If you’re a marketer, you should probably be joining some professional development organizations. This helps get you networked, stay in touch with industry practices, and up to date on new trends. Here’s the list of organizations I know about. Did I miss any?
- Social Media Club | http://www.socialmediaclub.org/ – My local branch in DC is pretty active: Shout to http://smcdc.wordpress.com. They do many events around the DC area where digital marketing professionals can meet up to discuss best practices. It feels a little less stuffy than the more developed associations but it depends on what you’re into. I paid the membership fee immediately, because I could pay from PayPal! You also get good discounts to events. I’m not sure if I’m attending the online marketing summit, but it is one example of how joining the SMC could be a good thing. http://www.onlinemarketingsummit.com/2010-washington-dc/
- American Marketing Association | http://www.marketingpower.com – I joined the AMA in 2006 and have been off and on with my membership. They produce a quarterly journal that can be helpful. They also have a great job board that is open to site visitors.
- Society of Digital Agencies | http://www.societyofdigitalagencies.org – I joined SoDA the earlier part of this year. There was no membership fee, though I would have paid something for all the value I got. They manage the site through a Ning network and did a awesome digital marketing outlook document. Some people want to know that SoDA began as an Adobe venture but I don’t have a position on that. It’s a great org that gives you access to great resources and allows you to contribute meaningfully. I cross post marketing blog posts on their site and check out the other contributors.