Converting Guests into Members

Marketing your organization’s events to guests is always a good idea. You might, however, find that these guests continue to pay the guest price rather than ever joining the association. We have a few suggestions that could be just what your guest needs for that last push into membership.

Follow up with your guests.

Reach out to your guests via email and let them know how much you appreciate them visiting. In this email, you could include links to the website as well as a list of upcoming events. Once they are to your website, they will be able to see member benefits and more. The email will also make them feel valued and will make them more likely to sign up as a member.

Shine a light on guests through social media.

Take pictures at your event and make sure to get some photos of guests. Let them know that the pictures will be on the organization’s social media page. This might make them more inclined to visit the social media page and get more of a feel for the association. It also allows them to feel special and as if they are already a part of the organization.

Consider discounts.

If you are not opposed to docking the price of membership or events a little bit, discounts are always a strong motivator. In the email you send to guests, let them know that if they sign up for membership before the meeting, they will get a free ticket to the next event or a discounted membership price. Setting the deadline will pressure the guest to sign up. Also, who doesn’t love a nice discount?

Survey.

Along with a follow up email, you could also send or call for a survey of the event. Ask the guests what they enjoyed? What do they want to see at future events? Were they welcomed? These answers could not only help your organization in recruiting future guests, but also force the guest to consider all the positive experiences they had at the meeting. You could then invite them to join the organization and cross your fingers.

Converting non-members to members is always the goal. These guests that sign up for events are already familiar with the organization and interested in the industry. A quick moment of reaching out could make all the difference.

Saving Time with a FAQ Page

Do you find yourself answering the same questions concerning your association every other day? If so, save yourself some time by adding a FAQ page to your organization’s website. This allows your members and potential members to quickly find information. Once you have decided to add this section to your website, start to compile a list. If people are asking you how much dues are per year, add it to the FAQ page. Even if the information is on another page of your website, it will not hurt to duplicate the information. Here are some questions to get you started!

·         What does your organization do?

·         How much are membership dues?

·         How do I join?

·         How do I access my account?

·         How can I renew my membership?

·         How can I sign up for the email newsletters?

·         When are the meetings?

·         Can I attend meetings and events without being a member?

Providing a place for people to quickly get their answers will save you many emails and phone calls and will make the organization seem more established. If people cannot find the answers, they may also give up. You can always add questions or make revisions as things change in the organization. You won’t regret taking the time to set this up for your organization.

Sprucing Up Your Monthly Newsletter

Associations are always looking for different ways to reach their members. Social media posts, emails, and meetings are great ways to do so. If you are looking for another point of communication, consider email newsletters. Newsletters are a way to provide useful information and resources, as well a way to keep members up to date on upcoming events and more. Coming up with content for a monthly newsletter can be daunting at times, but we are here to help! Try using these ideas to get your newsletter up and going. 

1. Information. Make the newsletter a worthwhile read by providing important information about upcoming events, reasons to attend those events, and any costs associated.  

1. Blogs. Link to blogs you have done in the last month. Members might have missed your post about them and should be exposed more than once. If you don’t have a blog, you can always link to another blog in your industry. 

1. Get to know the board. Include a section highlighting a different board member every month. Give a little insight into who that person is and how they got involved in the association. You should also inform members when the board turnover occurs and include a picture of their new board.  

1. Review Benefits. Reminding members of why they joined is important in member retention. Review how a benefit can be utilized or introduce any new benefits. 

1. Visuals. With all of this content, make sure to include photos from events or photos that relate to the topic being discussed. This will keep readers more engaged. 

If you are looking to start a newsletter, we encourage you to check out Constant Contact. This platform is professional, yet easy to use! If you want a taste of how to put these elements together, sign up for our e-newsletter!  

Client Spotlight: Kids' Chance of Nebraska

Kids’ Chance is an organization that was founded in 1988. KCNE’s mission is “To provide financial support to further the education of the children of Nebraska workers who have been severely injured, totally disabled or killed as a result of employment related injuries or occupational diseases. It is the goal of Kids’ Chance of Nebraska to make a difference in the lives of these children by providing scholarships to help eligible students achieve both their educational goals and their families’ dreams.”  

Kids’ Chance of Nebraska has fundraisers throughout the year including their annual bowling and golf events. These events are a fun way to get the community involved and gives donors an experience to remember. Donors often include parties to the workers’ compensation industry, including law firms, medical providers, insurance companies, insurance brokers, vocational rehabilitation and case management companies and employers.  

Here at Impact, we happily support this entirely volunteer based organization. We provide marketing, email management, website updates, member communication, and more. Ashley and Tammy are the Executive Administrators for Kids’ Chance of Nebraska. These two keep everything running smoothly and have a full understanding of the organization’s goals and mission. They look forward to continuing this partnership and making KCNE the best it can possibly be.

Click to learn more about Kids’ Chance of Nebraska 

Lisa Demmi’s “How To Be a Bad A$$ at Social Media” Review

Impact’s team member, Kristen, attended MPI Wisconsin’s event on social media. Kristen has a strong interest in marketing and social media and thought this would be an informative session. She was right. Lisa Demmi is a Professional Speaker and Social Media Expert. She started the session off with lively stories, jokes, and a magic trick. After the crowd was engaged, Lisa delivered a presentation that left guests with a breakdown on how to improve their organization’s social media by explaining what your audience wants to see, explaining how social media should be used as a tool, and pointing out where you can find your content.

Lisa defined content as anything you share that explains your company. She then asked the audience what they did not like to see on social media. She was answered with shouts of politics, ads, negativity, too many posts, and repetitive content. Lisa emphasized the importance of keeping in mind what you do not like to see on social media when posting for your organization. This will keep your audience happier and show your organization in a better light. It will also prevent your followers from quickly scrolling past your posts.

The importance of using your social media outlets as a relationship tool versus a sales tool was also discussed. It is often easy to fall into the habit of posting your organization’s services, however, this is not what your audience wants to see. It is important to show your personality, educate, and entertain your followers.

The speech also covered where to find your content. No matter what industry you are in, you will find yourself answering the same 10 questions repeatedly. Lisa suggested that you should take those questions and create content out of them. If your association finds themselves answering questions about upcoming meetings every month, provide the answers ahead of time. This ensures you are providing your audience with useful information. To further engage your followers, announce ahead of time that you will be giving this information out. This will give you multiple posts and will keep your audience of the lookout for the information.

Overall, the event was incredibly helpful. Kristen came away knowing how to better add to the conversation on social media, creating relationships and engaging the audience. We suggest you take some of these tips and apply it to your organization. One change might make all the difference.