First impressions matter—especially in membership.

New members join with expectations. They want to feel welcomed, find value quickly, and understand how to make the most of their membership. But too often, onboarding campaigns miss the mark. Instead of guiding members through an intentional journey, they’re met with a flood of emails, each packed with links, benefits, and generic information.

It’s no surprise that 80% of new members decide within the first year whether they will renew. If they don’t see immediate value, engagement drops, and they start to question why they joined in the first place.

Traditional onboarding often looks like:

• A few emails outlining every benefit at once
• A slow, manual process that delays engagement
• A one-size-fits-all approach with no personalization

The result? Overwhelmed, disengaged members who never fully connect with the association.

There’s a better way.

From Static Emails to Personalized Journeys

During our recent webinar, Crafting Personalized Journeys for First-Year Members, Megan Roloff from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) shared how her team reimagined onboarding as an interactive experience rather than a static series of emails.

Instead of pushing the same content to every new member, NAGC lets members shape their own journey based on their priorities. This approach creates a personalized experience that increases engagement and retention.

Here’s what makes the difference:

1. Focusing on Immediate Value

Rather than overwhelming members with an exhaustive list of benefits, NAGC’s first email gives them just three simple actions they can take right away. These actions don’t require an extra transaction or significant effort—just quick, meaningful steps to connect them to the association.

For example, members are encouraged to:

• Confirm their mailing address to ensure they receive key materials
• Check the event calendar for upcoming networking opportunities
• Update their profile to help connect with peers

By focusing on small but impactful actions, members engage faster and start seeing value immediately.

2. Letting Members Choose Their Priorities

Every member joins with different needs. Some are looking for professional development, others for networking, and some for specific resources. Instead of assuming what’s important to them, NAGC asks them directly.

Early in onboarding, members are given the option to select their top priority. Based on their response, they receive tailored recommendations that align with their interests. This ensures they aren’t bombarded with irrelevant information but instead receive guidance that feels personally valuable.

3. Creating an Adaptive Journey

Traditional onboarding follows a rigid path, but members don’t all move at the same pace. Some want to dive in immediately, while others take time to explore. NAGC built an onboarding workflow that adjusts based on how members interact with content.

Members who engage early receive follow-ups that build on their interests, while those who haven’t taken action are re-engaged with relevant touchpoints. By letting members guide their own experience, engagement happens naturally, rather than being forced through a predetermined sequence.

The Power of Conversational Engagement

This shift in onboarding isn’t just about better email content—it’s about rethinking engagement altogether. Instead of pushing static information, organizations can turn onboarding into a conversation by following a simple process:

• Ask: Find out what members need rather than making assumptions
• Capture: Gather insights that help personalize future interactions
• Act: Deliver content and opportunities that match individual interests

When done well, this approach creates stronger relationships, deeper engagement, and higher retention. In fact, research shows that new members who engage with at least three benefits early on are four times more likely to renew. That’s not a small improvement—it’s a fundamental shift in how associations should think about onboarding.

Time to Rethink New Member Onboarding

If your onboarding process consists of a few automated emails and a long list of benefits, it’s time for a new approach. Instead of telling members everything all at once, guide them toward the resources that matter most—at their own pace.

Make it dynamic. Make it relevant. Make it a conversation.

Want to see how it’s done? Watch the full webinar replay here:

📺 Crafting Personalized Journeys for First-Year Members