE DO WE START? This question is often the biggest impediment to change. Start with your members. What defines them? What do they want and can you segment them into different groups? Then move on to your organisational priorities, current communications programme and outputs.

Map all those out and you have the starting points for a content strategy. If you need more information, get in touch for bespoke advice.

WE SPEND ALL OF OUR TIME CREATING CONTENT FOR OUR CHANNELS AND NOT ENOUGH TIME PLANNING IT. HOW DO WE BREAK THE CYCLE? The two questions to ask about any piece of content are ‘why should our audience care about this?’ and ‘what do we want to achieve from it?’ The answers can often reduce your workload dramatically and will lead to better messages being sent to members. By interrogating the aims behind each piece, rather than rushing to fill ‘pots’, you’ll be able to apportion your resources more strategically.

HOW MANY EMAILS ARE TOO MANY? The answer to this question is not necessarily to cut down on your emails but to increase your segmentation and automation in order to send the right messages to the right member at the right time. For example, there’s no point sending someone an email about greenhouses if they live in a studio flat.

HOW DO WE START FEEDING SEO INTO OUR CONTENT PROGRAMME? Start by investigating what your audience are searching for and then identify any gaps in your website that could be filled to meet that need. There are several lowcost tools that can help you take the first

56 / thinkpublishing.co.uk / Re:member

steps. Secondly, look at the domain authority of your archival content. Can you combine, update and enhance your existing content to increase your ranking?

Thirdly, start feeding these learnings into your future content creation plans.

You’ll get a better result, and it’ll be more time-efficient to refresh a piece of existing content rather than creating a new piece that is similar to one you’ve already produced.

MY MAGAZINE COSTS ARE GOING UP, BUT MY REVENUES ARE GOING DOWN. WHAT DO I DO? Print and distribution costs are increasing year-on-year, but we know members assign value to the magazine and that it produces results. The answer here is often to look at format and frequency. You may find that you’re able to send members a better magazine at a lower frequency while maintaining, or even increasing, member engagement. It’s better to drop frequency than chip away at quality.

VIRTUAL EVENTS AND PODCASTS SOUND REALLY COMPLICATED. DON’T THEY COST THE EARTH TO PRODUCE? No, these events can be delivered to a high standard very economically. The cost of platforms has reduced considerably over the past year, so all you need is a great content idea, some good advice (see page 44) and an audience.

I HAVE A SMALL TEAM. HOW DO I BUILD THE SKILLS I NEED TO ADDRESS TODAY’S CHALLENGES? Remember, you don’t need to do everything. For many teams that’s both unrealistic and practically impossible.

Build a core team in-house and bring in agencies and experts with specific skill sets in order to complement your own member-specific expertise.

WHICH CHANNELS ARE BEST FOR CONNECTING WITH OUR MEMBERS? The answer to this question will be different for each organisation, but start by looking at the channels that are most effective and those that are highly valued by members (see our chart on page 21).

I’VE HEARD OF A NEW SOCIAL PLATFORM. DO I NEED TO START PRODUCING CONTENT FOR IT? Aside from registering your organisation’s name to make future content more straightforward, no. There’s no harm in waiting for a new platform to mature before investing your time. The internet is littered with unsuccessful platforms, such as iTunes Ping, Google+ and Vine, that generated a huge buzz on launch but were subsequently closed down due to lack of user interest. You don’t need to have a finger in every pie.

ARE DIGITAL MAGAZINES THE FUTURE? No. They can be useful for housekeeping purposes, but audience engagement is low. Content shaped for the medium in which you’re reading it will always work more effectively.

IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE RUNNING TO CATCH UP AT THE MOMENT. WILL THE PACE SLOW DOWN? Since 2020 it has felt like we’re all responding at light speed. While the pace of change hasn’t slowed down, light speed feels a bit more comfortable now.

I’VE READ THE REPORT. WHAT NEXT? This is the fun part. Start testing some of the recommendations in this report with your own specific audience. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, so the challenge, and excitement, comes from finding out what inspires, engages, entertains and motivates your members.

Thank you to our contributors This edition of Re:member is the largest survey of its kind.

Our thanks go to all those who took the time to share their insights both online and at our roundtable discussion Arts Society, Ascot Racecourse, Audley Travel, Badminton England, Barmy Army Limited, BASES, Benenden Health, BASES, Bowls England, British Dragonfly Society, British Fencing, British Geotechnical Association, British Society of Soil Science, British Tenpin Bowling Association, British Waterfowl Association, British Wheel of Yoga, Buglife, CAMRA, CPRE The countryside charity, Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Croquet Association, England Lacrosse, English Heritage, Eton Fives Association, Forestry England, Freshwater Biological Association,

Historic Environment Scotland, Legion Scotland, Marine Conservation Society, National Farmers’ Union (NFU), National Federation of Women’s Institutes, National Museums Scotland, National Residential Landlords Association, National Trust for Scotland, Online Hate Prevention Institute, Parkinson’s UK, People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Plant Heritage, Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Royal Museums Greenwich, Royal Over-Seas League, Royal Photographic Society,

Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, Royal Voluntary Service, Royal Warrant Holders Association, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, RSA, Scoliosis Association UK, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Southbank Centre, Townswomen’s Guilds, WEA, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Zoological Society of London and all of the other membership organisations who took part in the research

For additional copies, to discuss the findings, trainingtoday opportunities and Get in touch future research, or to find out what we can do to help, call MELISSA MICHAEL on 020 3771 7204 or email mel.michael@thinkpublishing.co.uk

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