How to personalize messages based on stage in the member journey

To truly engage and retain members, you need to understand where they are in the membership journey – and tailor your messaging accordingly. Personalization is not a buzzword! It’s a necessity for creating meaningful relationships and increasing member loyalty.

Jørgen Bertelsen

February 27, 2025

The member journey

Before you can start personalizing your messages, you need to understand the different stages of the member journey. Although I’m describing it step-by-step here, these stages are far from linear, and members can move back and forth between them. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Awareness: Potential members discover your organization but know little about what you offer.
Assessment: They are considering becoming a member, but are unsure if it is right for them.
Onboarding: New members who have just signed up and need guidance.
Active engagement: Members who actively participate and take advantage of membership benefits.
Loyalty: Engaged members who are loyal and perhaps even ambassadors for your organization.
Risk of attrition: Members who show signs of reduced engagement.
Re-engagement: Former members or inactive members who can be “revived” again.

Step 1: Map the members' stage

To personalize messages, you first need to know where each member is in the journey. You can do this by using data from your CRM, such as:

Website behavior: What pages do they visit? What resources have they downloaded?
Email Interaction: Are they opening and clicking on links in your emails?
Event participation: Do they attend events or webinars?
Payment history: Are they active paying members, or have they canceled?

In HubSpot, you can use properties like “lifecycle stage” or create custom properties to categorize members based on their behavior.

Step 2: Create personalized messages for each stage

Once you know where your members are, it's time to create messages that fit their needs and interests. Here's how to tailor your communications for each stage:

1. Awareness

Goal: Increase awareness of the organization and its value.
Message:

Focus on what makes your organization unique.
Share success stories or case studies that show what you have achieved.
Use content like blog posts, videos, or infographics to inform.
Examples:
“Have you heard about our work to strengthen the local community?”
“Read how we have helped over 5,000 people with legal issues.”
Participate in industry gatherings, podcasts, and other events to create awareness about your organization and what you do.

2. Assessment

Goal: Convince potential members that membership is worth it.
Message:

Focus on the benefits of membership, both practical and emotional .
Offer free trial memberships or exclusive resources to build trust.
Examples:
“As a member, you get access to exclusive networking events, discounts, and professional resources.”
“Try the membership for 30 days risk-free”

3. Onboarding

Goal: Help new members get started and feel welcome.
Message:

Provide clear guidance on how they can get started.
Offer a welcome pack with resources and tips.
Example:
“Welcome as a new member! Here's a step-by-step guide on how to get the most out of your membership.”

4. Active engagement

Goal: Maintain engagement and offer value.
Message:

Invite to events, share exclusive content, or offer opportunities to contribute.
Give members the opportunity to share their experiences or opinions.
Example:
“We see that you are an active user of our member benefits – would you like to attend our next exclusive webinar?”

5. Loyalty

Goal: Reward and strengthen loyalty.
Message:

Offer exclusive benefits, such as discounts, early access to events, or ambassador programs.
Give recognition for their contributions.
Example:
“Thank you for being loyal! As a thank you, we are offering you an exclusive discount on your membership for a whole year!”

6. Risk of dropout

Goal: Restore engagement.
Message:

Identify the reason for reduced engagement (e.g. lack of value or low usage).

Read more: How to get members to use their membership benefits.
Offer incentives for engagement, like a personalized message or a special offer.
Example:
“We miss you! Here's an exclusive invitation to our next event – we hope to see you there.”

7. Re-engagement

Goal: Arouse interest among former or inactive members.
Message:

Remind them of what they're missing out on, and offer an easy way to get back in.
Example:
“We missed you! Come back and get a special offer for former members.”

Step 3: Automate and scale personalization

With a CRM like HubSpot, you can automate personalization based on member stage. Use workflows to send the right message to the right person at the right time. For example:

Trigger: A member signs up.
Action: Send an automatic welcome email with a guide for new members.
Trigger: A member has not been active for 30 days.
Action: Send a personal email checking in on how things are going and offering help.

Step 4: Measure and improve

Personalized messaging isn’t a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process. Use data from your CRM to measure the effectiveness of your messaging:

Which messages generate the most engagement?
Where do members fall off in the journey?
How can you adjust your messages to increase effectiveness?

From general to personal communication

Personalizing messages based on the stage of the member journey isn’t just a benefit—it’s a necessity for building lasting relationships and increasing member loyalty. By understanding where each member is at and tailoring your communications accordingly, you can create an experience that feels meaningful and relevant. Remember: The best communications are those that feel like they were created specifically for you.

Return to main page: Everything you need to know about member travel