If you’ve ever worked in membership, you’ve heard it before: We know exactly what our members want. It’s an easy assumption to make—until you start listening.

That’s exactly what VPPPA set out to do. Their annual conference had always been the centerpiece of member engagement strategy, but was it really what members wanted? Or was it just what they had always done?

Instead of making assumptions, they launched a Learner Persona Campaign using PropFuel, ditching traditional surveys in favor of real-time, conversational engagement. The results? A complete shift in how they engage, communicate, and deliver value to their members.

From Static Surveys to Dynamic Conversations

Traditional surveys weren’t cutting it. VPPPA was getting low response rates, engaging only the most involved members, and - worst of all - when members did respond, their feedback wasn’t being acted upon.

Enter PropFuel’s conversational engagement approach:

✔ Short, targeted questions replacing long, static surveys

✔ Immediate follow-ups based on individual responses

✔ Real-time personalization, connecting members with relevant content and opportunities

Instead of asking all the questions at once, VPPPA spread out eight simple check-ins over 100 days. The goal? Build the habit of two-way communication. Members weren’t just answering questions—they were shaping their own engagement journeys.

The Power of Letting Members Choose Their Path

Through this campaign, VPPPA discovered something huge:

✔ Members don’t fit neatly into personas—they have unique and evolving needs.

✔ Conferences weren’t the universal solution—many members couldn’t attend due to work schedules.

✔ Online education was valued, but preferences varied—some wanted interactive courses, others preferred on-demand learning.

And the best part? They didn’t have to guess anymore.

With every response, PropFuel automatically tagged members and adjusted their engagement. Someone interested in career mentorship? They were funneled into a future campaign about mentorship programs. Another member preferred local events over national conferences? Future promotions were tailored accordingly.

This wasn’t segmentation. It was true personalization—at scale.

Engagement That Drives Action

The shift from talking at members to talking with them led to:

📈 12% increase in engagement across the entire campaign—compared to near-zero engagement with past surveys.

🎯 63% engagement rate in follow-up campaigns, showing that members wanted to keep the conversation going.

🔄 Ongoing, automated personalization, freeing up staff time while delivering more relevant content.

For associations focused on content marketing for associations, this approach offers a fresh way to increase relevance and deepen relationships with members.

Perhaps the biggest realization? VPPPA didn’t need broad learner personas—they needed pathways. Instead of forcing members into predefined buckets, they let members choose their own engagement journeys.

What This Means for Your Association

If your member engagement strategy relies on assumptions, it’s time for a rethink. Member engagement isn’t about pushing more content—it’s about listening, responding, and guiding members toward what matters to them.

VPPPA proved that personalized engagement doesn’t have to be manual or time-consuming—automation, AI, and conversational engagement make it scalable.

So the real question is: Are you still making assumptions about what your members want? Or are you ready to start listening?

👉 Watch the full webinar replay to see how VPPPA did it: https://www.propfuel.com/videos/developing-learner-personas-with-member-insights

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