Membership market research: how we gain insights
Whether you're looking to improve your CPD offering or understand what motivates members to join or renew, membership market research gives you the insights you need to make informed decisions. We'll walk you through the different methods we use, the benefits and drawbacks of each, and the unique challenges professional bodies and societies face when conducting market research.
Pre-research
Before launching into the research itself, there are a few important steps we take to lay the foundations for insightful research.
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Define objectives
We start by getting clear about why you’re conducting membership market research and the answers you need. Some common scenarios include finding out why members decide not to renew, understanding what they find most valuable about your offer, or discovering their learning needs so you can design new qualifications and training materials. Getting these objectives nailed down means we can design research that answers your specific questions.
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​Outline and recruit the right participants
Next, we work out exactly who needs to take part. This might be current members across different career stages, lapsed members who didn't renew, or even non-members who fit your target profile. We're careful to get an unbiased selection so you're hearing from a genuine cross-section rather than just the most vocal members.
Our post on how to source participants for membership market research goes into more detail.
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Design the questions
Once we have identified the target audience, we design the research itself. This means creating discussion guides or survey questions that don't lead participants or accidentally push people toward certain answers. We also make it easy for busy professionals to participate, including offering flexible timings and providing appropriate incentives. Our guide to encouraging participants to take part explains more.​
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Desk research for membership insights
How it works
Desk research involves analysing existing information rather than collecting new data. We look at published reports, sector statistics, and internal membership data you've already got. We’ll often look at competitors within your sector, as well as other membership bodies and societies for other professions.
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Advantages
Using existing information is quick and gives you background knowledge without the time needed for fieldwork. It's cheaper than primary research and can be great for spotting trends, benchmarking pricing and offerings, or getting context before we dig deeper.
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Challenges
The main issue is that existing data wasn't created to answer your specific questions about your members. There are also situations where desk research simply can't help. For example, if you need to understand your members' learning needs or why they're choosing not to renew, you'll need to ask them directly.
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Online surveys for membership research
​​​​How they work
Online surveys are structured questionnaires that members complete in their own time, often with a mix of closed-ended questions, rating scales and multiple-choice formats that allow us to collect and analyse data across large numbers of people. Surveys typically take 10-15 minutes to complete and are distributed via email or through your member portal.​
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Advantages
Surveys let you reach lots of members quickly and they're cost-effective for large samples. If you want to know how many members would be interested in a new CPD format or what percentage find current fees too high, surveys give you those numbers.
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​​​​Challenges
Getting enough responses can be tough, especially with busy professionals. Surveys also show you what people think but not the deeper reasons why.​
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How we overcome these challenges
We know how to word questions so they’re easy to answer. Often, we combine surveys with interviews or focus groups so you get both the "what" and the "why" behind member attitudes.​​
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Interviews for membership market research
How they work
Interviews are usually done on Zoom. Online sessions mean participants don't have to travel, which makes it easier to fit into packed schedules. We create a discussion guide with topics to cover and areas to probe further.
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Advantages
Interviews let you gain deeper insight into motivations and behaviours. It's easy to ask follow-up questions and really delve into the detailed nuances of people’s thoughts and feelings.. Video calls are especially helpful, too—you can see facial reactions that add non-verbal nuances to what people are saying.
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Challenges
Interviews can take considerable time to run and analyse. You'll often need incentives to encourage busy professionals to take part, too. After all, you’re asking them to give up their precious time. Interviewers need to be skilled at putting people at ease and encouraging participants to open up.
How we overcome these challenges
We've interviewed member groups across all sorts of professional bodies over the years, offer flexible scheduling and our interviewers are experienced. We also manage all recruitment and incentives to encourage people to take part.​
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Focus groups for membership research
How they work
Focus groups involve recruiting a small group of members and run a session online with a moderator. The moderator guides the discussion while capturing reactions and ensuring everyone gets heard.
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Advantages
Focus groups let you hear members talk in their own words. They're particularly good for testing new ideas—like proposed changes to CPD offerings or new member benefits—because the group dynamic can spark thoughts that wouldn't come up in solo interviews.
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Challenges
Louder voices can dominate if not managed well. Scheduling a group can be tricky when you're coordinating several busy professionals. There's also the risk of group-think. You can read our blog post on how to manage focus groups here.
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How we overcome these challenges
Skilled moderators know how to balance the virtual room and draw out quieter members and create an environment where everyone feels their input matters.
Online communities for member insight
How they work
We invite members onto an online platform for several days. A moderator sets tasks and discussion prompts. Members can then post at times that suit them and share responses through text, video, or audio.​
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Advantages
Online communities are flexible for different time zones and schedules and people can take part at whatever time of day suits them, be it at lunch or on the train to or from work. You often get more insightful answers because people aren't put on the spot and therefore have more time to think.
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Challenges
Without face-to-face interaction, you miss some non-verbal cues. Communities need ongoing moderation to keep momentum going.​
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How we overcome these challenges
We've run communities for member groups across various sectors and know how to keep people engaged and contributing. We use varied task formats and structured activities to maintain momentum.
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How can we help?
If you would like to ask our advice, book a
no-obligation 30 minute consultation with us to discuss your research requirements or to simply have a chat and find out more about what we do.
Alternatively, use the briefing form to start discussing a new project, give Jill Elston a call on +44 (0)7703 462179 or email us jill@insightfulresearch.co.uk
Understanding your unique challenges
Membership market research comes with specific challenges. For example, niche professions mean small sample sizes. Members aren't always clear on what they need, either—there's often a gap between stated needs and required learning.
Fast-changing sectors mean CPD topics can date quickly, too — particularly in the age of technology. Many membership bodies and professional societies already regularly conduct research, so survey fatigue is also real.
Work with Insightful Research
If you want to work with a boutique market research company that really understands the challenges you face as a CPD provider, professional society or membership body. you're ready to understand what your members really need, let's chat. Get in touch today for a friendly conversation about your project.