April 11, 2023   |   Vol. 22   |   Issue 4
By Scott Seril, MGI Sr. Account Director

Chapters, the lifeblood of so many thriving organizations!

If your association is like most organizations, you probably have some type of regional or local constituencies. These chapters serve as a key source of new members for associations. They provide an association with a local, communal presence and visibility that attracts new members who would be more interested in joining a national association that also has relevance in their own community.

Most chapters are run by volunteers. These volunteers often do not have the time nor the ability for effective marketing efforts. Without effective marketing, it will be a challenge for the chapter to attract new members, promote local events, and generate interest in the chapter's initiatives. Your association will need to step in and provide support to help your chapters succeed.

Here are six ways your association can provide the support your chapters might need to market effectively.

1. Branding Guidelines: Providing branding guidelines to your chapters ensures consistency in the use of logos, colors, and other visual elements in marketing materials. This helps maintain a strong and recognizable brand identity with your association and across all chapters.
2. Marketing Collateral: Providing brochures, flyers, and other promotional material to help chapters promote their events and activities ensures brand identity and saves the chapters time and resources in developing their own materials.
3. Social Media Support: Providing access to social media accounts or creating a social media strategy helps the chapters increase their online presence and reach a broader audience.
4. Training and Workshops: Offering training and workshops to your chapter volunteers on marketing and communication best practices will permit chapters to improve their marketing skills and develop effective marketing strategies.
5. Data Analytics: Sharing data analytic support with your chapters on membership, event attendance, and other metrics will help them make data-driven decisions and improve their marketing efforts based on insights gleaned from the data.
6. Event Planning Tools: Providing your chapters with event planning tools, such as checklists, timelines, and budget templates, will help them plan and promote their events.

Overall, by providing support and resources to your chapters, your association will help them improve their marketing efforts and ultimately achieve their goals…as well as yours!

If you would like more information on how a national organization can help their local affiliates, reach out to Scott Seril, Senior Account Director at sseril@marketinggeneral.com or 703-706-0316.