by Cecilia Sepp, AIW Immediate Past President & Chair, Member Engagement

Photo Credit: "Clix" on SXC.hu

With the onset of social media, many people the last few years have been declaring the death of the association. Their argument is basically “Why pay when you can get the same thing online for free?”

I am not one of these people, and I never will be, because you cannot get the “same thing” online for free as you get when you become a dues-paying member of an organization.

We join associations because we want to meet people, learn from them, share what we know, and hopefully come out of the experience better. This is why networking will always remain one of the top three reasons people join associations.

While online community building (aka social media) offers us ways to communicate and build ties at any time from anywhere with a wireless network, it is only part of the relationship.

The voices over the phone, or the handshake at an event, are the things that seal the deal. Dialogue and exchange of ideas are dynamic activities that cannot maintain momentum or energy traveling over networks.

Yes, there will be those who disagree, usually with a snarky tone of voice: “You’re wrong! Online chat rooms are places where people build relationships and constantly share ideas.” Well, I say you are wrong.

Anonymous exchanges with bad spelling and self-serving messages do not create community. Tone of voice and body language are still important cues for delivering information and messages. You will not get these online no matter how many of these –  : ) – you put in your emails.

This is why the human touch will always be a requirement for community. Whether you come to a monthly coffee klatch, or attend a Pubspeak, or participate in a teleconference, that human energy is what breaks through the loneliness of the writing life and helps you remember that you are not alone.

That is why you join.

Note: AIW has lowered the annual dues in response to needs of its members. Until December 31, 2009, annual dues are only $100.00–only $8.33 per month! You can pay for multiple years at this rate, but you must act before the end of the year.

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Cecilia Sepp is an association management consultant and writer based in Silver Spring, MD. She is currently in her third year on the AIW Board of Directors as Immediate Past President and chair of the Member Engagement Committee. She blogs at Association Puzzle.