29
Ways to Get and Keep More Members
Nuggets of Knowledge
Every Membership Manager Should Know
On-Site
- Place signs at your admissions desk and gift shop cash registers:
"You could be saving money now - join here!"
- Offer a premium with on-site membership purchases and be
sure it's prominently displayed
- Make sure every table in your restaurant has a tent card
promoting membership
- Proclaim a Members Month -- pick a month and promote the
heck out of membership during that month
- Offer employees incentives and commissions for selling memberships
-- test this concept during Members Month!
Direct Mail
- Use every available in-house list
- Compile lists of visitors from "free membership"
raffle drawings in your lobby
- Do a post-campaign follow-up mailing to the people whose
names appeared on more than one list
- Mail a "member get a member" postcard and offer
a premium for both the current member and the new member
Gift Memberships
- Promote the idea of giving gift memberships -- promote it
to trustees, boards, staff and members
- Offer discounts on multiple gift membership purchases
- Include a gift with each gift membership
Renewals
- Put a special offer in each renewal notice
- Offer an enticing premium for first-year renewals
- Send personalized lapsed member mailings before the end of
the fiscal year to boost year-end totals
- Do not print categories lower than the current level on the
renewal forms
- Include a "Renew Online!" message on printed pieces
- If you do telemarketing for renewals, offer a premium for
anyone charging their renewal on a credit card
Membership Programming and Benefits
- Hold monthly Members Days, with simple programs just for
members
- Schedule a Members Appreciation Day -- especially right before
blockbuster members need to renew
- Send e-mail reminders of member events
- Offer "double-discount days" in your gift shop
for members during the holidays -- and sell gift memberships
at this "shopping event"
- When surveying current members, also survey lapsed members
- If you do telemarketing for renewals, get reasons for non-renewals
Upgrades
- Include upgrade suggestions in special mailings
- Suggest upgrades in the p.s. of renewal letters
- Offer a premium to upgrade
- Allow upgrades with matching gifts
- Perform an upgrade mailing once a year -- it will really
boost revenue!
Copyright © 2002 Dana Hines All
rights reserved.
Dana Hines is president and CEO of Membership
Consultants, St. Louis, Missouri, and co-author of the new
book, Membership Development:
An Action Plan for Results. Her firm's clients include Lincoln
Park Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Missouri Historical Society,
the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the International
Mountain Bicycling Association.
For
links to more articles about membership acquisition and retention,
visit the Membership Development
section of the MuseumMarketingTips.com Links Library.
