Local Marketing
How to Make a Chamber of Commerce Membership Work for your Business
Written by Mac Cassity for Gaebler Ventures
If you have ever wondered just how to make best use of a chamber of commerce membership, wonder no more. This article lists specific things you can do to make sure your chamber membership works for your and your business.
If you are looking to grow your business locally, one of the best ways to do it is by joining the local Chamber of Commerce. That is not ALL you have to do mind you, but it is the first crucial step.
You see, many business owners think that simply by joining and paying dues to an organization like a Chamber of Commerce that they will get business. This is hardly the case. While tremendous opportunities abound with organizations like your local Chamber, it is usually only through proactive work that you will see results. Below is a short checklist that can help just about any business derive more business from their local Chamber of Commerce:
Join a committee
Chambers of commerce are divided into multiple committees that perform a variety of tasks. These may be marketing, legislative, memberships, events, and more. Check into the various committees that exist within your chamber and join one. By doing so, you will immediately begin to develop deeper relationships with chamber members and show that you are an active contributor. This will give folks an insight into what kind of business person you are as well.
When you commit, follow through!
If you join a committee but never show up to the meetings, how do you think this will reflect on you and your business? Make sure to follow through with all commitments and chamber members will develop a trust in you.
Attend as many events as you can
The more events you attend, your more you will meet chamber members and they will remember your face. The goal is to look at a chamber of commerce as a large extended family. In best case scenarios, chamber members will look to do business primarily with other chamber members. Make sure they know your name and face and you will be one of the ones they do business with and refer business to.
Sponsor events
Sponsoring chamber events is a great way to get your name and business info out to a large audience. In promoting these events, there are emails, postcards, posters and lots of word of mouth that will help to bring your name to the forefront of those in attendance. Adding chamber event sponsorship to your current regular marketing budget is a great way to become one of the stars of your local chamber of commerce.
Sign up other members to the Chamber
Signing up new members to your chamber is a great way to increase your opportunity. By having business professionals that you trust as part of an organization you belong to, you can build deeper relationships with them and help to introduce them to other business professionals as well. In addition, but signing up new members, you are showing other members you are interested in helping grow the organization and you are an influential person in your area.
Chamber membership can be invaluable to your business life, but it can also be a huge waste of time and money. It all comes down to how proactive you are. Taking the tips above into consideration and putting them into action will help you maximize the value you receive from your chamber membership year after year.
Mac Cassity is an entrepreneur and business person. Mac began writing professionally when he was twelve years old for a comic book collecting publication. Today, he has experience in insurance agency management and runs his own freelance writing business, Mac the Knife Articles.
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