Are you forgetting someone? A conference encounter with one of the neglected “member personas” prompted me to write this reminder for you.
I recently attended this conference — for niche publishers — where I met the publisher of a local events publication.
She published a high-budget, newsprint item, not the kind you find at the entrance to grocery stores. It comes out quarterly and costs money. She’s grown the magazine over the past few years and is making traction in her area.
Yet she feels she and similar member personas have no support from her local chamber.
Chamber Member Personas and Needs
Why does she feel this way?
She wanted the chamber to hand out her publication in goodie bags. She was willing to donate them but the chamber wasn’t interested. Obviously, this is only one side of the story but it got me thinking about what chamber members want.
Her desires, as she conveyed them, were fairly basic. She wants to improve her reach and her brand recognition. If the chamber could help her, she’d likely be a member.
When you know what potential members want, you are better able to give them that “magic” solution. That’s why member personas are a good thing to visit every once in a while.
A member persona helps you flesh out the type of potential members you have (or want to have), what they need, and how you can provide a solution.
If you don’t have these for your staff, you should consider putting them together. Here’s an example:
Getting The Young Professional on Track
Who they are:
Someone under 35 who is just getting started in their profession (working for someone else). Maybe they’ve jumped around deciding what they wanted to do but now they know. But they don’t know how to make the most of their new opportunity.
What they want:
Maybe it’s a mentor. Maybe it’s just knowing they’re heading in the right direction. But the young professional is looking to expand this new opportunity and excel.
How the chamber can help
The chamber provides free/low-cost lunch-and-learns on a variety of pertinent subjects. It can make introductions to the right people for the YP. It can also introduce them to a willing mentor.
How will you reach them:
On Instagram and in targeted Facebook campaigns.
Now you can use this model to design your own for the type of member personas you’re trying to reach. These could include:
- the mom and pop business owner
- the entrepreneur/solopreneur
- the large company
- the services sector
- manufacturers
Using a member persona helps you keep details straight when trying to market to them. Plus, it’s a very useful tool in building a tiered dues structure.
Remember, marketing is a much more subtle process these days. It’s about offering more value. You need to know what they want before you can begin giving them things that they would value.
