How are you getting the attention of new members? Are you chasing them or attracting them?Doing both helps ensure you've got a well-rounded marketing mix.Chasing members generally involves running an ad on Google, LinkedIn, or Facebook and then waiting for members to get in touch.Pros:

• It puts your space in front of a high volume of people
• It can drive a fast spike in visibility of your space
• You can target your efforts to guarantee your space is seen by people in specific demographics
• The ROI of your efforts is more clearly quantifiable than attracting members

Cons:

• That spike in awareness is short-lived
• It’s very expensive to do effectively
• There are fewer brand-building and member-retention benefits offered by it
• People are bombarded by ads so, ultimately, people have been shown to intentionally avoid them

Attracting members involves learning who they are, understanding the modern buying process, and offering value-driven content that builds relationships and trust over time.Cons:

• It’s much slower than chasing
• It takes way more time, effort, and commitment
• While you can tailor the content you create to be appealing to your ideal member, it’s harder to guarantee it’ll be seen by them
• It’s more difficult to measure the ROI of chasing

Pros:

• It’s value-driven rather than promotional
• It supports the full sales cycle, from awareness to consideration and retention
• It builds organic relationships and emotional connections over time
• Although its ROI is harder to measure, it offers an array of benefits for building your brand, making your space stand out, and helping you retain members
• It can help you close membership sign-ups by supporting the sales process
• It generates longer-lasting awareness and helps with member retention
• It helps generate qualified leads because it allows them to research your space on their own (on average, 70% of the buying process has already happened before a member reaches out to you)
• It’s 61% cheaper than chasing, on average

So, the question is this: should you be attracting or chasing members? And my answer is both. In my opinion, using paid strategies to get people to your site is important. But it’s equally important to have something engaging to give them when they get there.When you’ve got these two tools working hand-in-hand, you’re setting yourself up for success.