N is for Newbies and Newsletters #AtoZchallenge

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Welcome to Day 14 of the  #AtoZChallenge.  Don't know what the AtoZChallenge is? Find out more here.

My theme is about Family History Societies.  What they are, How they work, Who is in them, Why they exist.

And which ones begin with N !
 

Societies beginning with N 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Family Organisations beginning with N (Family Search Wiki) 

USA Societies

 
 
 

Other

 
 
 

 

New Members

Remember what it was like to be the newbie at school?  Who was going to sit with you at lunch? Where was the next class?  Make sure your new members are made welcome and that there are special orientation classes for them so they can navigate their way around the Society with ease.  Beginner classes are another successful way of breaking the ice.  New members can meet each other and exchange family history stories and share research tips.  If you can get as many of the committee members involved in Orientation or the Beginners course as possible then thats more friendly and familiar faces for them to see at the Society on their return.  
 
There are some clever ideas out there for making people feel more comfortable.  Jill Ball's blogger beads has been a lifesaver for me at conferences.  I know I can go up to anyone at genealogy conferences and getting a conversation going about blogging.  I like societies who wear the same t-shirt so they can spot their buddies a mile off at big conventions.
 
 

 

Newsletters

As mentioned in my earlier blog, the recent Facebook blip in Australia made us very conscious of how important it is to have many different communication channels and preferably one you control.  Email newsletters are an easy way of keeping your membership up to date with news and changes to your society, particularly in the time of COVID and lockdowns.

Keep in mind that your membership could be reading this newsletter on anything from a tablet, to a desktop to a mobile phone.  Can they read it on any device? 

You know what your email inbox is like so make sure your newsletter is snappy, easy to read, well laid out and full of enticing tidbits. Is there an offer or a bargain? Put it at the end of the newsletter so your audience has to read it all to take advantage of the offer.

Thanks for coming by.  Got anything to add?  Please comment below.



 


 

 

 

 


Comments

Molly's Canopy said…
Great post! I love my societies' newsletters -- whether paper or digital. There is always something of interest, or some new research tweak to learn -- and in normal times (may they soon return) a list of upcoming events/presentations. https://mollyscanopy.com/2021/04/norm-my-career-building-dad-atozchallenge/
April 17, 2021 at 7:31 AM
crgalvin said…
Newsletters are always a tricky topic, getting someone to take on the task, provide interesting content and present it in an attractive format.
April 17, 2021 at 9:27 PM
Cassmob (Pauleen) said…
Caloundra has initiated a buddy system for newbies which I think helps. Blogger beads have been a great discussion topic even for those who aren’t bloggers.
April 19, 2021 at 10:08 PM
Alex Daw said…
Dear Molly, Carmel and Pauleen - haven't we done so well to get so far. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and could not have got there without all your lovely encouragement.

Molly - yes, I agree, newsletters are a great way of keeping in touch and alerting you to other potential resources out there.

Carmel - yes, a newsletter has to look good doesn't it particularly in my sea of emails. I am always tempted just to press delete if I am running out of time.

Pauleen - buddies are the best. I kind of wish they had them when I first joined. I might be a better family historian if I had one back in the day. But my blogging buddies have more than made up for that lack.
April 24, 2021 at 9:04 AM
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