How to market yourself

Pick up an association magazine and try this simple test: flick through the pages and see how quickly you can work out what the association does.

This might not seem too hard: all associations basically exist to support their members, right? But not all associations offer the same things.

Associations can offer:

• telephone help services
• networking events
• formal training
• licensing or accreditation
• insurance
• discounts from other organisations
• opportunities to get involved in lobbying
• discounted products
• mentoring
• online discussion forums
• regular email updates
• printed publications

You can probably add more for your association, while some may not apply.

Which of these member benefits is the main reason for members to join your association? For some associations, one member benefit stands out, while for others it’s likely to be a combination of several, which will be different for each member. Does your magazine provide a clear summary of what these benefits are?

If there are similar organisations competing for your membership, does your magazine clearly explain your points of difference?

A common mistake by associations is to assume their readers already understand the benefits of membership. Many association publications contain little explanation about what the association offers and the types of members it has.

The most effective association publications make the benefits of membership jump off the page, instead of burying them deep within articles. For the best association publications, just a quick flick through gives an obvious sense of why it’s great to be a member of that organisation.

Here's an example from Osteo Life magazine, published for the Australian Osteopathic Association. This member benefits page makes it easy for readers to know what the association is all about, in one clear summary.

Remember that your magazine may fall into the hands of non-members and it needs to provide compelling reasons for them to sign up. And even your existing members probably don’t know all that your association has to offer them – in fact, they’ll be expecting you to remind them. After all, when it is time for them to pay their renewal fee, they want to feel reassured that membership is worth the money.