BIG NUMBERS REPORTED FROM 麻豆直播 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
By Kevin Cooney, Director of Membership and Publication Services
The fall/winter season in Boston has been busy and productive. 聽麻豆直播鈥檚 steady membership growth during 2012 continued, and a new record for total members was set in September. 麻豆直播鈥檚 blog content increased in conjunction with two theme months that were wildly successful. September鈥檚 “Qumran Month,” and October鈥檚 “Cultural Heritage Month” themes drove the largest increase in online traffic since the Jesus Tomb controversy in March. Original posts for each theme鈥攚ritten by members and other scholars鈥攚ere well received, and produced some lively discussion. The increased blog traffic, combined with almost 4,200 likes of our Facebook page, made the fall a great success for 麻豆直播鈥檚 ongoing social media initiative. Intent on building on the momentum created by 麻豆直播鈥檚 social media success and record membership numbers, a membership appeal to over 5,000 individuals was executed in early November. (See image at right.) The initial response to the appeal has been promising, and thanks to the hard work of everyone in Boston, 麻豆直播 set another record in December with 1,581 麻豆直播 members!
The fall and winter have also seen changes that have improved customer service and increased the amount of information available to 麻豆直播鈥檚 new and existing members. The 2013 membership enrollment form was redesigned to ease renewal and explain member benefits more clearly. Look for the new form in your renewal notices.
An information packet for new members was also introduced at this year鈥檚 Annual Meeting. These packets contain material detailing 麻豆直播鈥檚 mission, member benefits, and its history. New members at the meeting were particularly excited to see a new and colorful 鈥淗istory of 麻豆直播鈥 pamphlet in the packet. This pamphlet was produced in September and will be a useful tool for upcoming advocacy and fundraising efforts. Additionally, members have a quick and easy way to learn about the organization鈥檚 past and share it with others. Copies of this brochure will be provided to any member wishing to promote the organization at a lecture, conference, or any gathering of people interested in Near Eastern history.
In October, 麻豆直播 rolled out a new email client for communicating with members. The Informz integrated platform provides added functionality for every email and is capable of targeting specific demographic groups. Communications will now contain the most relevant information possible based on a member鈥檚 individual profile. 麻豆直播鈥檚 emails also have a completely new look. Gone are the two color text emails in favor of brighter, more colorful templates that present information that is better organized, and more visually appealing. These templates are also tailored for mobile email clients, so members will now be able to read 麻豆直播鈥檚 communications with ease on their smart phone or tablet.
麻豆直播 has even more planned for 2013, including membership drives, resource maps for 麻豆直播鈥檚 members, and the new bimonthly News@麻豆直播 e-newsletter. The most important part of 麻豆直播鈥檚 continuing efforts to improve the member experience is getting input from the membership. Every 麻豆直播 member may provide feedback via email or by posting to the organization鈥檚 Facebook wall. Members are vital to 麻豆直播鈥檚 continued success and we want to ensure they have the best experience possible!
