Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association

What Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association does

Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association (MnSearch) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association founded in 2011 and headquartered in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, serving search and digital marketing professionals across the Midwest. The organization is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors (one-year terms, renewable up to six years) supported by an advisory committee, with a stated monthly commitment of roughly five meeting hours and three working hours per board member. Its mission is to help members "seek knowledge, gain insight and stay connected" within the search and digital marketing field.

The core product is a membership (annual at $50/year or monthly at $5/month) that bundles access to monthly educational events (board meetings on the third Tuesday, marquee events on the fourth Wednesday), an annual MnSearch Summit conference held each June, an exclusive Slack community, a regional job board, and on-demand recordings of past events. Membership dues are explicitly non-deductible as the organization operates as a 501(c)(6) trade association. The underlying technology stack is conventional community tooling — a WordPress-based website, Slack for member communications, Eventbrite for ticketing, and standard calendar integrations (Google, Apple, Outlook, Yahoo) — with no proprietary technology product, API, or mobile app. AI appears only as a content topic rather than as a deployed capability.

The business model combines individual membership subscriptions with agency and vendor sponsorship revenue across three tiers (Event Sponsorship, Annual Sponsorship, and In-Kind Partnerships) plus custom packages, and a small non-member event ticket stream at $35 per event. Sponsors include regional and national marketing agencies and vendors (Augurian, Bigfoot Analytics, CAMP Digital, Loons Eye Digital, Fjorge, Opebrands, Perrill, with past sponsors including Hot Bot, Voro, and Aimclear). Go-to-market is community-led: awareness and acquisition flow through events, the Slack community, social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, X/Twitter), direct email, and word-of-mouth within the Minnesota and broader Midwest digital marketing community. No revenue, headcount of paid staff, or M&A activity is disclosed, and the organization is independently owned with no parent, PE, or VC sponsorship.

Name

Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association

Legal name

Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association

Website

https://mnsearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association (MnSearch) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association serving search and digital marketing professionals in the Twin Cities and broader Midwest. It operates a $50/year membership that bundles monthly educational events, an annual Summit conference, an exclusive Slack community, and a job board, funded by memberships and agency sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and monthly membership dues provide recurring revenue. Annual membership is $50/year (save $10 vs monthly at $5/month). Membership dues are not tax deductible as MnSearch is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization.
2. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities include event sponsorship (happy hours, networking mixers), annual sponsorship with website recognition and event mentions, in-kind partnerships, and custom sponsorship packages.
3. Event Tickets: Non-members pay $35 for certain events. Members receive free or discounted access to in-person events and free access to virtual events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MnSearch is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association that delivers search and digital marketing education, networking, and community programming to professionals in Minnesota and the broader Midwest. Its primary offerings are individual memberships (annual and monthly), monthly in-person educational events, an annual MnSearch Summit conference, an exclusive Slack community, and a regional job board. The organization is run by an all-volunteer board and is supported by corporate event and annual sponsorships.

Product overview

MnSearch is a professional nonprofit association offering a community-focused platform for digital marketers. The core product is membership (available as yearly or monthly subscriptions) which provides access to monthly educational events, the annual MnSearch Summit, an exclusive Slack community for networking, and a job board. The organization also offers sponsorship tiers (Event Sponsorship, Annual Sponsorship, and In-Kind Partnerships) that allow companies to gain visibility among Minnesota's search and digital marketing professionals. All membership dues are not tax deductible as the organization operates as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Membership
• Monthly Membership
• Monthly Educational Events
• MnSearch Summit
• Slack Community
• Job Board
• Event Sponsorship
• Annual Sponsorship
• In-Kind Partnerships

Quantifiable outcome

• No cold job applications needed — members report that every career opportunity came through community connections

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bigfoot AnalyticscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBigfoot Analytics is a sponsor of MnSearch, supporting the organization's community events and programming through logo placement, social media recognition, and networking opportunities at events.
• CAMP DigitalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCAMP Digital sponsors MnSearch events, gaining brand visibility among Minnesota's active search and digital marketing professionals.
• Loons Eye DigitalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLoons Eye Digital is a sponsor of MnSearch, supporting the community through event sponsorship and gaining recognition among Minnesota digital marketers.
• PerrillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPerrill is a recent sponsor of MnSearch. Brand Marketing Manager Grace Hallen noted that sponsoring expands brand reach and recognition while giving their team opportunities to share expertise and connect with the local marketing community.
• Hot BotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHot Bot is listed among MnSearch's past sponsors, supporting the organization's programming and community events.
• VorominorGTM or Marketing PartnerVoro is listed among MnSearch's past sponsors, providing sponsorship support to the organization.
• AimclearminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAimclear is listed as a past sponsor of MnSearch, supporting the search and digital marketing community organization.
• AuguriancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAugurian hosted the 'Search in 2026: Where SEO, AEO, and Paid Media Collide' event on November 19, 2025 at their St. Paul office (550 Vandalia St Suite 233, St Paul, MN 55114), sponsoring the event and co-hosting the educational session on search trends, AI tools, and paid media.
• FjorgeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFjorge is hosting the 'Meet The MnSearch Board' event on April 29, 2026 at their venue, supporting the organization through in-kind venue hosting.
• Northern CoffeeworksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorthern Coffeeworks is hosting the 'Coffee Chat / February Event Roundup' on March 27, 2026, providing venue space for the community networking event.
• OpebrandsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOpebrands sponsored the 'Creative Mixology in the AI Age' event on September 24, 2025, supporting MnSearch's educational programming on AI and marketing strategy.
• AuguriancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAugurian sponsored the 'Creative Mixology in the AI Age' event on September 24, 2025, co-sponsoring with Opebrands and Fjorge for the AI-focused marketing event.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Digital Summit: Digital Summit is a touring conference series for digital marketers covering SEO, content, social, and analytics. Directly comparable to MnSearch's Summit and marquee events in format and audience, with events in multiple US cities.
• MarketingProfs: MarketingProfs is an online community and training resource for marketing professionals offering events, webinars, and PRO membership. Comparable in serving digital marketers through membership, training, and events — a paid subscription community directly adjacent to MnSearch's model.
• Search Engine Land: Search Engine Land is a leading publication and event organizer for the search marketing industry, covering SEO, PPC, and search news. It is the most direct topical peer to MnSearch, addressing the same search marketing professional audience with content, events (SMX), and community.

Broad incumbents

• AdWeek: AdWeek is a major media brand covering advertising, marketing, and technology, with events and a community. Comparable as a content/events-driven professional community targeting the same digital marketing audience, though it operates as a for-profit media business at national scale.
• American Marketing Association (AMA): The AMA is a national professional association for marketers offering memberships, local chapters, events, and certification programs. It is a larger, established analog serving a broader marketing scope (not just search), directly comparable in membership/event-based model and as a peer of MnSearch.
• Content Marketing Institute (CMI): CMI runs Content Marketing World and produces educational content for content marketing professionals. Comparable to MnSearch as an event- and content-driven community serving digital marketing practitioners, though at a national scale and with a content specialization.
• Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB): The IAB is a national industry trade association for digital advertising and marketing, providing events, research, and member programs. Comparable to MnSearch as a non-profit industry/marketing membership organization, but with national scope and a broader digital advertising remit.
• 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies): The 4A's is a national trade association representing advertising agencies, providing member services, events, and advocacy. Comparable to MnSearch as a non-profit industry association, but serving agencies rather than individual practitioners, and at a national scale.

Others

• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): PRSA is a national professional association for PR and communications professionals offering memberships, chapters, and events. Comparable as a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association structure (same tax status as MnSearch) serving a related communications discipline.

Emerging players

• Digital Marketing Institute (DMI): DMI is a global digital marketing training and certification body offering paid courses, memberships, and events. Comparable to MnSearch in serving digital marketing professionals, but with a paid-certification business model rather than a community-led non-profit model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mnsearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/mnsearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mnsearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Search Engine Marketing Association