Sometimes it feels like I spend more time on the road than in Minnesota, but the Twin Cities has a fine digital marketing community that includes advertising, direct marketing, interactive, B2B, search, PR and communications groups that serve the needs of marketing and communications professionals in the region.
Networking locally can be incredibly important if you’re new to the area, want to connect with other professionals in your field or are in search of professional development and job opportunities. Below are a list of Minnesota (primarily Minneapolis & St. Paul) marketing and communications organizations that offer a range of opportunities for networking, education and industry involvement.
Please check them out and if you’re a member or if you’ve had experience with these organizations, please be sure to share in the comments. We’d like to feature 5 or 6 in the coming months for more in-depth posts about regional associations and the role they play.
BMA Minnesota – Business Marketing Association of Minnesota is the only organization in Minnesota formed exclusively to help business-to-business marketers and communicators stay in touch and keep on top of the latest trends, products and strategies. @bmaminnesota
MIMA – Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association is the oldest Interactive Marketing Association in the U.S., and currently serves and inspires more than 1,300 members from agency, corporate and freelance environments in content development, design, experience design, marketing, media, product development, promotions, publishing and usability. @mimatweet
SMBMSP – Founded by Rick Mahn and Mykl Roventine, Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis St. Paul is a regularly occurring event where like minded social media folks across the Twin Cities of Minneapolis & St. Paul get together to share & learn about social media. Membership in SMBMSP online has grown to over 2,300 professionals from all different disciplines and industries. @smbmsp
MN Search – The Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the progression of search marketing and strives to help businesses and individuals keep a pulse on the latest news, trends, tactics and tools. @mnsearch
Minnesota PRSA – Minnesota Public Relations Society of America is the 10th largest chapter of the PRSA and seeks to advance the profession of Public Relations throughout Minnesota. @minnesotaprsa
MN Women in Marketing Communications – Minnesota Women in Marketing & Communications aims to transforms careers and confirms the power of marketing and communications for members and community by fostering collaborative relationships, offering diverse networking and educational opportunities, promoting marketing and communications’ roles in business growth, and championing women communicators as integral to successful businesses. @mwmcorg
IABC Minnesota – International Association of Business Communicators in Minnesota, named International Chapter of the year in 2011, brings together professionals who want to excel in the communications field. It provides lifelong learning opportunities by giving members the tools and information they need at any stage in their career. @iabcmn
MDMA – Midwest Direct Marketing Association offers members opportunities to keep up with new activities, ideas, trends and techniques and encourages high ethical standards within the industry. @midwestdma
MN AMA – Minnesota American Marketing Association supports the marketing community with events, sponsorships and an in-depth community of members, helping students and professionals alike expand networks, get the latest in marketing communication strategies, and find new opportunities that fit their wants and needs. @mnama
SME Mpls & St Paul – Sales & Marketing Executives of Minnesota is a leadership organization focused on providing a condition for open sharing and learning centered around the issues members face daily and provides opportunities for business and professional growth by the exchange of proven business strategies and methodologies in a peer-to-peer environment. (No Twitter Account Found)
AdFed MN – The Advertising Federation of Minnesota is a non-profit, professional trade association serving the local advertising community offering networking opportunities, seminars and other events. @adfedmn
AIGA Minnesota – The AIGA professional association for design offers education and professional development programs, competitions and shows for those working in design and related fields that promote excellence in design and opportunities for students and professionals to network. The acronym AIGA used to stand for American Institute of Graphic Arts @aigamn
I am very curious about your opinion on these organizations in terms of the value they provide for networking, education and industry involvement? Are you a member of any? What do you like best? Which would you recommend? Which would you like us to profile more specifically?
