Modernise Your Club - A Guide to Digital Club Management

Imagine waking to gentle nature sounds being played from an app-controlled smart pillow nestled under a temperature-regulated smart blanket. After rising, you glance at a smart mirror that greets you by name, displays the day's weather, and even streams your favourite TV show. 

Next, you don your augmented reality goggles, slip on headphones with a built-in air filter, and check your digital mood ring, which conveniently alerts your phone to any emotional shifts. Finally, you grab a refreshing drink from your smart refrigerator that's playing music and summon a driverless car via an app to whisk you away to work. The entire time you’re in the car, you are scrolling social media and streaming TV shows that are displayed in augmented reality right in front of your eyes.

 

 

A morning like this is not some far-flung Phillip K. Dick-esq cyberpunk future; it is happening right now. Every single piece of seemingly ridiculous and futuristic technology I just mentioned is commercially available today. 

 

 

Love it or hate it, the future is here, and the future is digital. More and more everyday tasks are being revolutionised by new technology. Just as our lifestyles, homes and commutes evolve, we must rethink how we manage our clubs and associations. It's time to embrace digital membership management systems to automate tasks, modernise operations, and unlock exciting new possibilities for your club. Let's explore how this technology can save you time, boost efficiency, and enhance the member experience.

What Does Digitising Your Club Or Association Actually Involve? 

I’m sure most people already know this, but let’s quickly cover what taking your club digital actually means. Basically, it's about using technology to streamline your club or association's operations, improve communication, and enhance the overall member experience. This can involve various aspects, such as:  

 

• Moving Data Online: Storing member information, documents, and records in a secure online database, accessible anytime, anywhere. Rather than just in books or spreadsheets. 
   
• Automating Processes: Using software to automate tasks like membership renewals, event registrations, and communication workflows.  
   
• Creating a Digital Presence: Building a website and social media channels to connect with members online, share information, and promote events.
   
• Facilitating Online Communication: Using email marketing, group chats, or event pages to communicate with members easily and effectively.  
   
• Offering Online Services: Providing online access to resources, member directories, event bookings, and other essential services.

 

The easiest, most common, and most cost-effective way to achieve all of these goals is to sign up for an online membership management system. This approach allows you to implement numerous features in one convenient package. 

By using an all-in-one membership management system like Member Jungle or one of our competitors, you can access features such as membership management, event management, automated renewals, email campaign management, websites, and much more, all for a single price. This way, you avoid the hassle and cost of paying for multiple separate systems and get all the benefits of embracing the digital age.   

What Are The Benefits Of Digitising Your Club Or Association?

To paraphrase Dr. Erasmus, it’s important to have the foundational 80% in place before striving for that final 1 or 2% that makes one great. Member Jungle helps you efficiently master that foundational 80%, allowing you to concentrate on the 1 or 2% that will truly make your club great.

Basically, Member Jungle takes care of the basics so you can focus on the little details that make all the difference. So, let’s look at some of the major benefits of taking your club digital. 

1. Increased Efficiency

By automating and streamlining tasks such as member sign-ups and renewals, you can significantly increase the efficiency of running your club. This reduces the amount of work and effort required to keep everything running smoothly. As a result, you and your volunteers can work less while still achieving the same, if not better, results, allowing you to focus on enjoying your club again.

With all that new free time, you can start enjoying your club again, and if you’re up for it, start reinvesting some of that new time and energy into improving your club. 

2. Boost Member Engagement & Enjoyment

By signing up for a membership management system to streamline and digitise your club or association, you will also get access to a wide range of tools designed to foster a vibrant online community and boost member engagement.

• Connect with Ease: Members can connect with each other through online forums, groups, and direct messaging, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
   
• Access a Wealth of Resources: Provide members with easy access to valuable resources, such as documents, videos, and online courses, enhancing their knowledge and skills.
   
• Stay Informed: Keep members updated on the latest news, events, and announcements through targeted notifications and a dynamic newsfeed.
   
• Simplify Event Management: Promote upcoming events, manage registrations, sell tickets and gather feedback seamlessly, making it easier for members to participate and stay involved.

A membership management system empowers your members to engage with your club in exciting new ways, making every interaction easy and enjoyable. Renewing memberships is a breeze, purchasing event tickets is a pleasure, and connecting with fellow members requires just a few clicks. With a wealth of information readily available and a streamlined user experience. This fosters a thriving online community where members feel valued and engaged.

3. Increased Member Retention

Using a digital membership management system will help foster a thriving online community where members feel valued, engaged, and eager to renew their memberships.  By streamlining processes, simplifying interactions, and enhancing the overall member experience, you will very likely see increased club loyalty and reduced churn.  

Automated renewals, personalised communication, and captivating online experiences create a seamless and enjoyable membership journey, ensuring your members remain connected and committed to your club for the long haul. 

4. Gain Data-Driven Insights

Finally, by moving all of your membership data online and running all of your events and renewals through the system, you will gain access to powerful and helpful data and statistics on your club’s health. You can see all of the following data points and more: 

• Event engagement  
• Renewal Rates
• Member Engagement
• CPD engagement 
• Online store purchases 
• Course completion 
• Page displays
• Number of members
• Pending members
• Expires members 

 

All these data points are displayed in easy-to-read widgets and graphs, giving you a clear and instant overview of your club's performance. See what's resonating with members, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions with confidence. No more flying blind; these insights will guide you towards a more successful and thriving club.

How To Take Your Club Digital 

Okay, so we've covered what it means to take your club digital and some of the benefits; let's now take a look at how you can actually achieve this. 

The easiest and honestly best way to take your club digital is to invest in a digital membership management system. These platforms offer a centralised hub for managing various aspects of your club, including your website, member database, renewals, and even an online store. This streamlined approach can simplify administrative tasks, improve communication, and enhance the overall member experience.

There are many options available for digital membership management systems, catering to various price points and club sizes, from those with 50 members to those with 50,000 members. Some even offer free trials and can help your club transition to a digital format, allowing it to thrive in this strange new world of augmented reality glasses and self-driving taxis. 

My recommendation would be to find a system that you like the look of, and that does all the things you need to do, then sign up for a free trial of it and check it out for yourself. 

Now, we at Member Jungle are one such membership management system, and not to toot my own flute, but I think we're a pretty good one. However, we certainly aren't the only one; there are a lot of other really good membership management systems out there, too. So, as much as I'd like you to consider Member Jungle if you do decide to go down the path of a membership management system, I won't lie to you and pretend we're the only game in town. 

If you want to hear about some of these other systems, check out The Best Membership Management Software For Your Club.

What Else You Need To Know About Membership Management Systems & Taking Your Club Digital  

If you are looking to get a better idea of what a membership management system really is and what it can do for your club, please check out What Is Membership Management Software For Nonprofits? - All Your Questions Answered.

If you want to know more about us, Member Jungle, take a peep at How Does Member Jungle’s Membership Management System Work.