<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I have to second what Jay said. Building it is a start, but you simply cannot stop there. Further, if your society doesn't have a meaningful online presence -- both in terms of content and of outreach -- your society is going to be viewed as not being meaningful. Societies moan about losing members to the Internet or how online researchers aren't real researchers. Folks, that's where the game is today. If you're not on that playing field, you are dooming your society eventually to be cut from the team. (Sorry -- all this opening day of baseball stuff has crept into my brain <g>)<div><br></div><div>Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.</div><div><br></div><div>Amy Johnson Crow, CG</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Apr 5, 2010, at 5:41 PM, <a href="mailto:JFonkert@aol.com">JFonkert@aol.com</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"> <div id="role_body" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottommargin="7" leftmargin="7" topmargin="7" rightmargin="7"><font id="role_document" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2"> <div> <div> <div>Elissa is right about putting something out there that people value.  However, after you build it, you need to let people know it's there.  The web (websites, social networking, etc.) is essential, but it takes much more.  In smaller communities, it is possible to get media exposure, but in larger metropolitan communities media exposure is hard to come by.  Networking with related organizations is one strategy. Neighborhood newspapers are worth a try.  It is important to promote both your society in particular and family history in general.  I can't say my organization excels at any of these things, but we're trying.</div> <div> </div> <div>In a message dated 4/5/2010 4:36:36 P.M. Central Daylight Time, <a href="mailto:Elissa@PowellGenealogy.com">Elissa@PowellGenealogy.com</a> writes:</div> <blockquote style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2">If you build it, they will come. <br><br>IOW, if a society provides a service of perceived value, people will be<br>willing to pay dues. These include member only benefits including newsletter<br>content, website content or access to subscription sites, research help<br>(queries or actual help), program (and how to reach geographically diverse<br>members), volunteer opportunities (such as compiling records), and social<br>opportunities (excursions to repositories, etc.).<br><br>And of course don't say that the Internet stole your members -- BE on the<br>internet if that is where the people are.<br><br>-- Elissa<br>Former president of two local societies<br><br>Elissa Scalise Powell, CG<br><a href="http://www.PowellGenealogy.com">www.PowellGenealogy.com</a><br>CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for<br>Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants<br>after periodic evaluations by the Board. <br><br><br>> -----Original Message-----<br>> From: apgpubliclist-bounces+elissa=powellgenealogy.com@mailman.modwest.com<br>><br>[mailto:apgpubliclist-bounces+elissa=powellgenealogy.com@mailman.modwest.com<br>] On<br>> Behalf Of Nancy Lyons<br>> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 5:19 PM<br>> To: apgpubliclist@apgen.org<br>> Subject: [APG Public List] Genealogical Societies<br>> <br>> Although this question is not directly about genealogical procedures or<br>> methodology, I wanted to ask the group what genealogical societies they<br>have<br>> observed that have a done a particularly effective job in the area of<br>> membership development, and how they have done it.<br>> Many thanks,<br>> Nancy Menton Lyons<br>> Delaware<br><br></font></blockquote></div> <div></div></div> <div> </div> <div><font lang="2" face="Arial" size="2" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10">Jay Fonkert, CG<br><a href="http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/">http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/</a><br>Saint Paul, MN<br><br>Director, Association of Professional Genealogists<br>(</font><font lang="2" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="1" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="8">professional profile at <a href="http://www.apgen.org)/">www.apgen.org)</a></font><font lang="2" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10"><br>Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild<br></font><font lang="2" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="1" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="8">(professional profile at <a href="http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/)">http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/)</a><u><br></u></font><u><font lang="2" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10"></font></u><font lang="2" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10">Member, International Society of Family History Writers and Editors <br><br></font><font lang="2" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="1" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="8">CG (Certified Genealogist) is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified associates after periodic competency evaluations.</font><font lang="2" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2" family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10"><br></font></div></font></div> </blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>