It often seems like associations don't need marketing — we are local organizations, we are not commercially driven, and we have no desire to expand far beyond our community. But that is like an employee saying they don't need to communicate with their colleagues and managers because they already have the job.

Marketing for associations is not just about growth — it is also about building reputation and strengthening relationships with your existing community. This is exactly what makes it easier to recruit volunteers and attract attendees to your events, which is the primary marketing goal for most local associations.

What Is Marketing?

Marketing is the process of communicating your organization's value to a target audience in order to attract, engage, and retain them. For associations, this means strategically spreading information about your activities, mission, and events through the right channels to the right people. Good marketing does not just sell services — it builds community and trust.

Which Channels Should Associations Use for Marketing?

Associations typically use postal flyers, radio ads, event listings on the municipal website, notifications via SMS and email, and posts and ads on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The choice of channels is influenced by various factors. Often, we do not look solely at efficiency — meaning the ratio between cost and impact — but also at coverage, meaning the desire to ensure that no local resident is left out.

If the decision were based purely on efficiency, the choice of channel would be quite straightforward. In terms of efficiency, social media and email are far ahead of everything else. Sometimes, however, sending notices to homes still makes sense, as it allows you to reach the older population that is not sufficiently digitally connected.

The chart below shows just how large the price differences are between various channels, which ultimately affects efficiency as well — even if a single unit of a more expensive medium produces a greater impact.

Social Media

Organic posts: Not every post should be event promotion. Include entertaining and educational content, as well as posts designed to gather feedback from your community.

Video is king: Video content attracts by far the most attention on social media. Whenever possible, record as many simple, short videos as you can — to start, a phone and natural light are more than enough.

Paid ads: When you want to attract people to your events who are not yet your followers, paid ads on Facebook and Instagram are extremely cost-effective. Even with a small budget, you can reach thousands of local residents.

Email Marketing for Associations

Email has the best return on investment (ROI) of all marketing channels. The key to success is segmentation — that is, sending the right messages to the right people.

People simply do not enjoy receiving three messages a day when only one is actually relevant to them. According to HubSpot data, segmentation can increase email marketing effectiveness by up to 8 times.

The InPerson Platform also supports segmentation, along with the ability to design professional HTML email templates.

The Steps to Successful Marketing

1. Set a campaign goal: What do you want to achieve? More attendees at an event? New members? Greater visibility? A clear goal will help you measure success.

2. Execute the campaign: Choose the appropriate channels based on your target audience and budget. Do not forget about message consistency.

3. Measure results and iterate: Track what works and what does not. Use that data to refine your future campaigns.

Conclusion

Marketing is the key to a successful association. You might think it is unnecessary or even counterproductive, because you picture it as some kind of pushy cliche. In reality, marketing is about shaping how your community perceives you, and you can be incredibly creative with it.

The result of good marketing for associations is a more engaged membership and a fuller hall at your events. And that is, ultimately, what we all want.