Summary: Micro-moments are the brief, intent-driven moments when members turn to their devices to solve a problem. These fleeting moments present a powerful new opportunity for your membership marketing strategy, especially when you leverage your third-party discount program like Access.
About an 8-minute read.
For most membership-based organizations, staying connected with your members is no longer just a matter of executing large-scale programs like member acquisition campaigns, or having a full house at your annual banquet. While these are important, successful organizations are learning that to have the biggest impact on the most members, they must focus on the small, yet powerful interactions known as micro-moments.
They’re the brief, intent-driven moments when members turn outward to solve a problem, or otherwise act on a need. These fleeting moments present a powerful new opportunity for your membership marketing strategy.
However, harnessing the power of micro-moments is not without its challenges. It requires a deep understanding of your members’ needs, behaviors, and preferences. You must learn how to anticipate what they will likely be looking for at various stages of their journey, then provide them with what they want at the exact right moment.
Sound a bit overwhelming?
It doesn’t have to be. It just means you need to be proactive and thoughtful. It starts with integrating your existing data-driven insights and your technological prowess – with a human touch. When done correctly, it’s a combination that can transform a fleeting interaction into a lasting impression. And it’s when you’ve cultivated these positive, lasting impressions that it can translate to more ongoing, meaningful relationships.
As membership marketing professionals, embracing the concept of micro-moments means finding new ways to engage with your members. Your organization will lack relevance if you rely solely on traditional methods of communication and engagement and ignore the need to add ongoing value that can be accessed in the blink of an eye. These critical micro-moments can turn an instantaneous interaction into a stepping stone for deeper engagement.
"By mastering the art of micro-moment marketing, organizations can create a tapestry of interactions that can foster a better sense of belonging, loyalty, and long-term devotion to your organization."
Before you can fully capitalize on these fleeting opportunities to engage your members, let's briefly review–at a high level–the most common types of micro-moments.
I-Want-to-Go Moments: These moments are all about location and proximity. Members might be looking for a networking event, a local chapter meeting, or even a digital seminar. The goal is to guide them effortlessly to these physical or virtual locations. This requires accurate, up-to-date information on your website, easy-to-use event calendars, and clear directions or links to online platforms. Localization strategies, like geo-targeted content or notifications, can be extremely effective. Success in these moments is measured by evaluating things like sign-up rates before, during, and after an event, no-show rates, etc. As you focus on gathering data and identifying the best metrics, it can help you gain insights into how well your organization is connecting members with relevant local engagement opportunities.
I-Want-to-Do Moments: Here, members are looking for assistance or instruction, such as navigating the membership process, seeking advice on professional development, or looking for ways to utilize their member benefits. Your objective should be to provide clear, concise, and actionable guidance. This might involve step-by-step tutorials, live Q&A sessions, or interactive guides. The key is to simplify complex processes by delivering practical solutions. Your effectiveness will be gauged by measuring not only the number of calls to your member support services but also the overall tone or sentiment of those calls. Are members more or less frustrated? Are they giving you higher (or lower) NPS scores? Are you receiving more positive online feedback, or seeing a bump in your usage statistics for certain resources? When you help members in these “I-want-to-do” moments, you’ll be empowering your members to solve their own problems.
I-Want-to-Know Moments: In these moments, your members are seeking information, often to inform a decision or satisfy a curiosity. The objective here is to establish your organization as a reliable, knowledgeable source. To achieve this, focus on creating and curating content that is informative, easily accessible, and, most importantly, intensely relevant to your members' interests and needs. This could involve developing a comprehensive FAQ section, insightful blog posts about industry trends, or creating engaging instructional videos. It’s also important to measure the success of your efforts by tracking metrics like clicks, time spent on content, social media amplification, etc. These metrics can give you insights about whether your content is resonating with and effectively informing your audience.
By aligning your organization’s objectives with the specific needs inherent in each micro-moment, you create a roadmap for meaningful engagement. This tailored approach not only enhances the member experience but also reinforces the value of your organization in every interaction, no matter how brief.
"When a member is considering any type of consumer purchase, be it at a restaurant, an online purchase, or on travel, your discount program gives your organization a powerful tool to be relevant in the lives of your members."
For membership-based organizations, leveraging an "I-want-to-go" or an "I-want-to-get" moment is a golden opportunity to demonstrate your organization’s tangible value to your members.
This is where your Access discount program can really shine.
But it's not just about saving money (while that’s a pretty good thing). It's also about helping them feel valued. It’s about helping them recognize that their membership provides a tangible, everyday exclusive benefit.
To optimize these moments, it’s important to strategically increase your touch points to drive top-of-mind awareness. Having a good discount program gives you permission to increase the number of touch-points you can have with your members. The more quality touch points you have, the more members will be prompted to see the value of being a member, and the higher your organization’s overall value proposition will be. Increasing your organization’s value proposition will then translate to greater member retention and engagement.
To make the most of these important micro-moments, it's essential to position your discount program into your overall communication strategy.
For example, when a member begins to plan their next vacation, Access can help your organization become part of their purchasing thought process, such as the multiple purchase decisions necessary to go on a vacation. Being top of mind is critical when your members start their research and begin the purchasing process. That’s why Access clients send members relevant emails that offer compelling discounts on hotels, flights, and rental cars. It not only helps members in those important micro-moments, but it inserts your organization instantly into the ever-critical decision-making process. When a member saves money or is otherwise able to get greater value from the money they spend, they’ll have your organization to thank for it.
Or, let’s say your members want to plan an informal networking lunch, yet they’re trying to balance the important factors of proximity, price, brand preference, cuisine, etc. Having a mobile app that offers the immediacy of being able to choose a restaurant nearby, with a compelling discount, can lead to one of those magical micro-moments that can have a lasting powerful impact on your relationship with that member.
Your membership discount program is not just another throw-in membership perk. If done right, it can be a powerful tool to engage members in those ever-important micro-moments.
By effectively presenting a compelling discount at the right time, in the right context, and tailored to the right member, you not only meet the immediate needs of your members but also solidify their loyalty and connection to your organization.
By mastering the art of micro-moment marketing, organizations can create a tapestry of interactions that can not only exceed member expectations, but can foster a sense of belonging, loyalty, and long-term devotion to your organization.
And who wouldn’t want more devoted members?