Have you used the membership concept lately in your outreach efforts or the story about your brand? This might be a good time to rethink it.

Membership programs, campaigns and benefit programs can be creatively suited to almost any business. We encourage you this morning to think beyond the punch card, the membership decal and the 10 percent discount off of services.

Let’s get creative. You could, for example, offer members a chance to purge all their old confidential papers into a shred party. Or ask them to bring those old tower computers, monitors, inkjet printers and even big ‘ol TVs for a recycling event – exclusive to members, of course.

In northwest Missouri, many businesses belong to the St. Joseph Metro Chamber of Commerce, with a continual list of perks. Recently the Chamber partnered with a new member, Media Services, to offer members a chance to unload their unwanted and unused electronics into an on-site event, complete with a truck, food and fun. Within an hour, the truck had hit its full limit. People lingered a while anyway, bringing papers for shredding and enjoying fellowship and fun despite rainy weather.

Obviously this type of membership perk was a big hit. Media Services also got a nice promo for their new presence in town, made especially nice and memorable because they had something happening in real-time and were there in person to chat about their services as a sponsor for the membership event. They do much more than shredding and recycling (like data backup and record storage), but they realized these services offered truck-side would serve as a great gateway to the others.

Now, maybe your organization doesn’t have a fun truck or vehicle that is capable of hauling off hundreds of pounds of electronic waste. Consider borrowing/renting an ice cream truck in the name of your business because you’re just, well … cool. Consider partnering with a business that meets a real need – evidenced here in the very quick fill-up point of electronics recycling – and tell guests they have to become a Facebook fan to participate. Let them sign up on-site.  Play it up further with real-time pics and updates on Twitter and Facebook as the event is taking place. These are all key pieces of your overall content marketing strategy.

The moral of this Monday membership tale:  Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions reminds you to give customers a way to become part of your product or service “family” right where they are, especially by utilizing a clever partnering event that is both useful and fun.