Company

Public Relations Society of America

Project Type

Member acquisition and engagement

1 minute read

Context

Driving new member acquisition was one of my main objectives at the Public Relations Society of America. I had full-funnel paid media campaigns running across several platforms and multiple lead capture points set up throughout the website. However, as the budgets remained tight (the nonprofit association reality), we always had to think of additional low or no cost ways to generate leads and recruit members. This is how this giveaway idea was born.

Tag, you're it! Ready for a little bit of festive cheer?

Opportunity

  • Use current PRSA members as the source of new leads by tapping into their network of PR and communications professionals.
  • Provide a simple mechanism for members to share their referrals while reinforcing community as the key pillar of the PRSA brand and value proposition.
  • Leverage organic social media reach and engagement.
Let's celebrate connection, recognition, and people who lift us up!

Implementation Plan

To bring the idea to life, we launched “Tag, You’re It” giveaway on LinkedIn and invited current PRSA members to enter for a chance to win a ticket to PRSA’s annual conference by following a few simple rules:

  • Comment on the giveaway post by tagging a colleague who is not yet a PRSA member and sharing why they would make a fantastic to our community.
  • Increase your chances of winning by submitting multiple comments, as long as each tags a different person.
Tag a nonmember colleague who belongs in PRSA, and you could both win!

To remove the potential friction of tagging something for one’s own benefit, we made sure to throw in a prize for those who get tagged—a free year of a PRSA membership. Now this was truly a win-win for everyone!

The giveaway ran during the first week of December, in the middle of the gifting season, inviting members to spread the holiday cheer, celebrate community, and lift each other up. It did not have any paid amplification and relied on organic social reach and direct emails to PRSA members.

Ready? Tag, you're it!

Results

  • Over 100 entries in one week, each tagging a new member prospect.
  • 18% engagement rate (a big jump from the 5% average).
  • At least 5% of prospects signed up for membership in the same month.
  • Those who did not convert right away became high-quality leads.
  • 100% positive sentiment celebrating PRSA as the community of choice for communicators.

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