---
title: "Membership Hack: Referral Credits"
id: "41099"
type: "post"
slug: "membership-hack-referral-credits"
published_at: "2018-01-12T17:58:46+00:00"
modified_at: "2018-01-12T17:58:46+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/01/12/membership-hack-referral-credits/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/01/12/membership-hack-referral-credits.md"
excerpt: "The Textbook and Academic Authors Association recently debuted a referral program that incentivizes members to recruit prospects in exchange for a small credit."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Membership"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "Membership"
  - "referral programs"
  - "trade programs"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "C-Level"
  - "Director"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Association Professionals"
---

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 » Membership Hack: Referral Credits

**How to hack it?**[Referral marketing (opens in a new tab)](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254516)
 has steadily become a to go-to tactic for e-commerce companies looking to acquire new customers. Now, many associations are following suit with member referral programs. This month, the Textbook and Academic Authors Association launched an online campaign—[TAA Strong (opens in a new tab)](http://www.taaonline.net/taa-strong)
—to increase member recruitment from the inside. For each new referral, an existing member gets a $5 credit to apply to TAA’s $95 dues.

**Why does it work?** Some TAA members are price conscious, says Kim Pawlak, director of publishing and operations. “It’s so that our members can sell membership and save,” she says. With a coupon code—Save5WS—new members get a $5 discount on dues, and the referrer gets a $5 credit to use.

**What’s the bonus?**This acquisition campaign was specifically designed for social media. Members are encouraged to use the hashtag [#TAAstrong (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TAAstrong&src=typd)
 in their recruitment efforts because these days a word-of-mouth recommendation can be made in a tweet, Facebook post, or email.

(Kritchanut/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

[Tim Ebner](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tags: [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/)
 [#referral programs](https://associationsnow.com/tag/referral-programs/)
 [#trade programs](https://associationsnow.com/tag/trade-programs/)

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