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Recruiting members to your association doesn’t have to be a hassle. There are a few easy hacks your association can do that will boost your recruitment chances while still saving your association time and money.
Does your association want to bring in new members? It’s an easy answer, of course you do. Recruiting new members to your association is exciting. You have new eyes and excited smiles ready to become a member and see what your association has to offer them.
However, the first step in any recruitment process is actually rounding up these potential members. One of the biggest challenges for associations is getting new potential members engaged. Not far behind that is getting your current members ready to renew when it’s time. Overall, recruiting members to join and stay at your association is a tiresome task! But not to worry, we’re here to make your recruitment process a whole lot easier.
Recruiting members to your association doesn’t have to be a hassle. There are a few easy hacks your association can do that will boost your recruitment chances while still saving your association time and money. Without any further introduction, here are 3 foolproof member recruitment hacks your association can use to build a stronger membership.
Earning trust is hard, and there’s a reason why. Trust is one of the most powerful tools out there- especially when it comes to member recruitment.
Think about it, if you were deciding between two different products to purchase, how would you choose? Would you go with a product recommended by a trusted friend over another similar product? If you said yes, you’re not alone. It’s no secret that peer trust can lead to big decision making by potential buyers. In fact, according to Marketing General’s 2017 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, word-of-mouth recommendations have topped the charts for 3 consecutive years as being the most effective form of recruitment. Not only that, but every single type of association has found success with word-of-mouth marketing. Whether you’re a small association or a larger trade, you can find success using this recruitment method.
So, how do you start? You need to get your members talking. Without members communicating your association’s value, you won’t see the results you’re looking for. It’s essential to open up channels of communication for members and potential members to network about your association. One way to do this is to start collecting member testimonials. Adding a section for member testimonials on our association's website or any other channel will do wonders for your recruitment. Interested audiences will see exactly how your current members feel while also being able to put a friendly face to the text. Reach out to your current members and ask for their honest opinion on your association. You can do this via phone, email, or any other appropriate communication method. You can ask for a longer testimonial or even just a quote, depending on how much time members are looking to give to your request. Adding member testimonials is a word-of-mouth- marketing approach with many advantages. It’s cost-free, engages your current members, and gives potential members a great recommendation for your association.
When was the last time your association’s website had an update? If you have to really think, chances are it’s been too long.With technology always changing, your potential buyers are looking to your website to be fast, easy to navigate, and up to date. In fact, 58% of Americans perform online research about any products and services they’re considering purchasing.
Members are looking for your association’s website to be fast, easy to navigate, and up to date. Without those three factors, you could lose out on traffic, or even worse- potential new members. Stay ahead of the game by ramping up your association’s website. Think of it like spring cleaning- give it a fresh look and make things easy to find! Let’s start with your layout. Did you know that 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content and/or layout is unattractive? It’s true, so you don’t want to run the risk of losing traffic.
Update your layout to make it more user-friendly and aesthetically appealing. Make sure it is well-branded and that all of your features are listed on a menu somewhere easily accessible. Then, you should incorporate a section to get in contact with your association. This way, if any potential buyers want to ask more on how to become a member, they can speak directly with your association’s staff. Finally, you want to make sure your site is mobile-friendly. In 2016, mobile devices surpassed desktops in website views for the first time. This means that more people than ever were viewing websites from a mobile device over a desktop- and that includes your association’s website. Enhancing your website is an easy way to bring in more traffic that can eventually be converted into new members.
At Web Scribble, we know the power of email marketing. We’ve even created an ebook on it (which you can find here!). But did you know that emails are a excellent way to boost your recruitment rates? It’s true.
In the same report by Marketing General, 54% of all types of associations claim that email is one of their best recruitment channels. It’s a typically cost-free channel that can reach out to audiences across the globe, so why wouldn’t it be?
When it comes to email recruitment, including offers within your email campaign is a must. How else are potential buyers going to know the value of your associations including offers like discounts and free guide downloads is a great way to peak interest in your audiences. It’s also a great way to get them onto your website and engaging with your association more.
If you’re looking for a way to include offers that doesn’t give away free incentives, you can always link audiences to pre-existing content.
Let’s say you know your potential members have a problem. If you have content that could provide a solution, such as a blog post or webinar, you can email them a link to that content. This way, you’re providing audiences with value without giving away any free offers. You can use your website’s key metrics and analytics to help come up with email campaign ideas. Target your audience based on how they view your website. If you have a potential member who has visited your news page on your website a few times, consider emailing them a newsletter and see how they respond.
Stay on top of your email recruitment efforts and your association could see a rise in new members. With these easy tips, member recruitment can be a breeze for your association. Try out these 3 member recruitment hacks in your association’s recruitment strategy and see how simple member recruitment can really be.
