Your members are the reason for everything your organization does, and what you offer to your community is important and necessary. Retaining current members is always a priority, but so is adding new ones to your growing community.
Stumped for ideas on how to encourage potential members to sign up during your annual membership drive? Take a look at the suggestions below. Try one or all of the strategies listed and watch your community grow.
Spread the Word
There are many ways to get the word out about your membership drive; some require a budget and others don’t. Regardless of which avenues you choose to spread the word, the most important takeaway is that you do. Feel free to utilize some or all of the below suggestions—just remember not to overdo it. You don’t want to spam potential members and scare them away.
- Send emails to former members and prospects.
- Utilize a texting service or send texts from your recreation management software to former members and prospects.
- Put an ad in the local newspaper.
- Run ads on social media that specifically target your community.
- Put up flyers at your facilities to make current members aware so they can tell their friends and family.
Run a Promotion
Entice potential members with an offer they simply cannot refuse. Give them a deal so good that they’ll have to sign up on the spot! This can be a buy-one-get-one kind of offer or a percentage off if a prospect signs up before a predetermined date. Offer a family discount, a siblings discount or any kind of discount you think would be appealing to members of your community.
Give Away Prizes or Swag
Encourage prospects to sign up for a membership with sweet swag that’s both useful and handy to have. Add your logo to anything from mobile battery packs for smart devices to a set of headphones. It all depends on your budget and your imagination.
Another way to host a successful membership drive is to motivate your members to share referrals with your organization by offering a prize. The goal is for a single person to send as many successful referrals as possible and give away a prize that’s worthy of the challenge. This could be a free yearly membership for an individual or a family, free classes of their choice or even a big-ticket item like a smart device. If your membership drive has a cool theme, utilize that theme to determine what the prize is.
Host an Event
Charm potential new members with a fun event that shows off all the amazing things your organization provides to the community. Host a carnival, a picnic or a festival that brings the community together (both current and potential members) and gives potential members the ability to wander about and discover what your facilities and organization have to offer.
Don’t forget to have a booth on hand where new members can sign up, and have flyers with all the information prospects need to familiarize themselves with your organization, classes, programs and facilities.
ACTIVENet Helps Run Your Organization Better Than Ever
Save time and focus more on your community with a premier recreation management solution that will set your parks and recreation department up for success. ACTIVENet has everything you need to run your organization with ease, including easy-to-use email software and texting solutions, so you can quickly get the word out about your membership drive to community members. Connect with us today to see how ACTIVENet can take your organization to the next level.
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