1. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?
IT‟S ME, THE CHAMBER.
COMMUNICATION TOOLS &
TECHNIQUES FOR CHAMBERS
OF COMMERCE
Frederick County Chamber of Commerce
M. Richard Adams, President & CEO
Lauren Hagan, Communications Director
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
2. FAST FACTS: FREDERICK CHAMBER
• 1,000+ members represents 35,000+
jobs
• 101 years old, founded in 1912
• Centennial Gala, pictured left
• 14 staff members, new additions to
marketing & membership
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
3. FAST FACTS: CHAMBER SOCIAL
• WHERE WE HANG OUT ONLINE:
• 287 Facebook Likes
• 2,829 Twitter Followers
• 8,993 views on YouTube
• 645 group members on LinkedIn
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
#51
Top 100 Social
Media Friendly
Chambers
5. “THE SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN
COMMUNICATION IS THE ILLUSION THAT
IT HAS TAKEN PLACE.”
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
--George Bernard Shaw
6. “COMMUNICATION IS A ONE WAY STREET.”
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
--Bill Graham
7. S.M.A.R.T. GOALS
• S – Specific
• M – Measurable
• A – Attainable
• R – Relevant
• T – Time-Bound
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
8. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
9. LAUREN LIKES FREDERICK COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
10. SURVEY: HOW DO YOU MOST
FREQUENTLY HEAR ABOUT CHAMBER
EVENTS?
91% - Weekly Email Updates
44% - Website
32% - Word of Mouth
31% - Social Media
13% - Monthly add in the Frederick News-Post (Newspaper)
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
11. THINK BEFORE YOU COMMUNICATE.
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? CONSIDER:
• Generation
• Timing
• Mode: Email, Text, Social Media…
12. “THE THING WE ARE TRYING TO DO AT
FACEBOOK, IS JUST HELP PEOPLE
CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE MORE
EFFECTIVELY.”
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
--Mark Zuckerberg
13. “A LINE OF TEXT IS WORTH 1,000 PICTURES.”
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
--Nobody
“A PICTURE IS WORTH
1,000 WORDS.”
14. CREATE CONTENT YOUR MEMBERS WANT.
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
15. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
WEEKLY
EMAIL
UPDATES
91%
16. FACEBOOK FACTS
• 67% of adults use Facebook
• Pew Research Center, 2012 Social Networking Survey
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
• If Facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd largest in the
WORLD
17. AVOID THE DISCONNECT
2012 Social Business Survey
47% of individuals use social media to
make meaningful connections
40% of businesses use social media to
promote product or service
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
18. THE PARETO PRINCIPLE: 80/20
80% of info on social should be helpful or useful
to YOUR MEMBERS / AUDIENCE
20% of info on social can be about
your organization‟s events / programs
R.O.E. Return on Engagement
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
21. CHAMBER BIZ BLOG
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
• FAQ
• Local Issues
• Educational
posts
22. YOUR CHAMBER, YOUR VOICE.
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
Everyone is in marketing -- EMPOWER your staff.
23. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
How do you measure communications successes?
• Event registrations
• Open rate of weekly emails
• Surveying members
It all depends on what your message is and
the tools you use to release it.
• Survey your members!
• Survey Monkey
24. HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR MESSAGE
WAS RECEIVED?
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
25. WHAT DOES IT MEAN & WIIFM?
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Marketing & Communication Plan
We mean opportunities to make quality business connections!
Which means to you...
You can make more contacts, more efficiently, than in most any other setting.
We mean business marketing avenues!
Which means to you...
You can expose your product or service to the who's who of business through sponsorship and
advertising opportunities.
We mean business leadership experiences!
Which means to you...
Opportunities to grow your leadership talents through many volunteer opportunities in
programs, projects and issues.
26. “‟INFORMATION‟AND „COMMUNICATION‟ARE OFTEN
USED INTERCHANGEABLY, BUT THEY ARE QUITE
DIFFERENT THINGS.
INFORMATION IS GIVING OUT; COMMUNICATION IS
GETTING THROUGH.”
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
--Sydney J. Harris
27. QUESTIONS? CONTACT US.
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
Frederick County Chamber of Commerce
8420-B Gas House Pike, Frederick, MD
M. Richard Adams | President & CEO
radams@frederickchamber.org
301.662.7851
Lauren Hagan | Communications Director
lhagan@frederickchamber.org
301.662.0745
@fredcochamber
28. RESOURCES
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? IT’S ME, THE CHAMBER.
FREDERICKCHAMBER.ORG
Brenner, Joanna. Pew Internet & American Life Project. “Pew Internet: Social Networking.” Web. 14 Feb 2013.
Graham, Bill. “Building the Confident Speaker.” Presentation.
Hibbard, Jessica. Stories and Ideas Weblog. “Social Business Survey.” Web. 20 March 2013.
Moore, Pam. Pam Marketing Nut Weblog. “If I were a social chamber of commerce or association president.” Web.
19 Aug 2012.
Moss, Curt. Weblink International Weblog. “Social Media Strategy for Chambers of Commerce, Revisited.” Web.
21 Oct 2010.
Petri, Alexandra. The Washington Post. “Why you should actually care about Facebook’s news feed changes.” Web.
7 March 2013.
Scalice, Nicholas. FastBlink, LLC Weblog. “Marketing with the 80/20 Rule.” Web. 24 March 2012.
Notes de l'éditeur
Presented by Ric Adams and Lauren Hagan (Frederick County Chamber of Commerce) at the MACCE Mini-Institute on Friday, July 12 in Takoma Park, MD.
The Frederick Chamber is composed of 1000+ members representing 35,000 jobs in the area. This year we celebrated our 101st birthday and this week we welcomed our 14th employee to the team! Nearly half of our staff is made up of the membership and marketing departments, because no matter how great your organization is, we know that doesn’t matter if nobody knows about it.
Part of communication that we’ll discuss more in depth is our Chamber’s social media outreach. While we believe face-to-face communication is key, in this technology-driven world, we know that your online presence is also essential. At a glance, here’s where we hang out online:Nearly 300 Likes on Facebook3,000 Twitter Followers9,000 views on YouTubeAlmost 700 group members on LinkedInAll that combined with our presences on Google+, Flickr, and Wordpress, makes us #51 on the Top 100 Social Media Friendly Chambers of Commerce.
When we say communicate, what does that mean? What does communication mean to YOU?AUDIENCE DISCUSSION
We’d argue to say that communication is a result. One has either communicated, or one has not. Recently, our Leadership Frederick County program welcomed Bill Graham of Graham Corporate Communications to discuss communication, and he opened my eyes up to an idea that was entirely new to me.
Communication is a ONE WAY street. It is YOUR responsibility to get your message across, not someone else’s responsibility to hear it.
Which leads us to the idea that in order to communicate, you have to establish clear goals. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. can help do this:S - SpecificM - MeasurableA - AttainableR - RelevantT - Time-boundRICTell me about a successful communication campaign you managed and HOW you knew it was successful? How do you measure success?AUDIENCE DISCUSSION.
Our vision is to be THE trusted leader for business in a vibrant community. So how do we do that? One way is through testimonials.Example: The Frederick Chamber’s 2012 Year in Review document (distributed to audience).
Now, here’s where we can start talking about tools to help you communicate.Online tools like social media provide instant testimonials. Your business or personal Facebook page automatically shows your “friends” who you like. If your Chamber isn’t using social yet, here’s why you should be…
Part of communication is understanding HOW your audience wants to be communicated with. Where is your audience spending the majority of its time?A recent survey of events we put out to our members asked the question, “How do you most frequently hear about Chamber events? Check all that apply.” We listed twelve options, including traditional and new media platforms. The top five included:91% - Weekly Email Updates44% - Website32% - Word of Mouth31% - Social Media13% - Monthly add in the Frederick News-Post (Newspaper)
So, we are figuring out HOW our members want to receive communication. There are many factors to take into consideration BEFORE you communicate.Generation: When you survey members, always ask their generation For example, our young professional group will open more emails if they are a mobile templateTiming of your communicationMode: Email, Social Media, Newspaper, Website, Text MessageTailor your message and learn to say it in different ways to different members.
How many of you are on Facebook personally?For your organization?Have you ever noticed that it seems every few months, Facebook is changing it’s look and how we receive information? Well, that’s not for no reason.
Who said the first quotation?Nobody.But… A picture is worth 1,000 words.With each redesign, Facebook is becoming more visual. Bigger pictures, simpler ways to watch videos.Facebook is adding emphasis to the types of content its users WANT to interact with.You should be doing the same for your members when using any communication tools your Chamber has.Bring them what they want, how they want it, when they want it. Do the research for each communication campaign.
Let’s take a quick break from Facebook to talk about content creation in general. Like it or not, the written word is becoming more and more obsolete. People want to read less and see more. I’m a visual learner -- when Lauren hands me something, I want to see pictures and videos, and I want to receive the message in as few words as possible.
As the survey illustrated, our members prefer to receive Chamber information via our weekly email update. It’s important for us to have some text in our newsletters, but the way we “get away” with that is also by providing intriguing images that make our members want to read more.You’ll see here, this email update was for our 101st Anniversary Reception, which we held at Avanti Marble & Granite. To showcase our Chamber’s goofy personality, we photoshoppedRic and our VP Paul going down into the mines to bring back the grand prize: A granite countertop package valued at $4,500.Every other week, we send out either Chamber News, or Community & Member News. Our Community & Member News updates highlight our member’s news and events. One of the most popular sections is “Celebrating Successes,” where our members can talk about new employees, promotions, awards, and other positive updates. Our members love this, and so do we! By celebrating their successes, we also celebrate our success as a business community, which reflects positively on the Chamber and shows the value of membership to our members.
Social media is a great way to share your member’s successes. According to research by the Pew Research Center’s 2012 Social Networking Survey, 67% of adults use Facebook. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world.
So, we’ve found out where our members are. But, again, what are they looking for while they’re there?Each year, the Chamber publishes a Social Business Survey for our New Media & Technology Conference. While your audience may be online, you have to understand WHY they are online.47% of individuals are on social media to make meaningful connections40% of businesses reported being online to promote their product or service
Social Networking exists to make and complement meaningful, genuine connections, not to sell. Go by the marketing standby: 80% of the information you put out should be helpful or useful to YOUR AUDIENCE, 20% of the information you put can be about your organization.Establish yourself as a community authority by being helpful and genuine via social media, and you’ll see a great ROE - Return on ENGAGEMENT.
Other social networks you can use to nurture your relationships with your members are Twitter. You’ll see here this Chamber does a great job interacting with members on Twitter.They’re welcoming members to the Chamber, talking about educational events, encouraging other to visit members during restaurant week, retweeting member’s posts, and occasionally using Twitter to get out their own message about deadlines.
LinkedIn is another great way to interact with members, specifically for business professionals.We use our LinkedIn to start discussions and post post-event information. It’s also a great place for professional development information, since users on LinkedIn are solely there for a professional purpose.
Recently, we launched a blog for the Chamber. Our plan for the blog is the continue to give our members the content they’re looking for.Positively Frederick is the community category, where any member of the Frederick community can submit a story about something positive that has happened to the them in Frederick County. This, again, helps celebrate successes.The Chamber TV portion of our blog includes episodes of our fun and informative monthly talk show. Each month we host member experts to talk about topics revolving around leadership, advocacy, or education, the three main pillars of our organizational mission. We’re the only Chamber to our knowledge that has a TV show, so we’re very proud of that!We also plan to use our blog as a place to hash out frequently asked questions, discuss issues of local interest, and provide educational value to the business community, by giving our expert members the opportunity to provide timely and relevant information.
In addition to all the tools for online interaction, it’s important to remember that every member of your staff is part of your marketing team. Every time someone answers the phone or has an interaction with another person on behalf of the Chamber, they are contributing to the Chamber’s image.EMPOWER your staff by reminding them that their message matters!Don’t forget to also be UNIQUE. Have your own personality and style for your Chamber.You may be an organization, but people want to interact with individuals.
There’s plenty of ways to measure if your message was communicated. Sometimes it’s the number of event registrations you have, or the open rate of your weekly email update, other times it may be by surveying your members.We highly recommend surveying your members frequently, to make sure your message is communicated. One tool we use to survey our members is Survey Monkey, an online survey tool. On a side note, in addition to Survey Monkey we also use Mail Chimp for our email updates, so whenever anything goes wrong in our office,we blame it on the pesky monkeys.
So, how can you tell your message is received by your audience? Remember to measure it.EXAMPLE: Ric shares story about Charter Government in Frederick County with audience.
When I began researching how other Chamber’s were communicating their message, I discovered a great example of how to display the value of membership to members.Often, your members want to know one thing: WIIFM: What’s in it for me?The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce created a Communications & Marketing Plan that does two things: Identifies who the Chamber is, and tells the audience why they matter.
Today we wanted to provide you with some helpful tools to help you provide information to your members. Take one thing away from today’s presentation: Communication is a RESULT.“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, however they signify quite different thing. Information is giving out; Communication is getting through,” which is what we hope to have achieved with you here today.