Chamber bucks, or local gift certificates, are a great way to show member businesses the referral power of the chamber. They also make a strong addition to a shop local campaign because they call attention to participating businesses. Chamber bucks serve as a valuable marketing component for shop local. But how can you use them aside from merely selling them at the chamber? Below, are a few ideas inspired by what other chambers are doing to get the most bang for their chamber bucks.
Creative Ways to Use Chamber Bucks
There are many options when it comes to chamber bucks. You can use bank-issued checks as well as go through a company to manage it for you electronically. Whatever you decide, there are more uses for this local currency than merely selling it from your office.
- Give them out for sponsorships. Just like loyalty rewards that hotels give for booking rooms, you could provide a few chamber checks as a thank you for investing in the event. The larger the sponsorship, the larger the local currency value. While most people won’t sponsor the chamber just for chamber bucks, it’s a nice sentiment and encourages people to support your member businesses.
- Forgo the opt-in. Most local currency programs recruit member businesses to participate but at one chamber they made it a benefit of an upper tier membership. If your business was paid into one of their higher tiers you were eligible to accept chamber currency. The chamber reimburses the business for every dollar spent, which marks the referral business coming from the chamber. It’s quite clear to anyone receiving the bucks that the chamber made that possible.
- Award teacher gifts. Some chambers host events for teachers. Chamber bucks are perfect for teachers who need to stock their classrooms or purchase rewards. They also are a great learning tool for how the local economy works because chamber bucks can only be spent locally.
Are you curious about chamber bucks and local currency? Learn more here.
