Some people (myself – and probably many of your prospective members – included) learn best by experiencing something for themselves. So, why not try hosting a ‘Member for a Day’ type event?
Now you don’t want to give away all the secrets, so-to-speak – but a small taste of membership could be all someone needs to decide that they want to be a part of it, too. Here are a few ideas to jumpstart YOUR ‘Member for a Day’ initiative:
1. Interview a member
One-on-one time with an active member will give the prospective member the opportunity to have a candid conversation about what membership is really like. Now, you’ll want to recruit your most engaged members for this initiative. They’ll be able to give the most comprehensive and, hopefully, positive overview of membership.
That said, be sure to ask your interviewees to share their transparent opinion. That’ll help to set expectations with the prospective member – and, frankly, it’s just best to always be open and honest.
2. Invite them to the office
Because your actual members aren’t doing association-related things all day every day, you might even consider inviting prospects to visit your office location. Choose a day that’ll be particularly exciting – perhaps during some event preparation or as you’re getting ready to welcome a new class of members. You might even go so far as to plan some things that they can help with and see just how much work you put into creating a refreshing membership experience.
3. Invite to an annual meeting or big event
Is there a meeting or event that is a must-attend for your members? Invite prospects to join! Or even a select group that are on the fence, if you don’t want to open it up entirely. Events tend to be more energetic, so it’s a great way to give them an idea of the fun side of membership. You might even tie this into number one and pair them with an active member to attend with.
4. Let them choose their own adventure
What if, at a certain point in a prospect’s journey toward becoming a member, you actually let them try out a benefit or two? Make a list of the benefits that would be pretty easy for you to manage, yet impactful for them to get to experience (an enhanced online directory listing for a certain period, complimentary tickets to an event, limited-time access to your learning management or content delivery platform, etc.) and let them give it a shot! Trust us, you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not they’re interested at that point.
5. Host a block party
When I was in college, the incoming freshman class was always invited to an event in the first week where they could learn about the different clubs and student organizations on campus. Why not try something like that with your association? Ask different staff and committee members to set up a table with more information about specific benefits, events, etc. – but make it fun! Host it outside with some lawn games and a snow cone machine, maybe some drinks and entertainment…sounds like a good time to me!
Events, in general, are actually an amazing member recruitment tool. How much effort do you put into recruitment when it comes to YOUR association events? We put together a guide full of tips and tricks for just that! Download our free resource, Using Events to Grow Your Association’s Membership now!
