We talk a lot about member engagement: How to boost it, how to appeal to different people/generations, how to take advantage of seasonal ups and downs, etc. But let’s take a step back for a second: How do you define an engaged member?   Is it someone who…

• Attends every meeting and event
  
• Volunteers for nearly everything
  
• Reads every article/blog post you publish
  
• Shares your content on social media
  
• All of the above
  
• None of the above
  

Think of it like this: If you were to envision your most engaged member - the one you KNOW is going to renew next year - what would that look like/who would that be? Chances are, it’s someone you see often. Someone who attends every meeting and event, volunteers for nearly everything, etc.

But what about the members you don’t see? Are they automatically unengaged or less engaged? Not necessarily. In fact, some of your most engaged members may actually be those behind the scenes. They may be the members who are reading every single thing you publish - on social media, on your website, in your online social community, etc. They may not be sharing it, but they’re reading it, and that counts for something.

Here’s an example: I read Associations Now every day. Sometimes I share the articles, but sometimes I just take the information in. Either way though, it’s a part of my daily routine. Wouldn’t it be nice to become a part of your members’ daily routines? You might already be. Your members might not be showing up to all of your meetings and events, but if they’re thinking of and turning to your association daily, that’s a pretty lofty achievement.

The point here is this: Rather than thinking about membership engagement in terms of those we can or cannot see, why not think about it in terms of value? A really engaged member is someone who finds something in your organization (whether it be an event or content) invaluable. Still need help engaging your organization’s membership? Check out our free guide, Membership Engagement for Small-Staff Associations, below!

Membership Engagement - Download this guide here. 

This article was originally sourced from Member Clicks and written by Callie Walker.