Discover Co-ops

Want more people to discover your co-op online? This article shares practical, low-cost SEO and digital marketing strategies that help co-operatives attract new members, customers, and supporters. Learn how to improve page titles, create content that answers real questions, use internal links effectively, and leverage social media and email to amplify your reach. Small changes can make a big difference in helping the right people find your co-op.

What began as a co-op placement focused on SEO and digital marketing became a deeper lesson in member ownership, democratic governance, and community impact. In this reflection, the author shares how his time with the Ontario Co-operative Association transformed his understanding of co-operatives, challenged his assumptions about business, and showed him that organizations can succeed while putting people, not just profits, at the center.

Inspired by the folk tale of Stone Soup, the Stone Soup Registry envisions a new way to support emerging co-operatives. By pooling small contributions of expertise, mentorship, resources, and connections, established co-ops and supporters can help new ventures overcome start-up challenges and put the principle of co-operation among co-operatives into action.