How to Announce Your NEB Membership

If you and your spouse have a baby, would you send out an announcement to friends and family? Of course you would.  Good news loves an audience.

The same holds true for your business.  When you hire a new employee, earn a professional designation, add a new product or service, or receive an award, it makes sense to spread the word.  Yet NEB’s membership survey found that 50% of members did not announce their membership.
This is a huge missed opportunity.  Think about what NEB membership means:  When NEB approved your new or renewal membership, it verified your licenses and made sure you had no membership-disqualifying violations. Because of your clean record and vow to abide by our Ethics Pledge and Membership Agreement, we admitted you into membership. Consumers view this as a huge plus in today’s marketplace environment.

But unless your prospects and clients know about your NEB membership, you’re unlikely to experience any positive impact from your membership. To this end, consider taking the following five steps to promote your NEB membership locally.

1. Within a week of admission, send a letter or e-mail to clients announcing your membership.  Make sure they understand what NEB means and how it makes you different. Consider giving them a copy of our approved member brochure or referring them to our web site (www.ethicscheck.com).
2. Send a similar letter or e-mail to referral sources such as attorneys, accountants, bankers, business consultants, etc.
3. Insert the NEB logo on your web site home page.  Include a link to our web site and encourage people to go there to verify your background and view your Professional Profile. (You need to create the profile first.)
4. Send out a press release to the local business media shortly after you receive word of admission. (See note below for further information.)
5. As your stationery and other marketing materials come up for reprinting, revise your artwork to include the current NEB logo.  All marketing tools (brochures, biographies, direct mail, etc.) should display the NEB logo.

The point is this:  Becoming an NEB member is great.  But it’s just the beginning.  To take full advantage, you need to announce your membership to everyone who affects the success of your practice:  your clients, prospects, product providers, referral sources, former business associates, friends, family, and the general public. When the right people know you belong to the National Ethics Bureau, good things will likely happen.

Note: NEB offers a turnkey Member Media Campaign service that simplifies the process of getting media coverage. According to Advisor PR, NEB’s PR provider, more than 90 percent of members who purchase the service get media exposure as a result. To learn more, go here.