Membership market research methods
Conducting membership market research gives you the valuable insights you need to understand your members. When you know what drives people to join your organisation and what keeps them engaged (and renewing each year), you can make smarter decisions about everything from pricing to benefits.
There are three main approaches to conducting membership market research: quantitative, qualitative and desk research. Each method gives you different insights, and you'll often use them together to get the full picture. In this post, we'll walk through these approaches, when to use them and how they can help your professional body thrive
Quantitative membership market research
What it is.
In a nutshell, quantitative membership market research involves collecting numbers to spot patterns and trends across your membership base. It gives you high-level answers to questions like "How satisfied are our members?", "What percentage use our CPD programmes?", and "How many would recommend us to colleagues?" This approach gives you statistical evidence that you can use to make data-backed decisions and track changes over time.
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Methods
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Surveys (online or app-based). These are your go-to tool for gathering data from large numbers of members. An example would be annual satisfaction surveys with rating scales where members score different aspects of your service from 1 to 5.
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Polls in member portals/newsletters.
Short, targeted questions that you can drop into your regular communications to get quick feedback on specific topics, either related to your offering or the wider industry.
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Benchmarking studies. These let you compare your member engagement scores year-on-year or measure how you stack up against similar organisations in your sector.
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When to use
Quantitative membership market research methods are useful when you need:
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Large-scale trends. When you need to understand satisfaction or engagement patterns across your entire membership base rather than just hearing from the vocal few.
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Clear facts and figures.
Perfect for creating statements like "72% of members rate our CPD as excellent" that carry weight in board meetings and annual reports.
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Evidence for boards and funders.
Quantitative data speaks volumes when you're reporting to stakeholders or applying for funding - numbers tell a compelling story.
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Measuring change. Essential for tracking whether new initiatives are working, like measuring engagement before and after launching a mentoring programme.
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Example
A professional society could run surveys to benchmark awareness of their new mentoring programme both before launch and six months later. The results would show whether their marketing efforts are reaching members and highlight which segments need more targeted outreach.​
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Qualitative membership market research
What it is
Qualitative research digs into your members' experiences and feelings. It helps you uncover the story behind the figure and understand the "why" (or "why not"). With this membership market research method, you'll understand the motivations, frustrations, and expectations that drive your members' behaviour and decision-making.
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Methods
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In-depth interviews.
One-to-one conversations with members from different tiers, career stages or regions that let you explore their experiences in detail.
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Focus groups.
Small group discussions where you can test reactions to new benefits, services or changes before you invest significant resources.
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Online communities/forums. Moderated discussion spaces like private LinkedIn groups or dedicated platforms where members can share ongoing feedback and ideas.
When to use
It's best to use qualitative membership market research when you're:
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Exploring new initiatives. You can test how members might react to a proposed new CPD format or membership tier before you commit the budget.
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Understanding barriers. When you need to find out why certain members don't attend networking events or why uptake of a particular service is lower than expected.
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Developing member personas. It's great for delving into the different motivations between early-career members and senior professionals or between different industry sectors.
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Complementing survey data. With qualitative insights, you can explain the "why" behind your quantitative findings and turn numbers into actionable strategies.
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Example
A chartered institute could set up an online community to discuss challenges with remote versus in-person/on-site CPD. Members might reveal that younger professionals prefer bite-sized mobile learning they can access during commutes, while senior members value interactive workshops for networking.​
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Desk research for membership organisations
​​​​What it is
Desk research uses existing information rather than collecting new data from scratch. For membership organisations, this might mean analysing your own internal data, reviewing sector reports, or studying what other professional bodies are doing. As desk research is both time and cost-efficient, it's great for getting context before launching larger research projects.​
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Methods
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Reviewing internal data.
Look at your renewal rates, event attendance figures, CPD completion rates and website analytics to spot trends and patterns.​​
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Analysing external reports.
Study sector skills forecasts, government policy papers and industry trend reports that affect your members' professional development needs.
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Competitor analysis.
Research how other membership organisations structure their benefits, pricing or professional development offerings.
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Database searches. Use industry databases or LinkedIn to understand potential member pools or analyse demographic trends in your profession.
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When to use
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Background context.
Essential groundwork before developing a new membership product or entering a new market segment.
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Supporting primary research.
Use desk research findings to create more targeted survey questions or interview discussion guides.
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Quick insights.
Perfect when your board needs a fast overview of market conditions without commissioning expensive new fieldwork.
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Budget-friendly analysis. Ideal for smaller professional bodies that need insights but have limited research budgets.
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Example
A membership organisation considering international expansion could review government workforce statistics and competitor membership offerings in target countries. This research would help them understand market size, identify gaps in current provision and prioritise which regions to focus on first.
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Work with Insightful Research
Ready to get started with a membership market research project? Whether you're trying to boost renewal rates, develop new CPD programmes or attract members from emerging sectors, we know how to combine all three methods to gain the insights you need. Get in touch for a friendly chat about how we can help you understand your members better and build a stronger, more sustainable organisation.
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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