Recruiting strategies are evolving and associations need to keep up with the ever-changing times to attract engaged members. In order to bring in members, and especially reach millennials, associations need to be open to change and be able to market their association in a way that will attract their target members. When it comes to membership, how are you supposed to catch the attention of a busy industry professional?
Lucky for you, HFTP is here to help you reboot your current chapter recruitment efforts. Join HFTP on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST for the upcoming webinar in HFTP’s Chapter Leadership series: “Change your Perspective – HFTP Chapter Recruiting Reboot.”
Introducing Your Webinar Hosts:
Jim Schiff, CHAE, CPA is a seasoned hospitality veteran who has more than 30 years of industry experience. Schiff graduated cum laude from San Diego University with an accounting degree. He has also been an active member of HFTP for over 30 years – he is a past president of HFTP’s New Mexico chapter, which he also helped charter. Schiff has served on multiple HFTP Global committees including the HFTP Nominating committee, HFTP Leadership Summit Advisory and HFTP Chapter Task Force committee. Schiff is the current chairman of HFTP’s Membership Concierge Council.
Susan Savkov is HFTP Global membership marketing manager. She oversees development of comprehensive marketing and recruiting strategies for HFTP’s global membership. Savkov brings more than 25 years of marketing, social media and public relations experience. She brought her love of marketing to the nonprofit sector and has since implemented client brand awareness and revenue through targeted communications efforts.
RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES
A) Start Internally: A Good Defense Is The Best Offense
First things first, it is important to have a strong internal network within your chapter that is passionate about achieving related goals – well, that is the dream right? Current members need to maintain their own excitement about membership and be able to emanate that excitement to prospective members. How do current members feel about membership benefits? Are they up-to-date and aware of all of HFTP’s new member benefits (PineappleSearch, HFTP News, HITEC Bytes, HFTP Club Bytes)? Your current members are your front line, and can help provide personal anecdotes to help market HFTP’s member benefits.
How are chapter relations and internal communication among your members? Do you hold frequent chapter events, allowing members to network and bond? Does your chapter have a membership committee or designated introductory phase for new members? What made you join as a member? Your passion for HFTP is your ticket to successfully motivating new members.
B) Do Your Homework: Know Who You Are Talking To
Determine your target audiences and set goals, strategies and actionable steps to reach these groups. Conduct some research on your target audiences, because different demographics require unique campaign methods that will attract attention for each. How you view prospective members is imperative, and the upcoming webinar will discuss how a shift in your perspective can help reboot your chapter recruitment efforts. Susan and Jim will also cover how and when to create a recruitment campaign, as well as what available marketing and chapter tools chapter leaders should use when implementing a campaign.
C) Recruitment: You Attract What You Put Out
Now for the fun part: recruitment. You have done the work, and now it is time to put the plan into action. Relationship building, recruiting and retention go hand-in-hand, and word-of-mouth advertising is one of the most effective (and cost-effective) ways to disseminate information. Your top recruitment tools are your active HFTP members who regularly take advantage of its core benefits. Use these members as a key part of your recruitment team to share their experiences with their colleagues and professional acquaintances.
Chapter leaders can tap into current members’ strengths/talents and use them to the campaign’s advantage – diversity is a great thing. Does everyone in your personal network know you are an HFTP Global member? But, do they actually know what that means? During the webinar, viewers will learn to distinguish between old and new recruiting methods. The objective of this one-hour online session is not to advocate an “out with the old, in with the new” approach, but rather offer a re-conceptualization of old campaign methods. A membership recruitment campaign for today’s global market.
D) Track Your Progress: What Worked and What Can Be Improved
There are many ways to track your campaign progress depending on which campaign route you take. Circle back around to see if your campaign reached its goals and objectives you previously set. Keep track of any notes and details of what tactics worked, and which can be renovated. Collaborate with other HFTP chapters and share results on best campaign practices – after all, we are all on the same team here.
Jessica Blankenship is the HFTP Public Relations Manager. Contact Jessica at Jessica.Blankenship@hftp.org or +1 (512) 220-4038.
