Association professionals juggle many goals: growing membership, boosting engagement, and improving retention. One of the smartest ways to meet all three is to step into your members’ shoes. Creating personas and then mapping their journeys helps you understand who your members are, what they need, and when they’re most open to action.
Start with Personas
Personas are fictional yet research-based profiles that represent your priority member types. They capture demographics, motivations, challenges, and preferred communication channels. By starting here, you set the foundation for personalized marketing and programming.
To begin, combine what you know from your AMS, surveys, and member interviews to create 2—3 focused personas. Give each one a name, key traits, and a snapshot of their goals and frustrations so your team can visualize them. Examples of personas may include someone early in their career just beginning to learn about your association, a member who is getting ready to renew, and a member who has let their membership lapse. Each of these personas will have very different journey maps.
Then Build Journey Maps
Once your personas are defined, create a journey map for each one. A journey map outlines the stages of their experience, from awareness to renewal and beyond. Plus, the key touchpoints, questions, and moments of friction or delight along the way.
When mapping, consider:
By answering these questions, you’ll identify both opportunities to improve the experience and moments to spark action.
Try these steps to turn insight into action:
Refine Recruitment for Each Persona
Identify what matters for each persona, and customize your communication series to match.
Spot Retention Risks Early
Journey maps reveal where members often disengage. Add timely touchpoints before those moments to encourage renewal.
Create Content with Purpose
Link your content calendar to persona needs and journey stages so every message feels relevant.
Have questions? Reach out to the experts at MGI! Contact John Sample, Vice President, Business Development at jsample@marketinggeneral.com or 703-706-0346.