Whether you’re starting a new chapter, or you’ve been a chapter leader for decades, you’ve got to make a success of onboarding new members. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that membership acquisition and retention is critical.
Here are a few things you might want to think about when it comes to onboarding new members for your chapter:
- Are there specific onboarding tactics that other chapters or national have found to be successful?
- Is there an onboarding email template(s) that you should be aware of, or have access to?
- Is it clearly stated what type of experience your chapter should strive to provide a new member?
- Is there a clear expectation of how soon a new member should hear from their chapter after they sign up? And what that message should be?
NETWORKING 101: HOW TO ONBOARD NEW MEMBERS FACE-TO-FACE
Tim Ebner, Senior Editor for Associations Now, lays out three examples of how your chapter can onboard new members face-to-face:
NEW MEMBER MINGLE
Build an experience by creating a “micro-involvement” event for members. Provide opportunities for members to ask questions, sign-up for an event and volunteer.
CONFERENCE BUDDY SYSTEM
Pair new members with existing members. Develop a mentor program for existing members to share membership benefits.
REMOTE HANGOUTS
Offer remote or virtual hangouts for large chapters and traveling members. Invite new members to individual meetings to connect personally.