Membership Hack: Referral Credits

How to hack it? Referral marketing  (opens in a new tab) 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)—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) in their recruitment efforts because these days a word-of-mouth recommendation can be made in a tweet, Facebook post, or email.

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