When it comes down to it, word of mouth continues to be the best marketing tool associations have.

Shiny new social media tools, the ability to access the organization’s website on our smart phones and direct mail are all well and good, but it’s your current members who really count. A whopping 91 percent of respondents in the 2010 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report said that prospective members become aware of the organization because of word of mouth.

Last year, the top answer was the association website (85 percent), which grew to 88 percent this year, but was second to word of mouth.

What does this mean for organizations? How can they continue to create meaningful experiences for members, thus perpetuating a growth in membership?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Your members should be your best advocates. We use word-of-mouth recommendations to make other decisions in our lives, such as choosing a restaurant or an apartment complex or school district. Your organization should be no different.

No act of customer service is too small. No personal message or note is too insignificant. When you’re caught up in your day-to-day duties, it can be difficult to remember the affect the organization has on its members’ lives.

Don’t be discouraged if your organization relies on just a few full-time staffers. You don’t necessarily need to have an arsenal of staff members to create meaningful experiences for your members. If your members are on a first-name basis with all the staff members at your organization, I bet they appreciate that. Additionally, the smaller the organization, the more personal the experience can be.