For most folks, the question “What does your organization do?” results in a relatively straightforward response.
“We do construction.”
“We’re a food distributor.”
“We rescue sloths from urban sprawl areas and relocate them to more natural habitats.”
See? Easy!
For us at VP Associations, answering this question can be infinitely more challenging. If you ask me what our company does at a networking event, I usually offer to buy you a drink, because it may take a bit of explaining. To help me speed up my elevator pitch, I’ve put together this highlighted version of our range of expertise and services.
Membership Marketing
After 40 years in the consumer magazine business, we’ve gotten really good at getting new subscribers for our own publications. Even more importantly, we have been even better at renewing those subscribers. This combined expertise has lent itself extremely well to helping our association clients. Just ask the Small Business Association of Michigan, who we were able to help increase their renewal rate by 12.8 percent, in part by utilizing their publication as one of the renewal vehicles.
One of our main value-adds is helping associations offer more value to their membership. This is done through membership surveys. We know how to ask the right questions to help association staff members build more effective campaigns, more effective renewal processes, and a more engaged membership base. The fact is, members are often far more honest with a third party handling a survey, even if the survey itself is anonymous.
Magazine Publishing and Ad Sales
Do you like non-dues revenue? We’re all about it. We publish magazines for our association clients that generate profit and give a tangible benefit to their membership investment that contributes to increased renewal rates. How do we create profitable publications? Ad sales. There’s simply no one in the business as skilled as our staff. We’ve increased ad sales for the Michigan Rural Water Association by 39 percent, and doubled the ad sales revenue for the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds in just three years.
And we don’t only live in the print world. We’ve helped associations create and execute digital ad sales initiatives for their websites, newsletters, and social media outlets.
Membership Management
Oh yeah, we’re also a tech company. We can store your membership data in our THINK database, which allows us to manage renewals, new member signups and onboarding kits, direct mail initiatives, email blasts, and much more. In-depth, accurate reporting, which can be customized for your needs, keeps your Membership and Marketing staff up to date and provides valuable insight to help guide more cost-effective membership and marketing efforts down the road.
More Association Marketing Services
Obviously, this elevator pitch needs work. I didn’t even mention our six graphic designers, our on-demand printing and fulfillment services, or content generation experience. You know what would be far more interesting than me telling you all the different things we do for associations? You telling me how we might be able to help your association. I know I speak for everyone at VPDCS when I say that’s what gets us pumped up!
Drop me a line anytime if you want to chat. Be sure to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn for the latest on association marketing.
Article written by:
Wes Sovis
Business Development Manager
