Barter with complementary organizations to exchange member lists, ads, and promotions. Create personalized HTML emails using simple email tools to market to members without expensive subscription services. Rely on passionate members and volunteers to spread the word about exciting organization activities through word-of-mouth. Provide excellent customer service at all levels to retain existing members, which is more important and lower cost than recruiting new members.

1. Top Tips for Membership Marketing on the Cheap
Barter! Find a complimentary organization or two, and swap member lists, swap magazine ads, swap e-newsletter
promotions, swap banner ads, swap conferenceattendance/booths/speaking spots, etc.
Email! It takes time, but you can do personalized, segmentedHTML emails using somevery simple shareware
tools (World Merge and its ilk), someskill, and a little leg work. It doesn’trequire subscription to MagnetMail or
its ilk (although that doesmake things WAY easier).
Word of Mouth! Who are your passionatemembersand volunteers? If you know, ask them to spreadthe word
about the exciting things you’redoing (you are doing exciting things for them, right?). If you don’tknow, FIND
OUT!
Customer Service! Don’tunderestimatethe value of excellent customer service at every level, from the CEO to the
mail clerk. Retention is even more important than recruitment – it’sa much lower cost, higher value transaction.
“How can we serve our membersbetter today than we did yesterday?”
Little things mean a lot! Get the invoices out on time. Proof read all written communications. Test your emails to
make sure your links work. Double-check to make sure your return address(snail- or email) is correct in your
marketing materials.