Virtual open houses can be great for many things, but what most people don’t consider is using them to showcase your Association to prospective members. Your Association most likely has many benefits and much to offer new members. Providing an engaging and interactive way to get to know your association and other members is a great way to boost interest and convert potential members into new lifelong members. Below we will explore the steps and best practices to create this event.
Know Your Market
You know your marketing and industry better than anyone else. Keep that in mind when choosing a date for your event. Are there hiring cycles in your industry? Certification deadlines? Annual Meetings or Conferences upcoming? All these can be used to leverage the importance of becoming a member now and give new members immediate benefits.
Registration & Leads
Done right, this event will produce lots of leads to follow up with. This is an audience you want to know more about, so make sure to include specific questions on your registration form. Ask things like education level, experience, interests, and how they heard about the event. This will help you prospect for future members and understand current interests of potential members.
Presidents & Industry Leaders
In order to bring added value to your event consider having your Association president give or record a welcome speech or have an industry leader deliver a keynote to kick off the event. This will get attendees excited about exploring your Association and will show them that you value them and their time.
Content, Content, Content
This is the bread and butter of your event, so the more information you provide the better. Most platforms have a virtual booth structure, so use this to create easy navigation for the attendees. Have each booth be a topic focused on member benefits (education, discounts, certification) and have experts there to staff the booths. This will keep the content engaging and allow prospective members to get a more detailed look at your Association.
Follow Up & Thank You
After the event make sure to follow up with attendees and registrants who were unable to attend. Showcase highlights from the event, such as statics and videos. Remind them they can still become a member anytime and let them know about other upcoming events.
As an Association your members are your biggest asset. As well as retaining current members you will need to actively recruit new members that will continue to support your mission. Virtual open houses are a great way to showcase your benefits to potential members and gather new leads. If you are looking to find out exactly what an open house is or how it works you can request that here.
