Case Study: Growing the CSIA Exchange from Launch to High-Traffic, High-Revenue Marketplace

The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) launched the Exchange, a Milieu-powered buyer’s guide and digital marketplace, with a clear vision: connect system integrators with prospective clients and create a sustainable stream of non-dues revenue. In its first year, the Exchange brought in a promising $74,000, establishing a solid foundation for a powerful visibility, credibility, and lead generation platform.

Recognizing the Exchange’s potential, CSIA made a strategic decision to give the platform focused attention. They appointed a dedicated staff to lead its growth and integration into all areas of the association’s operations. Rather than simply selling listings, Veroeven worked with CSIA leadership to position the Exchange as a community-driven business development engine.

A comprehensive profile completion campaign was launched, with personalized outreach to help members optimize their listings with SEO-rich content, backlinks, and portfolio examples. Members were shown how their profiles could act as digital storefronts—amplifying their visibility and converting views into real-world opportunities.

At the same time, the Exchange became embedded across CSIA’s membership and sponsorship programs. It was featured during onboarding, sponsor sales conversations, and renewal campaigns, and by treating the platform as a central part of CSIA’s member value proposition, adoption and participation increased steadily.

CSIA launched the “Talking Industrial Automation” podcast to expand its visibility even further. The podcast interviews members about their work and spotlights integrator success stories. This content marketing initiative drove significant traffic back to the Exchange and helped showcase member expertise to a broader audience. The podcast grew quickly, with over 100,000 downloads and strong sponsorship interest.

The association also leveraged its annual conference to promote the Exchange, encouraging board members to lead by example by completing and promoting their profiles. In parallel, CSIA’s well-established company certification became a key differentiator on the platform, boosting trust among buyers and influencing client RFPs to specify CSIA certification as a preferred requirement.

• Revenue grew by 171% in four years.
• Organic traffic increased 22x, driven by smart SEO, relevant content, and backlinks.
• The platform, without paid advertising, saw over 64,000 sessions and 44,000 users in 2018 alone.

After three full years, the CSIA Exchange generated a little more than $200,000 a year in non-dues revenue, which contributed about 11% of the association’s total annual income.

The Exchange’s success reflects the power of intentional leadership, strategic alignment across departments, and consistent investment in content and community. CSIA transformed what began as a valuable member directory into a trusted industry destination—built to serve members, generate revenue, and fuel long-term growth.

Download the PDF of this CSIA Case Study and Milieu Success Story.