If you were to initiate a membership drive to recruit new ARMA members, what steps would you take and what audience(s) would you target?

5 thoughts on “If you were to initiate a membership drive to recruit new ARMA members, what steps would you take and what audience(s) would you target?”

  1. Information experts in our industry engage with a diverse group of people. We need to reach out to those people, and we need to determine what our current relevancy is to other professions. We can then establish how to grow our membership from those ranks. There are already professionals within ARMA from many fields, and we can seek out their expertise in how we might better serve the needs of a wider group. Legal, information technology, and healthcare professionals can all benefit from the resources ARMA can bring, and we need to focus on informing them of the advantages of ARMA membership.

  2. Target any group or role that is responsible for maintaining and organizing shared document repositories. Yes, this is casting a wide net.

    Some groups or individuals may not be aware they are performing some of the roles and responsibilities of a RIM professional. They may not be aware of the risk involved with managing the entire life-cycle of the data in these repositories. They may not be aware of how to properly store their data, etc. ARMA is the association to help create the awareness and potentially introduce these groups or individuals to the information management profession.

    First, develop a marketing and communication plan to create the awareness that they are managing information or performing as an information professional within their roles and responsibilities.

    Second, develop a strategy to increase the visibility to appropriately execute the marketing and communication plan

    In addition, develop a strategy reinforcing the value and benefits of attending an ARMA chapter meeting. I explained this value in the question about how to promote the value of being an ARMA member.

  3. Hello ARMA Leaders! I would like to make this an engaging conversation. Please click the red “Reply” and share your questions or suggestions. I will respond!

    As mentioned in the response to the first question, there is and opportunity to work with students on campuses to create Young Professionals of ARMA chapters and, at a professional level, investing in local chapters financially or with leadership skill programs would increase the awareness of our industry.

    For students, creating Young Professionals of ARMA chapters on college campuses would allow students to work with professors to certify more courses with the ICRM, increase awareness of AIEF scholarships, and host an interview conference with local businesses to get hired before graduation. Currently there are only a few campuses with courses that are approved substitutes for parts of the CRM exam. By increasing this, graduates would partially complete the work to become a CRM!

    For professionals, networking and professional development opportunities are most attractive. This may be supported with membership drives that reward existing members with discounts on conferences or raffles. Involving new professionals with volunteer positions, also supports retention. It is important to work with local chapters to find out what may increase motivation among volunteers, such as leadership courses or specific scholarships for volunteers.

    Please the red “Reply” and share your questions or suggestions below!

  4. Membership recruitment is a question of value. People have a lot of options now in terms of professional associations, as well as competing against a lot of free resources. So, what separates ARMA?

    First and foremost, ARMA needs to continue to place an emphasis on the certification program and demonstrate the value placed on those certifications by organizations recruiting professionals to records and information related functions. The target audience for this is those looking for professional development and those seeking to advance in their careers.

    Next, as the profession continues to evolve to incorporate more disciplines and adoption of technologies, ARMA needs to be at the forefront of strategically forecasting those challenges and developing educational materials, certification programs, and practical training to help members navigate. This will target both those new to the profession and those seeking to overcome specific issues.

    In terms of where to recruit, recommend talking with other related associations for cross-marketing opportunities. For example, a lot of internal counsels at varying levels are charged with implementing or overseeing an IG/RIM program, so reach out to the Association of Corporate Counsel to discuss opportunities in exchange for reduced rates or some other benefit. There are a lot of other associations focused on privacy and compliance that can be targeted as well.

  5. I would start close to home and challenge current chapter members to increase membership within their organizations. Too often we find ourselves with 1-2 members from an organization and when they retire, relocate, change positions, etc. their organization’s representation in the local chapter drops. Why aren’t their replacements becoming ARMA members? Let’s offer a friendly competition, perhaps awarding the member who recruits the most new members with a 1 year free membership? We need to continue to expand the roles/positions we are currently targeting. I don’t feel all IT, privacy or legal professionals, for example, are aware of the importance they play in our industry. I feel when given the opportunity to join a professional organization, people tend to choose the one(s) that show up first in their on-line search, or ones their colleagues belong to. Promoting awareness of how ARMA can benefit professionals from the diverse groups of people that support our industry – not just records management – is essential. I propose allowing chapter members to bring 1 member from their organization to 1 local chapter meeting, complimentary, to see what all ARMA has to offer. I would also make sure the President, or other Board members, personally welcome these guests, make the face-to-face connection to learn more about their role and offer up how an ARMA membership can benefit them. It would be helpful to have a hard copy pamphlet or other materials this guest can take with them that promotes ARMA.

    Second, I would target students. Reach out to Professors at your nearby colleges/universities to see how you can partner with them in terms of promoting the chapter. My local chapter has been fortunate to have local Professors offer extra credit to those who attend our chapter meetings. Getting students in the door is the first step, once they are there making the face-to face contact previously mentioned is extremely important in making them feel valued, and not just another person attending a meeting. While mentoring is important during all phases of a career, I feel it’s best to start out with a mentor as early as possible. Offer up mentorships to students who are seeking assistance from those already in the workforce. Show them how ARMA changes as the industry changes, mention the certifications and scholarships available, and most important, how ARMA is inclusive to all generations.

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