Finding New Members

Every organization has a "natural constituency"

• Universities have their alums
  
• Hospitals, their grateful patients
• Local organizations, their neighbors
• Faith-based charities have their congregants

So when an organization or business wants to find NEW members, how do they go about doing it?

​1. Define your target market

• Start with your current/past members and look for common characteristics and interests. Which ones bring in the most business? Do any of them have valuable friendships that could be leveraged?
• Check out others in your field. Who are their members? Could there be opportunities for collaboration?
• Analyze your offerings and embrace your niche. What is your area interest? Who shares the same passions as you?

2. Meet them on their terms
You wouldn't target a google ad to market to someone who is never online, so why do you go to the same old marketing channels without thinking where your audience is first? The significant way to get your name out to others in this oversaturated market is to be creative, genuine and considerate of how your potential members preferred to be approached.

• Could you have a booth at a conference that engages your target member base with a live demonstration?
• Have you looked into buying a mailing list from a similar company/organization to market your new free event?
• How about holding a wine and cheese reception with a famed sommelier for a foodie group?
• If you are a youth literacy organization, could customized bookmarks at the library help?

3. Provide Value

• Membership Benefits - What do your members receive for their support? Are these benefits clearly outlined? Do these benefits need to be re-evaluated? Are they actually beneficial?
• Valuable Content - Your potential members care about your niche. Promote your values and mission, not yourself. What if you wrote an educational article for a trade publication or as a guest blogger?
• Sharing is Caring - Share information about others in your field. You not only get their attention, but also the attention of their friends/members/customers and gain positive reputation. If you do this on social media, don't forget to tag them and if it's on your website, link to their page and email it to the person/company that you are writing about. 
• Resources - If you provide valuable resources for prospects, they will keep coming back and begin to think of you not only as a reliable source of information, but a partner who helps them reach their goals. This could be a jobs page, a how-to guide, webinar, or a loan program for something you have and could share. 
• Events - Consider the value you could provide at both events you host and ones you attend. 
  Events you attend: Are you going to that popular conference next month? Are you in the position to host an unofficial event related to your values/mission? How about a lunch, happy hour, demonstration, invite-only talk or tour for potential members?
  For events you host: What is the value of your event? Does it have value to your members? Does it have value to your field? Are you inviting targeted potential members? Have you made it as accessible as possible with painless registration, event reminders and easy navigation?

4. Simplify the path to membership
Joining MUST be easy to do. The top recommended way to register members is through your website. A membership form should not be longer than one page. You need the basic details, not a life story. Also consider easy opportunities to recruit members at events. If you can not register prospects for membership at the event itself, it is almost always best to get the person's information and follow up with them 3 days or less from the event. If someone takes a membership brochure or card, they may forget but if they receive a personal email, they may sign up on the on the spot. ​

5. Don't forget to ASK!
This may go without saying, but I have been guilty of it myself. Ask at events, ask in one-on-one conversations. Just ask. The more you do it, the easier it gets.