Email Marketing for Associations: Stop Sending Newsletters Nobody Reads
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most association emails are terrible. They're boring newsletters filled with committee updates that nobody asked for, sent to everyone whether it's relevant or not.
But here's the thing - email is still your best chance to actually reach your members. Social media algorithms hide your posts, but emails land right in their inbox. When my team and I help associations fix their email strategy, we typically see open rates jump 30-40% within a few months.
The secret isn't sending more emails. It's sending better ones.
Why Your Current Email Strategy Isn't Working
Let me guess what your emails look like:
Subject line: "Newsletter #47" or "Monthly Update"
Content: Every committee's updates whether members care or not
Sent to: Everyone on your list
Call to action: "Read more on our website"
No wonder people aren't opening them. Would you?
Here's what works instead: emails that solve real problems for specific groups of members. Think less "company newsletter" and more "helpful friend sharing useful stuff."
The 4 Email Strategies That Actually Get Results
1. Segment Your List (Seriously, Just Do It)
Stop sending the same email to everyone. Your 25-year-old new member doesn't need the same content as your 50-year-old board veteran.
Simple segmentation that works:
New members (first year)
Active members (attend events, engage regularly)
Quiet members (joined but not very active)
Leadership members (board, committee chairs)
Quick win: Start with just two segments - new members and everyone else. Create different subject lines and content for each group.
Our email specialist always says: "Would you rather get 100 opens from people who actually care, or 20 opens from people who don't?"
2. Write Subject Lines People Actually Want to Open
Your subject line has about 3 seconds to convince someone to open your email. Make them count.
Instead of: "Member Newsletter - March 2024" Try: "3 tools to help with your Q2 planning"
Instead of: "Upcoming Events Update" Try: "Save $200 on the conference (ends Friday)"
Quick wins:
Include specific benefits: "Save time," "Avoid mistakes," "Get ahead"
Use numbers: "5 updates," "3 resources," "Save $200"
Create mild urgency: "Deadline Friday," "Last chance," "Before it's too late"
Test sending at different times - Tuesday-Thursday mornings often work best
3. Make Your Emails Actually Helpful
Stop updating people on your organizational structure. Start solving their professional problems.
Content that works:
Industry updates that affect their work
Professional development tips
Member success stories with takeaways
Simple explanations of complex regulations
Templates and tools they can use immediately
Quick win: Survey your members about their biggest challenges. Turn the top answers into email content.
The "So What?" Test: Before sending any email, ask "So what? Why should a busy professional care about this?" If you can't answer clearly, rewrite it.
4. Set Up Simple Automation (It's Easier Than You Think)
You don't need fancy marketing automation. Start with these basic sequences:
New Member Welcome Series (3 emails over 2 weeks):
Email 1: Welcome + how to get the most from membership
Email 2: Most popular resources and where to find them
Email 3: How to connect with other members
Event Follow-Up Sequence:
Day after: Thank you + session recordings
One week later: Additional resources mentioned
One month later: How to apply what they learned
Quick win: Set up just the new member welcome sequence. Most association management platforms can handle this basic automation.
What About All Those Other Email "Best Practices"?
Mobile optimization: Yes, make sure your emails look good on phones. Keep it simple - single column, big buttons, short paragraphs.
Send frequency: Quality beats quantity. Better to send one valuable email monthly than four boring ones weekly.
Design: Clean and simple beats fancy every time. Your members care about content, not pretty graphics.
Unsubscribes: Don't panic about them. Better to have a smaller list of engaged people than a big list of people who ignore you.
Measuring What Actually Matters
Forget vanity metrics. Track things that connect to your real goals:
Open rates: Aim for 25-30% for associations (industry average) Click rates: 3-5% is good, 8%+ means you're nailing relevance Conversion rates: How many people actually do what you asked them to do?
Most important: Which emails drive the actions you care about? Event registrations? Resource downloads? Membership renewals?
Quick measurement setup: Set up tracking for specific links (event registration, resource downloads, etc.). Check monthly trends, not daily numbers.
Common Email Mistakes That Kill Engagement
Writing like a corporation: Use real human language. "We're excited to announce..." sounds fake. "Here's something that might help..." sounds helpful.
No clear next step: Every email should have one clear action. Visit this page, download this resource, register for this event.
Trying to cover everything: Better to say one useful thing well than ten things poorly.
Sending at random times: Pick a schedule and stick to it. Members should know when to expect your emails.
Never asking for feedback: Ask members what they want to hear about. They'll tell you.
Getting Started: Your Email Improvement Plan
This week:
Look at your last 5 emails and ask "Would I want to read this?"
Create 2 simple segments: new members and everyone else
Write 3 better subject lines using numbers and benefits
This month:
Set up a basic new member welcome sequence
Survey members about their content preferences
Track which emails get the best engagement
Next quarter:
Create content specifically for each member segment
Test different send times and subject lines
Set up one simple automation sequence
When to Handle Email Yourself vs. Get Help
You can improve a lot yourself, but consider getting help if:
You're spending more than 25% of your time on email - That's not sustainable
Your open rates are below 20% - Something fundamental needs fixing
Your email platform doesn't integrate with your member database - This creates way too much manual work
You need advanced automation - Welcome sequences, behavior triggers, etc.
My team works with associations because we understand that your email isn't just marketing - it's member communication that affects retention, engagement, and revenue. We know the difference between metrics that look impressive and metrics that actually matter to your mission.
Want to talk about what a realistic email strategy would look like for your association? Let's have a conversation about your specific situation. I'll be honest about what you can tackle yourself and where you might need help.
The Bottom Line
Great association email marketing isn't about fancy automation or perfect design. It's about sending helpful content to the right people at the right time.
Start with one thing: make your next email genuinely useful to a specific group of members. Then build from there. Your members (and your engagement metrics) will thank you.
Ready to send emails people actually want to read? Check out our other association resources: