--- title: "Friday Buzz: Grab the Attention of Prospective Members" id: "41872" type: "post" slug: "friday-buzz-grab-the-attention-of-prospective-members" published_at: "2018-03-16T20:59:28+00:00" modified_at: "2018-03-16T20:59:28+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/03/16/friday-buzz-grab-the-attention-of-prospective-members/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/03/16/friday-buzz-grab-the-attention-of-prospective-members.md" excerpt: "One of the challenges to growing your membership may be your organization’s discoverability. Here’s how to get in front of more prospects. Also: When you think of the word “leader,” do you picture a man?" taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Data Organization" - "job recruitment" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Friday Buzz: Grab the Attention of Prospective Members Membership-based organizations think long, hard, and strategically about how to recruit new members. But there are actually things you can do *today* to make your group discoverable to prospective members. “Contact a college, community education program, or credentialing society to [ask about doing an informational presentation (opens in a new tab)](https://joyofmembership.com/help-more-prospective-members-find-you/) for people who are new to the industry,” says Joy Duling, an association membership expert. Duling shares a bunch of other suggestions for what you can do immediately, including providing an incentive for members to bring friends or colleagues to fun events. Or writing a letter to your local newspaper about a newsworthy industry concern. To make the most out of industry expertise, “start a speaker’s bureau showcasing experts who serve your audience,” says Duling. “The speaker will feel honored to be included (free publicity for them) and they will likely be happy to share that they are now a part of that effort with their list.” ### Hurdles to Women in Leadership > The prompt: “Draw an effective leader.” Both men and women almost always drew men. [https://t.co/ymuGRpqhXG (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/ymuGRpqhXG) > > — The New York Times (@nytimes) [March 16, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/974665378721882112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **The prompt is simple: Draw a leader.** This is a request that organizational psychologists around the world will ask people, [reports The New York Times (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/health/women-leadership-workplace.html) . Many of you won’t be surprised to hear that most people draw men—even if the person making the drawing is a woman. The article delves into the serious consequences of women not being thought of automatically as leaders. “People have these prototypes in their head about what a leader looks like,” said Elizabeth McClean, a professor at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. “When we see an individual, we ask, ‘Do they fit that?’” ### Other Links of Note **Need to cut costs?** Nonprofit Hub [provides a few suggestions (opens in a new tab)](http://nonprofithub.org/featured/3-easy-ways-to-cut-nonprofit-costs/) . **Infographic of the Day:** Segmenting your audience is a great way to [make personal recommendations (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.higherlogic.com/infographic-the-power-of-audience-segmentation) to your members, says Higher Logic. **Are your organization’s personality and organizational values aligned?** Big Duck, a nonprofit communications agency, [discusses ways to clarify them (opens in a new tab)](https://bigducknyc.com/insights/the-difference-between-your-nonprofits-personality-and-its-organizational-values) . (Deagreez/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. 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