Ask any association professional the biggest challenges they face and it’s a safe bet that ‘retaining members’ won’t be far off the top of the list. It’s a problem that won’t go away, even though many reputable sources conservatively estimate that it costs up to 10 times more to acquire a new member than it does to keep an existing one. When it comes to renewing memberships, following up lapsed memberships, promoting an upcoming event, updating database records, or conducting member pulse-surveys, the easy option is to rely on email or direct mail marketing. These can be low-cost ways of communicating, but may not always be the most effective ...