Join Campaigns: Tips for More Effectively Attracting New Members to Your Alumni Organization.

The start of a brand new school year is always a great time for you to kick off a new “join campaign,” or an initiative meant to drive increased membership in your alumni association. With everyone being in the “back to school” mindset and feeling refreshed and invigorated from the summer, it’s a great time to activate on that renewed feeling of school spirit and raise awareness about your organization and its benefits.

If you’re preparing a “join campaign” of your own this fall, here are a few tips to help you maximize its effectiveness!

• Incentivize: If you really want to convince members to sign up now versus another time of the year, find ways to incentivize joining during this membership drive. Consider providing unique swag that only those who join or renew their membership during the drive can receive. Perhaps offer a special discount during the drive for first-time signups.

• Update your database: Make sure you’ve recently updated your database so you have a current list of targets to communicate to. This should include your recent graduates, as well as any new contacts that have expressed interest in your organization.

• Multiple channels: Use a variety of communication channels to connect with would-be members, including email, social media, mailers, flyers and word of mouth. The more you spread out your communications, the more people you will reach.

• Get help from alumni: Recruit ambassadors from each graduating class or each decade to help you do the heavy lifting in spreading the word, so the drive doesn’t fall on a small group of volunteers. This will also make it easier for you to reach people who might not have otherwise gotten the word!

• Communicate with current students: Don’t forget about current students! While they aren’t quite alumni yet, you should make sure they know about the alumni association before they graduate so it’s something they’ll have already thought about by the time they’re getting their diploma. This will make future membership drives even more effective, because the awareness is already there.

Reach out to our team at Alumnipad for more tips and recommendations for how you can get the most out of your Homecoming with your alumni!