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Reference Archive

• Promoting Our Club
• Retaining Club Membership?
• Pitching In Around the Hobby
• Promoting Our Club. Fairy Lamp Club Response

Promoting Our Club

The president of a small collecting club (between 100-200 members) asks, "How can we promote our club?" They are on a very limited budget and no members with public relations expertise. The club has a quarterly newsletter and has started a website. They do not have a convention, as yet. What works for your club? We're looking for practical, creative promotion ideas. PLEASE GIVE US YOUR COMMENTS. E-mail: info@collectors.org or FAX 301.926.7648

Do you have an issue, a question, or a problem you would like to have us consider for inclusion in an upcoming newsletter? Let us know. 200202

Retaining Club Memberships?

For many collecting clubs and societies, membership renewals are due at the beginning of the calendar year or during the first month or two of the new year. Retention of members is probably even more important than recruiting new members. Both are important, but without the continuing membership base it is difficult for clubs to operate, or even to survive. Since so many clubs rely very heavily upon dues as the central portion of their annual operating budget, this becomes tremendously important. This issue was posed in our newsletter several months ago. Its time to revisit the issue. Read what some of our readers had to say (we welcome your opinions, too, e-mail: info@collectors.org):

Very few clubs responded that this was not a problem; some have established an attrition rate they are simply willing to live with. The number mentioned by a couple of clubs was at the 30% level. With such fast-paced life styles, often people's interests change rapidly. No longer should we expect that a hobby is going to be a "life time" endeavor. Many people change hobbies, loose interest, or outgrow hobbies quickly. This has no reflection on the operation or services of a club serving the hobby area if that member simply doesn't renew.

How do clubs seek renewals? Most send out a renewal notice in a mailing or print a renewal form in their publication. If renewals are not received in a set period of time, usually a reminder is sent. Normally nothing beyond one reminder is done. Interestingly, some clubs never send reminders...if a member doesn't take the initiative to renew on their own, they're simply out of the club! The member is simply "lost". A couple of clubs that have January 1 renewal dates do send out "we miss you" letters to nonrenewals later in the year, telling the former members what is going on in the club and encouraging them to renew. (If this is sent out in September or October, you may offer them club mailings for the rest of the year and a renewal for the whole coming year at the annual price as an incentive to renew, i.e. 14 or 15 months for 12.) Absorbing the extra cost of 2-3 months worth of service seems like a fair expenditure to get a member back into the club rather than have them lost forever.

Although many clubs have their own websites and use e-mail, these tools have not apparently caught on as a way to encourage membership renewals...even though it may be much cheaper than sending out multiple reminders through the mails.

Although we did not get much indication of clubs offering incentives for renewing, some do have incentive programs for members who recruit new members, including a reduction in next year's renewal fee if "x" number of new members have been recruited by that individual. This seems to be a program with some merit.

There was major differences in opinion on time of renewals. Whereby some clubs prefer having annual renewals come due on a certain date, usually January 1, others have renewals come due on the member's anniversary of joining. The strange thing is that the reason for one way versus the other seems to be the same reason -- the burden on the secretary. (Some secretaries prefer doing it all at one time and getting it over with, whereby others prefer spreading it out over the entire year.)

Clubs that offer multiple-year memberships seem to think it works well. The only caution is that the amount of dues revenue for a second or third year must be set aside in a budget escrow account (hopefully interest-bearing) and not used until the year for which it is allocated. A couple of clubs which offer life-time memberships offer a word of caution to other clubs...make sure the monetary amount for which you are offering a lifetime membership is enough to cover a member's services for a LONG period of time. Although life-time memberships sound very good on the surface, they have the potential of raising havoc with annual budgets in catastrophic proportions if you offer them too low. No one offered a formula for determining life-time memberships.

More and more clubs are accepting credit card payments for membership renewals. This may help the mechanics of the renewal process slightly and be somewhat of an incentive to renew (by being able to put it on the credit card).

Regardless of what type of membership renewal program your club or society may have, always remember that renewing an existing member is easier than recruiting a new one. Try to find creative ways to keep your renewal rate high. Survey those members who did not renew to see if there is any pattern or problem that the club leadership needs to address. (Just showing your concern for their non-renewal may be enough incentive for them to come back into the club.)

If you have comments on club membership renewals you would like to add, please e-mail us at: info@collectors.org. 200202

Pitching In Around the Hobby

At the main door of every club-sponsored, hobby-related show around the country there should be a sign posted clearly, reading "VOLUNTEERS WANTED!! The pay is terrible, and the greatest reward is self-satisfaction!" Unfortunately though, I've never seen this sign at any event.

More unfortunately, you also often see the hard working people running the show barely getting a "thank you" as the crowd rolls out at the show's end. In fact, at one show, an attendee actually told one promoter of a club show that he thought he did this for a living. WOW, was this person misguided and terribly misinformed. If our show promoters tried to live off what the shows netted them they'd all starve. It is an organization of volunteers.

Most of the chapter shows in our hobby are run by only a handful of enthusiastic hobbyists, who need your help and your support. Consider what it takes to put together even a small show or a short newsletter, and you'll figure out very quickly that we are very fortunate to have the good people in our hobby that we do. You should also, at the same time, take a look in the mirror and see how you can help!

Please answer that invisible sign at the door of a hobby show and offer your assistance for an hour or two. Most show promoters will jump at the chance to put you to work. At last year's big APIC Mason-Dixon show a delightful Pennsylvania couple came up and both offered their services. When they were asked what they'd like to help with, they responded "anything!" We put them immediately to work at the front desk, and both of them renewed our faith in the "good people" still out there in our growing hobby. Great people!

Wherever you are, you too should give some time! There is no better way to enjoy your hobby then to get involved. Sit down at the computer and write a short article for your association's publication or website. It will be appreciated. Take the challenge of that "delightful Pennsylvania couple," mentioned above, and enjoy yourself. 200202

Promoting Our Club. Fairy Lamp Club Response

In our last issue we ran a query from the president of a small collecting club (between 100-200 members) asking, "How can we promote our club?" They are on a very limited budget and no members with public relations expertise. Jim Sapp, who manages the Fairy Lamp Club with approximately 160 members responds with some great suggestions.

I manage a small Fairy Lamp Club with approximately 160 members. Our dues are only $15 a year and I produce a 12-15 page color Newsletter each quarter. So, as you might imagine, there are little or no funds available to "buy advertising." However, I would like to share some things I have done to promote our Club "on a show string." to make it easier for every one to follow, I will address one issue at a time.

a. Involve your members. The best way to promote your Club is to keep your membership involved. I routinely use articles from our members in the Newsletter. I also have Q&A forum and a place for personal "Fairy Tales". When members take "ownership" of their Club, especially the newsletter, they are your best "salesman."

b. Provide support to articles. Quite often I am asked for information to support an article in a newspaper or magazine. I give freely all the help I can. Without exception, I get back much more in "free advertising" than I gave. Another interesting thing about articles on your collectible, they seem to feed on one another. No sooner does an article run in The Washington Post than someone in Akron, Ohio wants to do a similar article. I also encourage our members to do the same when asked to support an article on fairy lamps. Should they be too shy or perhaps not comfortable with the publicity, I tell them that by all means let me know about it. An opportunity not taken is an opportunity wasted.

c. List your Club in directories. I am constantly looking for club directory listings to have our Club listed in. The directories can be large volumes like Kovel's Antique & Collectable Resource Directory or any one of dozens of "Club Listings" that are available on-line.

d. Serve as an "Expert." I am certainly not an "expert" on anything. However, when it comes to Victorian fairy lamps...a one-eyed man in the land of the blind...well, you know the rest. Seriously, I have registered with "Ask the Experts," not because I'm an expert on fairy lamps, but because it gives me an opportunity to help "potential Club members."

e. Have business cards. I have a "colorful" collector card that I use to remind dealers what I collect. Victorian fairy lamps, as you might imagine, are scarce as hen's teeth. So, whenever I meet a dealer in Victorian glass I leave my card. And, guess what? It has our Fairy Lamp Club website on it.

f. Provide your members "value". all too often, clubs are unable to grow because they do not provide their members a good value for their dues. Newsletters are without "meat", poorly prepared, irregular in their publication dates, and are not worth the postage to send. Ours, of course, is different...seriously, if a newsletter is worth the "cost of admission" a club will retain its members. If not, members will leave faster than you can find new ones. The Fairy Lamp Club has managed to consistently grow for five straight years. I owe that continued growth to a member supported, well prepared and "meaty" newsletter.

g. Build a Website. Building a website is only half the answer. The website must not only be "professional looking," but it also has to have "content." Like the newsletter, member participation is critical. Not only do members enjoy seeing their words in print, they also love to see their photos on the Internet. Our website, http://www.fairylampclub.com is rich in member material and contains a "mountain of photos". Now, the difficult part - don't pay someone to build it for you. If your Club doesn't have money to advertise, it certainly doesn't have money to hire a web page developer. In addition, by managing the website yourself, you are "the boss." It will end up being exactly how you want it to be with no "negotiations" with the developer. Big job? You betcha. Something anyone can do? Not hardly. But, where there is a will, there is a way.

h. Exchange website links. One of the best ways to advertise your club's website is to have another website include a link to yours. It is really amazing when you look at your site statistics to see where your visitors just came from. Clear evidence that "link exchange" works. Of course, it is only fair to reciprocate with those who support you.

i. Make sure your website is "searchable." Not the easiest row to hoe. Many search engines allow free registration. Others require a fee. And, of course, there are plenty of third party people who will do it for you for a service fee. I have opted to register with all "free" search engines. In addition, I make sure that our web page header contains as many logical search terms as possible. You may consider it luck, but a Google search for "fairy lamps" will usually list our club website first. Of course, it's really not luck...just how many "fairy lamp" sites do you think there are?

j. Participate in discussion groups. Not everyone's cup of tea. They can be overwhelming at times and you often want to pull your hair out with the "personal conversations" that often occur. However, in the ones that I participate in, The Art Glass Discussion Group and The Rose Bowl Group, almost everyone knows me as the "fairy lamp guy". And, sure enough, potential new members abound. And, there is a bonus...I guarantee you will get more than you give in education.

k. advertise on eBay when selling. Not as easy to do now that eBay has changed their rules. However, when I have a fairy lamp up for auction I always have a link to our Fairy Lamp Club website. It usually reads: "If you would like to know more about fairy lamps, click on the fairy (Clarke's logo) and she will take you there." Sure enough, the numbers of visitors to our website increase and new members sign up. In addition, our members who sell fairy lamps on eBay often include the same "advertisement" on their auction. Imagine, Club members so proud of their Club they are willing to advertise for you.

l. Include your Club link in appropriate e-mail. Whenever I send an e-mail, it is automatically signed with a link to our Club website. Of course, I delete it when it is not appropriate. It is a handy reminder to those who read your e-mail of your interest and specialty. And, I'm sure the "curious"can't resist clicking on it.

m. Don't forget "Who's in charge." Always remember, your Club is only as good as your members think it is. It is their needs that have to be met, not yours.

Now, as you can see, there are many things you can do to advertise your club with no money. Well, OK, a little money for the website. But, for every one that I listed, I am sure there are 10 more. Hopefully other clubs will also contribute their ideas on promoting their clubs. (submitted by Jim Sapp, Fairy Lamp Club. e-mail: sapp@erols.com http://www.fairylampclub.com) 200203