1. Define Benefits of Membership

2. Promote Your Group!!!

3. Newsletter and Programs

4. Alliances

5. Volunteers

6. Comments from Other Clubs

1. Define Benefits of Membership

Education on new products

How to’s

New technology

Computer store discounts

Magazine, other discounts

Help line (who to call when members have questions)

Have a member’s only section on web page (discounts, etc.)

Friendly people with a common interest

Value - make members feel valuable

2. Promote Your Group!!! (because of our background, most computer people are not too directed toward doing this)

Local area computer magazines

Have a presence at Computer Swap Meets (seminars, how-to’s,

flyers, etc.)

Ask promoter for free table in exchange for ad in newsletter.

Put on seminars and promote them for free (Senior Citizen centers schools [for teachers])

Put on short presentation about your group at local Adult Education & junior college computer classes

Newspapers (include local weekly), local colleges, local advertising booklets sent to all houses, local free public access TV. Get to know the person you send your Press Release to. Take him/her to lunch or send a kit with Club t­-shirt (mug, whatever you have), current newsletter, brochure, etc. + cookies -- they all love to eat).

Distribute flyers and/or brochures: Libraries, Senior Citizen centers, small computer stores, schools, colleges, adult education locations

Coupons for first-time visitors

Web User Group Listings

Provide ‘computer experts’ for local Speakers Bureau (Chamber of

Commerce, etc.)

3. Newsletters and Programs

These are the most immediately perceived values of user groups

Know the vendors and give them value, instead of going with outstretched hands

4. Alliances

Schools, Colleges, Adult Education

Businesses

Other computer clubs to offer several groups to visit during vendor’s visit to your group

5. Volunteers - Rare and valuable. Let them know it (award dinner with certificates, pool party, free raffle tickets - .. anything your group can give as a thank you).

6. Comments from other clubs:

Marketing your user group must be a continuous activity. It may take a year or more to get recognized as the source of computer expertise in your community -- and, of course, the effort must be maintained.

Volunteers -- The trick is to keep it as simple as possible. KISS formula -- keep it simple, stupid.

The attitude of “this is only a club” can kill you. This is NOT only a club. It’s

a service that people pay for, and we should all be providing those services to the best of our abilities. The fact that we’re not paid to do so is no excuse — their dues are still real cash money that could have been spent on something else. You have to ensure that the membership feels that it gets well over the value of $30 in dues or they won’t renew.

Remember what a volunteer is and don’t force your way on them or they could say “Fine! YOU do it.”

Make sure the group makes money so that you can buy what you need and not worry about donations. (Raffle prizes to make money, build a computer & sell tickets, auction products, have a consignment table.)

Set up a recruitment table at a swap meet (computer or regular) every weekend there is that type of event. We sign up 10 members on a bad day this way.

We printed a 4-page tabloid newsprint promotional piece with a free coupon for out meeting (we normally have a $5 guest fee), promoting the club and membership. This has worked well for us.

Let your reviewers keep the software that is reviewed in your newsletter. It is an added benefit of membership.

When you have a “top vendor’ invite other clubs and as many people as possible to fill your meeting room. The more people at your meeting the better chance of attracting new members.

The best thing we have done is arranged a discount for club members on Internet service. This has attracted new members.

Our group has developed a “Welcome Pack” for new members and at the moment it includes:

Letter of welcome from president

Information for new members from membership officer

Instructions for installing shareware

Shareware diskette

Computer-related t-shirt, pen, etc. (anything you can find at COMDEX or a regional event)

Handouts from past meetings (ergonomic information, comparison of local ISPs, etc.)

List of meetings during that year

Order form for Smart Computing magazine

We started out with the president’s letter, membership officer info and instructions for installing shareware. Three different members wrote these, so the only work I had to do was getting them printed. The questions about the group at our beginners meetings have dropped to almost nil as a result. We have been getting more and more volunteers, too, which has made the group all that more fulfilling.

A bunch of volunteers come round 3 or 4 times a year to make up the welcome packs. I have no trouble getting 10 - 12 people on a Saturday afternoon. It only takes a couple of hours - I get the membership renewal letters for the following month done at the same time. We all have a meal together at the end. They keep coming back so it must be fun!

Keeping it fun is an important part of volunteering work. People need to feel like what they are doing has a purpose too. So the things they do need to be used and not left idle, this REALLY turns them off and they stop helping.

From the Fresno PC Users Group, they:

Designed a combo self-mailer/guest pass/membership enrollment and calendar with the help of a group member graphic artist; printed about 6,000 in two-colors and used them for a year as a handout. Cost: about 4 cents each.

Taped a few envelopes under chairs before the general meeting to be found during a standup and stretch before the major presentation; those with envelopes received the gift described in the envelope. Meetings should be fun, upbeat move fast, and eschew nerdiness.

Created a membership drive goal and deadline, offering gifts for newly

enrolled members as well and Group members bringing in new blood. The hotel where they meet gave them two nights lodging and breakfast and dinner for two; they also gave away software, mouse pads, and similar “stuff.”

Membership increased by about 25% as a result. Membership then went

Down about 23% after years of inattention to marketing needs. Promote!!!