Worried about declining membership numbers? Do the following five things and your worries will disappear as surely as an ice cream cone in August.
1. Log on to every social networking site out there and proclaim yourself to be King (or Queen) of the Social Media World. If you can find an avatar of a crown, even better. Threaten to smote people who question your authority.
2. Change your email signature to read “If you’re not a part of my member organization…you are the weakest link.”
3. Start voting lackadaisical members “off the island.”
4. Change all voicemail, email and assorted auto replies to read, “I am building armies of social networkers, please do not bother me.”
5. Search your industry’s top blogs and comment on every post with “In my opinion….” then add a plug for your association/organization/school etc. The less relevant, the better. At least you’re getting your name out.
That’s all you have to do to stop worrying about your members because if you follow my suggestions above, you won’t have any. No members, no worries right?
Of course, losing members is no laughing matter. It’s frequently what organizations use to gage their success, since member numbers are directly related to money in the form of dues and donations. But in today’s economic climate it may be necessary to find other methods of tabulation. Having members who are loyal and active is more important than a huge fanbase. If you can’t get your members motivated to attend your events, seminars or fundraisers; or contribute their energy to your community, it doesn’t really matter if there are thousands of them.
So maybe it’s time to shift our thinking from numbers/dollars to identifying what your existing members bring to the table (besides their dues). Invest your energy in doing more of what gets them excited to be a part of your organization and you might just see a change in the level of participation.
What are you doing to become more member-focused and less number-focused?
