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The Cheapest and Best Marketing Channel (That You're Ignoring)
88% of people trust it more than any other form of promotion. Why is a channel that is so effective so underused?
Membership Growth
July 9, 2025
Steven Kryger
Some misdirected mail landed in my letterbox this week - a quarterly membership journal for the previous owner.
Before I scribbled 'Return to Sender' and dropped it in the postbox, the back page caught my eye:
It was a referral program - get a colleague to join, and both you and they get a free month of membership.
It caught my eye because incentives like this are almost non-existent.
I asked every AFL if they do this - zero.
I asked every NRL club if they do this - zero (but the Wests Tigers do now).
I researched professional associations - I can count them on one hand.
The Australian College of Nursing is an outlier - and it doesn't make sense.
✅ Word of mouth is the cheapest form of promotion. Advertising's biggest cost? Trying to reach potential customers - your current members already know them.
✅ Word of mouth is the most effective form of promotion. 88% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of advertising.
🎯 My approach
Here's how I'd crack this.
Start under the radar. Skip the formal program initially. When new members join, ask what prompted them to sign up. If it was a current member, get their name.
Surprise them with genuine appreciation. A phone call, hand written card, recorded message from a player - anything but email. Make it personal, not transactional.
Ask the right question. Periodically ask members: 'Who do you know who might benefit from joining?' This bypasses the brain's easy 'no' and triggers actual thinking.
💬 Discuss with your team
How could we recognise the members who bring new members to our organisation?
Some misdirected mail landed in my letterbox this week - a quarterly membership journal for the previous owner.
Before I scribbled 'Return to Sender' and dropped it in the postbox, the back page caught my eye:
It was a referral program - get a colleague to join, and both you and they get a free month of membership.
It caught my eye because incentives like this are almost non-existent.
I asked every AFL if they do this - zero.
I asked every NRL club if they do this - zero (but the Wests Tigers do now).
I researched professional associations - I can count them on one hand.
The Australian College of Nursing is an outlier - and it doesn't make sense.
✅ Word of mouth is the cheapest form of promotion. Advertising's biggest cost? Trying to reach potential customers - your current members already know them.
✅ Word of mouth is the most effective form of promotion. 88% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of advertising.
🎯 My approach
Here's how I'd crack this.
Start under the radar. Skip the formal program initially. When new members join, ask what prompted them to sign up. If it was a current member, get their name.
Surprise them with genuine appreciation. A phone call, hand written card, recorded message from a player - anything but email. Make it personal, not transactional.
Ask the right question. Periodically ask members: 'Who do you know who might benefit from joining?' This bypasses the brain's easy 'no' and triggers actual thinking.
💬 Discuss with your team
How could we recognise the members who bring new members to our organisation?
Some misdirected mail landed in my letterbox this week - a quarterly membership journal for the previous owner.
Before I scribbled 'Return to Sender' and dropped it in the postbox, the back page caught my eye:
It was a referral program - get a colleague to join, and both you and they get a free month of membership.
It caught my eye because incentives like this are almost non-existent.
I asked every AFL if they do this - zero.
I asked every NRL club if they do this - zero (but the Wests Tigers do now).
I researched professional associations - I can count them on one hand.
The Australian College of Nursing is an outlier - and it doesn't make sense.
✅ Word of mouth is the cheapest form of promotion. Advertising's biggest cost? Trying to reach potential customers - your current members already know them.
✅ Word of mouth is the most effective form of promotion. 88% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of advertising.
🎯 My approach
Here's how I'd crack this.
Start under the radar. Skip the formal program initially. When new members join, ask what prompted them to sign up. If it was a current member, get their name.
Surprise them with genuine appreciation. A phone call, hand written card, recorded message from a player - anything but email. Make it personal, not transactional.
Ask the right question. Periodically ask members: 'Who do you know who might benefit from joining?' This bypasses the brain's easy 'no' and triggers actual thinking.
💬 Discuss with your team
How could we recognise the members who bring new members to our organisation?
Recruit and retain more members.
8 Powerful Tools Every Membership
Organisation Should Use
Low-cost, high impact tools you haven't heard of.
You'll also get weekly insights for growing membership.
Recruit and retain more members.
8 Powerful Tools Every Membership
Organisation Should Use
Low-cost, high impact tools you haven't heard of.
You'll also get weekly insights for growing membership.
Recruit and retain more members.
8 Powerful Tools Every Membership
Organisation Should Use
Low-cost, high impact tools you haven't heard of.
You'll also get weekly insights for growing membership.