How Membership Organizations Can Attract and Retain Members with Social Media

How Membership Organizations Can Attract and Retain Members with Social Media

Is your membership organization's social media campaign up to snuff?

Membership organizations are always on the lookout for the latest methods for attracting and retaining members. One tool that has proven to be more than just a fad is social media. Done well, social media marketing can increase the perceived value of membership in your organization, boosting membership and donor renewal as a result. Social media also helps you get found by potential members and harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing to build your membership base.

Social media gives your membership organization a face and a voice. Here are some tips that will help you make the most of that opportunity.

Poll Your Members

To determine which social media platforms members and potential members are using, create a poll. Do they tweet or use Facebook? Are they on LinkedIn? Do they blog? Reach out to members and potential members on the platforms they frequent most.

Create a Plan

Some membership organizations join every social network under the sun without a clue as to why they're there or what they want to accomplish. But having a plan is vital to the success of your social media marketing efforts.

Like direct mail or cold calling, social media is a tool that helps you achieve your organization's goals, such as public awareness, event revenue, and membership growth and retention. Create a social media plan that aligns with those goals.

Focus on Providing Useful Content

If all you ever do is talk about your organization in social media, you'll have difficulty growing your following because people find no value in promotional messages. Focus on providing helpful, insightful content, both from your organization's website and from other sources, to build your membership organization's reputation as a valuable resource. Your organization will be more likely to succeed in social media if you create and curate content about your members' interests and challenges.

Enhance Communication

Social media is a two-way channel. Encourage people to connect and communicate with your organization via social media by initiating conversations, jumping into other people's conversations, and leaving insightful comments. Build a welcoming community where members can engage with your team and with each other, so people don't perceive your organization as elitist or as an old boys'/girls' club.

Measure Your Social Media Efforts

Measure the reach of your social media efforts by keeping track of the number of Twitter followers, Facebook fans, blog subscribers, etc. you get each month. You also need to measure the amount of traffic you get from social media networks that converts to purchases, registrations, membership applications, and donations.

 

Create a Successful Social Media Presence for Your Membership Organization