[Report] Best New-Member Recruiting Strategies

61% of membership organizations increased their membership in the past year (source: the 2026 Membership Performance Benchmark Report). What are their top strategies?

The Top 6 Strategies for Recruiting New Members (with tips)

The methods in the top three are the same as 2025, but their order has gotten a bit shuffled. Email and events and meetings, followed closely by member referrals, are the most effective ways to attract new members to your organization.

Page 11 of the 2026 Membership Performance Benchmark Report by iMIS

Email

Email remains one of the most effective and cost-efficient tools for reaching prospective members. And it's most effective when it's personalized and strategically timed.

Start by segmenting your email lists to tailor your member acquisition outreach. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t resonate with everyone. Craft a message that speaks to a specific job title, career stage, interest, or challenge to make a lasting impression.

Highlight your member value proposition early. Instead of listing features, show how your community will support their goals. That may be advancing their career, connecting them with peers, or amplifying their cause.

Hopefully, your email platform is either integrated with, or is a native part of your membership management system. That will make it easier for you to personalize emails because you can pull from that contact's record. But try to think bigger than just throwing their first name in the subject line. As Higher Logic's 2024 Association Email Benchmark Report suggests, you can incorporate the contact's job title, company name, or industry to grab attention.

It'll be a huge help to your team if you automate these emails in a drip campaign. Start small with marketing automation. As Higher Logic suggests, "Instead of thinking about your biggest project, get started with a single email and an automated follow-up, and see how that goes. Move from that into a bigger campaign. You don’t need to have a 'go big or go home' mentality to do well with marketing automation."

Events/Meetings

Events are something that your community can look forward to throughout the year. They provide networking opportunities, education, and, hopefully, are overall enjoyable experiences! Consider hosting events with a wide range of types and formats, so you're more likely to draw in new members.

Some of the most popular events include:

• Conferences
• Workshops
• Panel discussions
• Member appreciation parties
• Networking happy hours
• Volunteer opportunities

Include a mix of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events so people can participate regardless of location and schedule.

Idea: If your annual conference is essential, set non-member registration higher than membership fees to encourage member acquisition.

Helpful article from the iMIS Blog: How to Maximise the Success of Your Member Events

Member Referrals

With a referral program, you engage association members by having them recommend your organization to others in their network. In exchange, they receive some sort of reward. For example, you might offer one of these incentives for each successfully-recruited member:

• Membership renewal discounts
• Gift cards
• Free event tickets
• Access to a paid resource
• Branded merchandise

Make sure to explain the referral program details on your website, email newsletter, and member portal to get the word out. By promoting your organization, your existing members will feel more invested in your organization’s success, and referred members will automatically have someone they can connect with in your community.

Social Media

Social media is a powerful way to boost visibility and build trust. You can:

• Create private groups to foster FOMO
• Post shareable, valuable content
• Spotlight members
• Showcase the impact of your work
• Show event highlights

Don't worry, you don't need to jump onto every platform. Poll current members to see what platforms they already use. You're more likely to find potential members on those platforms.

Here are some helpful articles from the digital marketing experts at Feathr:

• Top social media platforms for nonprofits: Where to focus your marketing efforts
• How to create a nonprofit social media plan that sticks

Member Outreach Campaigns

This could be a great opportunity for your members to volunteer by connecting with prospective members. That personal touch may be just what that person needs to be convinced to join. 

Advertising

Stay top of mind for potential members with advertising. You can try search-based targeting that will display your ad based on what someone types into their search engine.

Or there's social media advertising, with Feathr recommendingng you "start by using lookalike audiences to find new supporters. Then, once you have your supporters, take advantage of retargeting and email mapping to get in front of current supporters and bring them back to your website." 

You can also show ads specifically to people who have visited your website. That would be retargeting.

All of these examples help you get your messaging to the right audience.

Helpful resource from Feathr: 5 nonprofit digital advertising mistakes and how to fix them

More Resources:

• The 2026 Membership Performance Benchmark Report gives you this year's top strategies for member recruitment, engagement, and retention
• More ideas from the iMIS Blog: 6 Ways to Increase Association Membership
• Is your tech stack holding you back? Download The Ultimate Guide to Association Software to level up your organization's tech.