When a small company goes into business it’s likely, unless it’s a marketing firm, that the founder needs some help with marketing. Some companies hire a staff member to conduct these activities, some outsources it, some flounder.
What role does your chamber play in helping these businesses?
A member of the Chamber of Commerce Professionals Group on Facebook asked:
How do you provide marketing assistance to small businesses? Can you provide some examples?
Unique Ways to Assist Member Businesses
Advertise for them
Gilmer Chamber of Commerce has a day every week where the staff wears t-shirts of member businesses as they go about their day. This brings great exposure to the business and conveys a real sense of community and team. Their marketing assistant even makes a short video to commemorate t-shirt day and showcase the member further.
Help with technology
The Boerne Chamber of Commerce purchased the Save Local Now app for its members. Members can post deals to it, provide information, and advise of specials. The chamber also offers monthly workshops on Facebook, which is of great value in and of itself with as often as that platform changes, and they only charge $15!
Highlighting members in their monthly newsletter has also brought smiles to their members’ faces. Finally, for higher tiered members they offer marketing assistance and plans to help their members grow.
Invest in your staff
If you don’t have someone who’s an expert in new marketing/digital marketing don’t wait for your current marketer to leave. Make that investment in them now and help them get up to speed on all the latest techniques and technology. Your members need help in that area and it’s an incredible value add if your chamber can be the one to assist them, even if it’s only answering occasional questions.
Some members struggle with all the changes occurring in marketing and technology. They don’t have the time to pour over the industry blog posts. If you can help them the value of chamber membership will be obvious.
Guest post by Christina Green
Image credit: Norma Davey
