One of the most important steps to take when onboarding new association members is to send a welcome email. Creating an engaging association means engaging your members as soon as they sign up.
No one likes walking into a party and the host walks past them without a warm welcome and inviting them to check out all that’s going on. So, think of your association as a party (because that’s what it should be treated as!) and welcome your members like they just arrived at the best party of their life!
When should you send a welcome email to new members?
Immediately!
When 74% of people already expect a welcome email immediately, it’s nearly a required step in your member on-boarding process. Plus, members that receive a welcome email engage with your association 33% more than if they hadn’t received one. Sending a new-member welcome email will then only help get your new member off on the right foot with your association!
Key things to include in a new-member welcome email
1. A personalized welcome
This member handed you their money because they saw the value in the association. Demonstrate that you also see the value in them with a warm welcome to your association party.
Tip: Include the welcome message in both the email subject and in the first paragraph of the email. Also including a call-to-action, such as “here’s what to do next,” moves your new member along and entices them to get more engaged.
Example Subject: “Hi [MEMBER NAME]! Welcome to [ASSOCIATION]. Open for important membership information.”
2. Introduction to your association
While your association’s new members have probably already done enough research about the organization to see the value in signing up, they might not be aware of the history or everything it does for its members or the community. Offer a couple sentences with a background on the association, such as when it was founded, how many members/businesses you’ve helped, etc.
3. Information on membership benefits
People didn’t sign up to be an association member just to hand over their money and not get anything in return. While they might already know about some of the bigger benefits, restating them will only help your new member get involved more quickly. If you have various membership levels, make sure you send level-specific emails detailing the relevant benefits to that member.
Linking to the page where they can find more information about all membership benefits will also help them make sure they get the most use out of their membership.
4. Direction on where to go/what to do next
Don’t leave your new member hanging! There should always be a clear purpose and call-to-action in your emails, so use this opportunity to encourage them to take whatever next steps will help them the most.
Some examples of CTAs include:
Invite them to join your association’s Facebook group
Inform them on when they should expect the next email
Invite them to RSVP to your next event
Directing them to reply to the email or another email that will be able to answer any questions they have
Download our guide to sending the best emails that delight your members!
When people sign up for your association, you need to have a plan in place to welcome and on-board them.
Using our expertise in lead generation, we’ve created this guide to help you cultivate a more engaged association.
In this download, you’ll receive:
The ultimate email sequence to welcome new members into your association
Information on WHEN to send and WHAT to include