I belong to a networking group which has been around for 4 years. We only allow one person from each industry so there is no competition. We exchange referrals. We are a BNI group but I want to brand our group name in our area and build membership.
We have been building membership by members inviting guests and by my advertising in networking newsletters online.
We average about 50% conversions visitor to members which is great.
We just started a marketing committee within the group and I am looking for advice.
We want to be the brand of choice in our area so any recommendations, conventional, or out of the box would be greatly appreciated.
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Jay’s Answer: What makes any referral group worth one’s time is the quality/quantity of leads (and resulting business). Why not create case studies of members (both new and old)? A series of stories of why people joined, how they worked together, what the results were (and what they honestly wished was better). If you can say that on average, your investment of an hour a week and $X/quarter results in $Y, then that’s a strong reason to join.
You also want people to join who are strong referrers as well. These people may be selling a higher priced offering (houses) that need a quality support team. These people may be looking more for quality help for themselves. So, commission a study of customer satisfaction of people in the group as well.
Between income and quality, you’ll have a strong marketing message.