North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

...... Original Message .......
On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:31:56 EST Jwlehman@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 2/13/2008 11:01:05 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
jfruth@tds.net writes:
>
>Don't forget this whole subject was started with the goal of being able to 
offer a lower membership rate for out of the US folks who have lower 
incomes and whose membership fee is higher due to added postage costs.    
----------------
And also with an interest in increasing membership.

What are the benefits of joining NAFEX?

1)  you get Pomona
2)  you get access to this e-mail list (reading and posting)
3)  you get access to the e-mail archives
4)  you get invited to annual meetings
5)  you get hardcopy contact info for many members
6)  you get the satisfaction of being a part of and supporting NAFEX.

Currently, we give away (2) for free, but you need to join to get the 
others.  In theory, we could choose to split that differently, for instance 
by making Pomona freely available on-line but restricting the mailing list 
to paid-up members, or in many other combinations.

>From a marketing perspective, it's helpful to think about what benefits 
might attract new members if freely available, and what benefits would 
encourage people to pay for membership.

Personally, I joined looking for a mailing list like this one.  I have a 
copy of the archives on my home computer.  I read Pomona, but consider it a 
fringe benefit:  the real-time help of peple on this list is much more 
valuable to me.  I've been to an annual meeting, and it was great, but 
realistically I don't have time or budget to do that again for years.  I've 
never used (5).  I plan to renew my membership to get (6).

But if I needed to be an active member to post and got a reminder to that 
effect, I doubt I'd have let my membership lapse.

Just one woman's experience.
___
Ginda