Being a member of a certain organization can be a gateway to many opportunities and there are a lot of organizations that cater to the specific needs of people. If you’re accepting members in your organization, creating a membership application template allows you to make it easier for members to apply.
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Membership Application Templates
What is a membership application form?
A membership form can open the doors to different organizations. So as not to burden your prospective members with very complex requirements or questions, your membership application template should be very simple to access and accomplish.
This alone makes a great first impression to make prospective members connect with your organization. The information provided in the application gives each member the chance to introduce themselves to your organization. The form also tells them more about your organization.
Membership Forms
What to include?
Generally, you use a membership registration form for the purpose of capturing information about your organization. In this manner, your organization will understand the applicants while motivating them to join your organization.
But a problem might occur if you try to balance between accomplishing the form without thinking of it as a daunting undertaking and collecting enough information. Following are the most significant items that you should include in your membership application template:
- Membership types and their corresponding entry fees.
- Acceptable payment methods.
- Membership requirements of each membership type.
- Subscription terms of each membership type.
- Your organization’s contact details like your organization’s name, business address, phone number, email address, and more.
- Conditions of the membership like the responsibilities, privileges, terms, and conditions.
- Requirements for membership renewal.
- Region or affiliate information.
Application forms can help your organization manage the new members. For one, when the members have filled and submitted their applications, the information contained in these become yours. As such, you can sort and categorize both your existing and new members.
When designing your application form for membership, you need time to determine what best suits your brand. Adorning it with your brand colors and fonts will make it more effective. Moreover, you can also customize it to suit your organization’s style.
How do I write an application letter for a membership?
Your membership application template is the first experience that a new member will have with your organization and as such, it should make a great first impression. Therefore, it’s recommended that you avoid forms in PDF or Word formats because printed forms require that people only sign up in person.
It is best to opt for an online membership signup form because you can easily share it and store all of the information you gather securely. You can create this form by following these steps:
- Gather basic personal information like complete name, date of birth, e-mail address, mailing address, and phone number.
- Describe the process of application and enumerate the membership requirements.
- Provide details about the types of membership.
- List the benefits of becoming a member.
- Explain the application fees and acceptable payment options.
- Gather payment details like their credit card information.
- Provide an FAQ page or a link to it.
- Provide interested applicants with your contact details in case they have any questions.
An application form that stands out has the potential to attract more members. Hence, you have to take the necessary steps to make it more appealing. Start by customizing it with your brand’s colors and fonts. Then throw in some interesting visuals using GIFs, videos or images. The addition of some strategically-placed call-to-action buttons can invite more people to apply.
Membership Registrations
How do I create a membership form?
When potential members find your online membership form, they can click on the link or download load the form. A quick scan of this can determine if they want to continue. If they find the form to be too complicated or time-consuming to fill, they can either postpone the completion or much worse, they might reconsider their application.
But you can lure applicants into becoming members if you can catch their attention immediately and move them through the completion of their application. There is also a need to make applicants feel welcomed.
It all boils down to having a good and cleanly-designed membership application template. Here are some pointers to consider to make your form more appealing both online and offline:
- Divide the form into sections so that you can group relevant information together
It is important to divide the form into sections then use eye-catching headings to separate the grouped fields. There are some online forms that enable you to do a multi-step process where applicants would move from one section or page to another without having to see a long form. Others use big, colorful headlines that draw the applicant from one section to the next. - Show off your personality
If you are a community organization or if networking is one of your strengths, it would be more effective if your design is more friendly than formal. This way, you can consider using graphics and color to catch the applicant’s attention as a way of demonstrating your welcoming culture.
In cases where you would appeal to corporate members and professionals, you should formulate concepts with elements that will visually speak to your target audience.
Of course, you can still choose to use attractive background colors, then incorporate your branding. The use of graphic and type treatments is another way of drawing attention to optimal elements of the form or to information that you want applicants to notice. - Make the form user-friendly
Accomplishing forms, especially lengthy, confusing or complicated ones can turn-off applicants, so make yours is user-friendly. A great way to do this is by adding checkboxes. For online forms, make use of pre-filled answers and drop-down menus to make things more convenient. Applicants will appreciate these features. - Use a friendly but concise tone
The tone of your form should also be in keeping with your target audience and the nature of your organization. Whichever tone you decide on, whether it be light-hearted or more formal, make sure the questions you ask are positively worded.
There are some application forms that go into details, even asking the applicant what “they shouldn’t have done” and other “registration standards” to qualify. While it is true that it’s important to include membership criteria, you can ask for information in a more user-friendly way.
