If the claim that many genealogical societies are struggling to attract new members, why have two societies where I was recently a member not tried to woo me back?
In less than three weeks, it will be the start of a new membership year for most societies. Nevertheless, up to now, I haven’t received any email messages, telling me, “We miss you! Please join us again!”
Do genealogical societies only send membership renewal reminders to current members?
Do they toss out the names and contact info of previous members?
A few years ago, I had not renewed my membership with the Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society, in part because they didn’t accept online payment and I couldn’t be bothered going to the post office to buy an international stamp. I also didn’t think the society could offer me much as a long-distance member.
Then the society chair sent me an email message. She invited me to join again.
In the short note, she reminded me in bullet point about four or five member benefits. She highlighted, again in bullet point, what the society and its members/volunteers had contributed to genealogy research during the past year. At the end of the message, she added they could now accept payment through PayPal.
I re-joined.
Don’t over-do it
Let me be clear. I don’t want to receive a bunch of emails every month from my old societies, asking me to re-join. But I’m surprised not one society could be bothered to send one email message.
To avoid people complaining about receiving the “please re-join us” email — and I know there are some who complain about receiving emails, even though they are so very easy to delete — societies could add a line at the end of the message, writing something like, “If you do not want to receive emails from us in the future, please reply to this message, putting “Cancel” in the subject line.”
If I did receive an email, would I re-join? Perhaps. It would depend on what they’re offering.
But if they don’t ask, they’ll never know.
I couldn’t agree more, and I hope some Societies take notice of this.
I didn’t rejoin my local society because it wasn’t welcoming and made me feel I wasn’t wanted. They sent me an email to ask why I didn’t rejoin and I told them. No further follow up, which pretty much proved I was right.
It appears the society missed an opportunity to do an “exit interview,” and learn from it.