The Marketing Club's growth accelerated dramatically after launching in-person events. This strategy transformed their online group into a tangible community, allowing members to form deeper connections and feel a true sense of belonging. This propelled membership from the hundreds into the thousands.
Chanel Clark positions community as a defensible marketing asset. Unlike social media platforms where algorithms are fickle ("borrowed land"), a community provides direct, owned communication lines. If social media disappeared, the established network, trust, and shared experiences would endure.
The Marketing Club (TMC) began not from a business plan, but from founder Chanel Clark's personal need as a solo marketer. A single, innocent LinkedIn post asking to connect with peers unexpectedly went viral, proving that organic, problem-led community origins are highly effective.
TMC builds loyalty by outsourcing key programming decisions. Using simple polls, they let members vote on event topics and nominate speakers. This co-creation process ensures content is always relevant and gives members a powerful sense of ownership over the community's direction.
TMC operated as a free community for years, building immense value and trust. When they finally introduced a paid tier, members were eager to pay, with many saying they would have paid earlier. This extended "free trial" model proves value first, making monetization seamless.
The Marketing Club serves diverse members by offering multiple engagement channels. The most active members use Slack for daily interaction, while others passively consume the newsletter. Events cater to those seeking in-person connection. This tiered approach respects preferences from active "sharers" to passive "lurkers."
Instead of focusing on vanity metrics, Chanel Clark measures success by asking what void TMC fills. Her North Star is the value members would lose if it disappeared—connections, peer support, and industry collaboration. This frames the community's purpose around its indispensable, qualitative impact.
To scale her personal brand-centric community, Chanel Clark identifies hyper-engaged members in different cities. These "power users," who embody the community's vibe, are empowered as local chapter leads, allowing the founder's ethos to scale without her needing to be physically present at every event.