Guest Author: Tim Ebner, Associations Now
The Association of Academic Physiatrists incentivizes members who recruit members in August. For each new or reinstated member who joins, the referring member gets entered into a raffle.
How to hack it?
Summer doesn’t have to mean a slowdown for membership recruitment. This month, the Association of Academic Physiatrists launched a member acquisition campaignto incentivize member referrals—something that often influences the decision to join.
“Referrals put a friendly and familiar face to our membership,” says Jackie Dilworth, communications and marketing manager at AAP.
“When our members tell others about how AAP has benefited their career, it creates an emotional connection.”
Existing members also have two good reasons to make referrals. For every new or reinstated member who joins, the referring member gets a chance to win either a $500 Visa gift card or free registration plus a one-night stay in Puerto Rico for AAP’s 2019 Annual Meeting. Also, the top three recruiters will be recognized on the association’s website and in its weekly e-newsletter.
Why does it work?
Word-of-mouth referrals make a stronger impression than a cold call or email, Dilworth says. So far, the month-long recruitment campaign has brought in a dozen new members and more are expected.
