Maybe print ads still work for your business or maybe direct mail gets you results. Membership marketing takes a bit of your time, but it can be enjoyable and can result in new business rather quickly. Caution! You have to not be afraid of starting conversations and meeting new people.

About 80% of my marketing budget is dedicated to membership dues. I have chosen groups that I feel may help my business as well as groups I feel I can make a good contribution to their efforts. I never join a group just to join. If I decide to apply it is only if I can carve the time to dedicate to it properly. My business groups include SWCRC (Southern Wayne County Chamber), TBA (Trenton Business Association), DADBA (Downriver and Detroit Business Assoc.), USIMO (United States Independent Marketing Org.), Rotary and Downriver Network Group (Healthcare Professionals). I have also belonged to professional networking groups, but that is a total different marketing strategy. Here is what I would suggest when considering membership marketing:

1. Set a plan for each membership. If you don’t participate, it doesn’t work!
2. Check all of these networks before purchasing ANYTHING. If they are not in your membership ask them to join one of the groups so you can purchase from them. Purchase only from members and talk about how it helped you.

My plan for example for the SWCRC is go to board meetings, participate in the green committee, help with their email marketing, give ideas to staff for marketing , attend the ABO’s and try to refer members. For TBA my plan includes attending the meetings, promoting my business by showing what types of marketing I am doing for the TBA and using TBA members for any purchases. My DADBA strategy is also pretty simple, show up to meetings, participate on the bulletin board (at least once a month), use their e-blast program for great results, attend their IBR’s when I can and pass referrals to members. My USIMO activities include posting on the bulletin board and promoting members. The DHN basically is a once a month meeting for lunch, I attend when I can or send someone else if I can’t. It’s a great group to find out all the latest in the health industry. I joined Rotary to give back to my community. We have weekly lunch meetings and I have no goals for this group except to help. What I have found though is once you start helping, many business acquaintances also attend every week, so we can catch up. It also saves me drive time as many projects can all be delivered to the same meeting, I find it very fulfilling to be part of such a great group.

3. Once you set your membership plans, what I have found is that these groups have many of the same members who also work their membership marketing. Often I take my 20 some year membership with the Chamber for granted and get lazy. How often have you gone to an event and are drawn to friends and other fellow networkers from other groups because it “feels safe”? I now make it a point to attend these events by myself and have some great conversations. I ask about their business, learn something new and also try to think of a referral for them.

Membership marketing is my favorite form of marketing, it often results in many more referrals than a whole afternoon telemarketing…. and by the way, there’s usually food and I always end up having fun. If you don’t enjoy marketing your business, why would customers want to buy from you?