Post-conference app engagement crashes are painful to watch. But members are always on their phones. How can you motivate them to open your membership app? Unlike event apps, which create temporary usage spikes, year-round mobile tactics build sustained member engagement.
Mobile engagement tactics are behavioral science-based strategies that encourage association members to regularly interact with your mobile app, creating digital engagement touchpoints that strengthen member relationships and improve retention rates.
Brands understand human beings are persuadable. They design their customer experience and marketing campaigns using behavioral science tactics that motivate us to click, purchase, and interact. For association membership departments, these tactics translate directly into measurable improvements in member engagement, satisfaction, and renewals.
Here's how to apply six behavioral science principles to your association's mobile app.
People engage more with brands and organizations when they deliver content that feels specifically chosen for them. Spotify does this with their “Daily Mix” personalized playlists.
Customize the newsfeed based on the member’s interests and chapter affiliation. Use group segmentation for targeted content delivery based on career stage or professional role. Highlight a forum that applies to the member’s interests.
Suggest national or local events based on the member’s location and past attendance. Send them job alerts that correspond to their employment status and other member profile information.
Think about your morning coffee routine. The alarm goes off (cue). You head to the coffee machine (routine). Result: a longed-for caffeine boost plus a moment of peace (reward).
With social media, the cue is the notification. The routine: you scroll and read. The reward: a satisfying buzz of new information.
Just like you automatically check email first thing each morning, members can develop automatic app-checking habits.
The cue: a push notification with a personalized news update. The member follows the routine: checking their news feed for that industry update, then finding another interesting tidbit to read and a link to a peer discussion on a hot topic. The reward: new insights and a community conversation with the potential for social connections.
People follow what others in their tribe are doing. Like following the crowd to the popular restaurant, association members gravitate toward content and activities that their peers are enjoying.
Take advantage of this “people like us do things like this” mindset.
Unpredictable rewards create stronger engagement than consistent ones. This 'variable ratio reinforcement' makes slot machines addictive. The same principle applies to scratch-off tickets. Or checking social media—you never know what you'll find.
The key is unpredictable variety in your content and timing.
Our fear of losing something is stronger when we already think of it as ours, even if it isn’t. It's like having a reserved parking spot at work—once you think of it as yours, losing access feels like a genuine loss.
Loss aversion goes hand in hand with a sense of urgency:
When people receive small, immediate rewards, they keep on engaging. Wordle and Duolingo keep people up past their bedtime because they want to maintain their streaks. Offer immediate satisfaction with:
Now that you understand the psychology behind engagement, here's how to implement these strategies.
Roll them out gradually. Start with personalization since it’s the foundation for the other tactics.
Measure engagement by member segment.
Strengthen your association’s value for members during the brief moments they have attention to give. Here’s your key takeaway: Consistent mobile app engagement creates multiple additional member touchpoints monthly. This engagement directly correlates with higher renewal rates and stronger member relationships. For more ideas on using your membership app as a retention and renewal tool, check out our Ultimate Guide to Mobile Engagement.