
Every effective marketing strategy knows how to appeal to a target audience in relevant and engaging ways. While developing a winning marketing strategy certainly requires a degree of trial and error, there are a number of constants that can help aspiring marketers get the ball rolling.
For facilities whose main purpose is member management, your marketing strategy will be the most successful if it focuses on the members themselves. By providing members with informative and targeted materials, being receptive to member feedback and always keeping an open mind, your marketing strategy can become one of the most useful business development and customer retention tools at your disposal.
Here is some insight into how to create a members-first marketing strategy, and how the right member management software can help.
Segment Your Target Audiences
Today’s customers know what they like and what they don’t, and nobody wants their inboxes filled with marketing communication that they don’t find interesting. If your facility offers a variety of programs, courses or products, it is important to take care to segment your users into the appropriate target groups.
For example, members that have only ever taken yoga classes at your facility may not be interested in marketing materials or announcements that don’t pertain to wellness. Worse, sending them materials that are not relevant to their interests could annoy them.
Member management software that keeps a record of users’ past activities and interests comes in handy when trying to determine your target segments. It is worth it to take the time to group your audience appropriately, rather than overwhelming your members with too much communication – they will appreciate it, and so will your bottom line.
Encourage Feedback and Adjust Your Approach
Giving your audience a voice in your marketing strategy is one of the best ways to ensure they feel like they are being heard, rather than simply being marketed to. Whether it means sending out materials less frequently or changing the style of marketing, being open to feedback from your customers and adjusting your strategy can help improve the quality of your campaigns and even help boost customer retention. There are many ways to collect customer feedback, including surveys, feedback check boxes and simply asking them directly!
Giving your audience a voice in your marketing strategy is one of the best ways to ensure they feel like they are being heard, rather than simply being marketed to.
Within the Univerus Member Management Suite, members can respond to the marketing materials they receive instantly, giving businesses an opportunity to engage and connect with their customer base in a meaningful way.

Run a Contest or Promotion
One of the most proven methods to encouraging people to engage with your content is by giving them something in return. If you have the means to, running a small contest or promotion is a great way to give back to your member community and encourage them to interact with your marketing materials - and can potentially be a means to growing your customer base.
For example, you can ask members to refer a friend to your facility or ask them to complete a feedback survey, in exchange offering a certain percentage off their next month’s program fees. You can go one step further by personalizing the experience and sending out freebies or promotions on birthdays or class anniversaries. It is a win-win for everyone involved: you can improve your strategy and grow your member base and your members receive a little something extra - which can go a long way in these uncertain times.
Utilize Marketing Analytics and Reports
Customer metrics and marketing reports can help you identify your strengths and weak points in your marketing strategy while providing a world of insight about your customer base. For example, you may find that one particular age or activity group responds better to certain marketing materials. Understanding your customer base as well as possible can help you to develop a strategy that is member-facing and effective. The marketing suite automatically tracks important member metrics based on sales, responses, registration and more. That data can then be analyzed in a series of powerful reports that are built right into the software, so you don’t have to worry about data transfer or investing in a third-party program. Want to learn more about Univerus Member Management’s marketing capabilities or any other feature of our innovative software? Contact us today to learn more.