--- title: "Daily Buzz: Why Members Join Associations" id: "46259" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-why-members-join-associations" published_at: "2019-04-04T20:46:40+00:00" modified_at: "2019-04-04T20:46:40+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/04/04/daily-buzz-why-members-join-associations/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/04/04/daily-buzz-why-members-join-associations.md" excerpt: "Yes, your organization comes with benefits—but that’s probably not why members join. Also: the importance of language in online communities." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "community data" - "job recruitment" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Why Members Join Associations Why do members join associations? Is it for the benefits or because they got an awesome deal on membership? Probably not, [says Amanda Kaiser on Association Success (opens in a new tab)](http://associationsuccess.org/article/3-decision-to-join-myths-and-the-reason-members-join-our-associations) . “These may be the reasons some members join sometimes, but overwhelmingly members do not join for the value,” she says. “Do not get me wrong; value is critically important. While members do not join for the value, they stay for the value.” So, why do members decide to join? Kaiser says it’s because someone in their community—peers, managers, or other industry professionals—prompted them to. “Someone they respect is a member of the association, so they figured if that person thought the association was worth the time and money, they would find membership worthwhile, too,” she says. “This means the most important thing you can do is delight current members and make sure they know the reason the association is thriving is because members like them recruit more members.” ### The Language of Community > You know you feel like an insider when you can rattle off that venti soy decaf latte with two extra shots of espresso and a pump of sugar-free vanilla order at Starbucks, no sweat. Knowing the lingo makes a difference in your [#community (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/community?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > . [https://t.co/uvIMLcQPlo (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/uvIMLcQPlo) > > — Higher Logic (@HigherLogic) [April 4, 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/HigherLogic/status/1113803933451997186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Many factors contribute** to a successful online community, and language is a big one. “Any sociologist could tell you shared language often forms the basis of a community,” [says Ben Rossell on the Higher Logic blog (opens in a new tab)](https://blog.higherlogic.com/the-importance-of-language-for-your-community) . “When everyone uses the same vocabulary, the community becomes more close-knit and there is a greater sense of camaraderie. You can shape community behavior with positive language.” Rossell recommends looking at how different roles and activities are referenced on your site. For instance, are users called “users,” or are they called something else? Do they “share,” or do they “post”? Whatever terms you settle on, this type of branded language can help add a layer of consistency while also bringing members closer together. ### Other Links of Note **Busy at work?** *Harvard Business Review* shares how to [stay productive and get through times when you feel overworked (opens in a new tab)](https://hbr.org/2019/03/how-to-get-through-an-extremely-busy-time-at-work?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_campaign=weeklyhotlist_not_activesubs&referral=00202&deliveryName=DM32531) . **An ongoing leader development** program can [ease future transitions (opens in a new tab)](https://nonprofithub.org/nonprofit-management/maintain-strong-leadership-in-your-organization/) , says Nonprofit Hub. **Building a YouTube channel?** The HubSpot blog offers [five tips for growing subscribers (opens in a new tab)](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/youtube-subscribers) . (MicroStockHub/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#community data](https://associationsnow.com/tag/community-data/) [#job recruitment](https://associationsnow.com/tag/job-recruitment/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [VideoCommunity Voices: Pat BlakeSeptember 15, 2021](https://associationsnow.com/2021/09/15/community-voices-pat-blake/) - [VideoCommunity Voices: Sharon NewportSeptember 15, 2021](https://associationsnow.com/2021/09/15/community-voices-sharon-newport/) - [VideoCommunity Voices: Silvia QuevedoSeptember 15, 2021](https://associationsnow.com/2021/09/15/community-voices-silvia-quevedo/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2019%2F04%2F04%2Fdaily-buzz-why-members-join-associations%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !