When most people think of marketing, they picture ads, logos, and catchy slogans. But for associations, marketing is more than brand awareness, it’s the foundation for building strong, lasting relationships with members, partners, and the broader community.
An association’s marketing team plays an important role in growing its network, keeping members engaged, and showing value beyond events and renewals.
Here’s why marketing matters so much in the association relationship-building game:
1. It Keeps The Association on Top of Mind
Associations often have limited facetime with members. Most interactions happen at annual conferences, chapter events (i.e., golf tournaments), occasional webinars, or quarterly newsletters. Marketing helps bridge the gap between those moments. Consistent social media, emails, and relevant content remind members that the association is invested, engaged, and worth paying attention to. Over time, this regular contact builds familiarity, credibility, and trust.
2. It Creates Meaningful Touchpoints
A good marketing strategy is not about delivering information; it’s about starting conversations. A LinkedIn post asking for feedback, a behind-the-scenes story from a recent event, or a spotlight on a member’s success, marketing helps humanize the association.
3. It Builds a Sense of Belonging
Marketing initiatives can create a platform to showcase community wins, celebrate milestones, and amplify member voices. These shared stories and values turn a simple membership into a genuine sense of belonging.
4. It Shows Value – Year-Round
If the only time members hear from the association is during renewals, it’s a missed opportunity. Strategic marketing helps associations demonstrate ongoing value. Whether it’s professional development content, advocacy wins, industry trends, or exclusive member perks. And when people consistently see the value, they’re more likely to stay engaged and renewed. Remember it’s all about retention and recruitment!
5. It Fuels Word-of-Mouth and Referrals
Once members are happy, they become connected members, and they become the association’s best marketers. When marketing consistently resonates, members are more likely to share posts, bring colleagues to events, and recommend membership. In other words, strong marketing turns members into ambassadors.
6. It Builds Relationships with Partners and Sponsors
Collaboration and partnerships are also important. With a strong marketing strategy, an association can create important partnerships and help both parties to create visibility and value for members.
Marketing is about connections! For associations, that means using every tool including email, social media, storytelling, and design to keep people informed, inspired, and involved.
Marketing is not just a “nice to have”. It’s an important tool that, done right, is one of the most powerful elements in growing, engaging, and building lasting relationships that drive your mission forward.
To read more on the importance of marketing within an association to elevate it and help it to thrive, check out these recent Strauss articles:
Hooked on Growth? Why Association Marketing Must Evolve Or Risk Irrelevance.
The Power of Marketing Reports: A Vital Tool For Associations