Chamber Express: March 2009

Many of you have been wondering why you did not receive our News To Use in January and February 2009. Its nice to know we have been missed! Actually, we purposely did not have our newsletter the first two months of the year. As with each of you, and most businesses around the country, we are regrouping in order to better serve our clients. Though many of you have enjoyed the monthly newsletter, we also have noticed that our readership has declined slightly. So, starting with our March News To Use, you will see our newsletter every other month. Our editions will focus on not just suggestions on how you can assist your members, but HOW TO's.

We hope you enjoy the new format, and as always, please keep your comments coming! We read them all and will continue to make changes based on your feed back.

Blogging - Should we or shouldn't We? - There are presently more than 130 million blogs on the Internet, according to San Francisco-based blog tracker Technorati.

While it's not clear how many of those are corporate, it's safe to say that your own message can risk getting lost in the mix unless you can help drive traffic to your blogsite, say experts.

Do:

Submit your blog to search engines.
Submit your blog to blog directories
Add a link to your blog in your e-mail signature file and on every page of your Web site.
If you publish a newsletter, make sure you have a link to your blog.
Include a link to your blog as a standard part of all outgoing correspondence and print the URL on your business cards, brochures and fliers.

Don't

Start a blog if you don't have someone to monitor it and post to it daily.
Start a blog unless everyone involved in the organization is on board with it and can commit time to posting and responding to posts

Facebook - Should We or Shouldn't We?

Facebook is probably the social network that has the broadest audience and the most community functionality of any of the big services right now. We are seeing more and more chambers getting on Facebook. Here are some suggestions if your Chamber is thinking about using Facebook as a tool to stay connected with your members and beyond.

Individuals. Make sure that some people in your company are on Facebook as individuals. This is the best way to learn how people use Facebook if you haven’t already used it. I would start by getting a personal account, entering your personal profile information, and finding a few people that you know. It’s a great way to learn more about how people use Facebook, and it will help you better understand how to use it for your company.
Company page. After you are comfortable using Facebook as an individual, you should create a company page. Do not create a personal profile on Facebook for your company. Those look artificial and weird in addition to being outside of what people expect to see on Facebook. A company page lets you provide information about your company along with an event calendar, video, photos, discussion board, and much more. People can then choose to become “fans” of your company, and you can use this page as a lightweight community effort. View the Gwinnett Chamber on Facebook
Groups. You can create a group on Facebook around any imaginable topic. I’ve seen groups used fairly successfully for lightweight community activities, especially when they also involve an in person element. (As an Alumni of Leadership Gwinnett, I am now part of that Group on Facebook).
Causes. A friend of mine posted on Facebook a request to sign a petition demanding answers from Bailed-Out Banks. This is just one of many causes that can spread VERY Quickly through the Facebook Community and beyond!

From The President:

I hope you find this newsletter helpful as you face the economic challenges facing each of us. If you have suggestions for content you would like to see in our News To Use, please email me. I wish each of you a prosperous March!

Joanne Taylor

Join the ChamberExpress Group on Facebook!



	Helping Chambers Services About Us Careers Online Payments	Many of you have been wondering why you did not receive our News To Use in January and February 2009. Its nice to know we have been missed! Actually, we purposely did not have our newsletter the first two months of the year. As with each of you, and most businesses around the country, we are regrouping in order to better serve our clients. Though many of you have enjoyed the monthly newsletter, we also have noticed that our readership has declined slightly. So, starting with our March News To Use, you will see our newsletter every other month. Our editions will focus on not just suggestions on how you can assist your members, but HOW TO's. We hope you enjoy the new format, and as always, please keep your comments coming! We read them all and will continue to make changes based on your feed back. Blogging - Should we or shouldn't We? - There are presently more than 130 million blogs on the Internet, according to San Francisco-based blog tracker Technorati. While it's not clear how many of those are corporate, it's safe to say that your own message can risk getting lost in the mix unless you can help drive traffic to your blogsite, say experts. Do: Submit your blog to search engines. Submit your blog to blog directories Add a link to your blog in your e-mail signature file and on every page of your Web site. If you publish a newsletter, make sure you have a link to your blog. Include a link to your blog as a standard part of all outgoing correspondence and print the URL on your business cards, brochures and fliers. Don't Start a blog if you don't have someone to monitor it and post to it daily. Start a blog unless everyone involved in the organization is on board with it and can commit time to posting and responding to posts Facebook - Should We or Shouldn't We? Facebook is probably the social network that has the broadest audience and the most community functionality of any of the big services right now. We are seeing more and more chambers getting on Facebook. Here are some suggestions if your Chamber is thinking about using Facebook as a tool to stay connected with your members and beyond. Individuals. Make sure that some people in your company are on Facebook as individuals. This is the best way to learn how people use Facebook if you haven’t already used it. I would start by getting a personal account, entering your personal profile information, and finding a few people that you know. It’s a great way to learn more about how people use Facebook, and it will help you better understand how to use it for your company. Company page. After you are comfortable using Facebook as an individual, you should create a company page. Do not create a personal profile on Facebook for your company. Those look artificial and weird in addition to being outside of what people expect to see on Facebook. A company page lets you provide information about your company along with an event calendar, video, photos, discussion board, and much more. People can then choose to become “fans” of your company, and you can use this page as a lightweight community effort. View the Gwinnett Chamber on Facebook Groups. You can create a group on Facebook around any imaginable topic. I’ve seen groups used fairly successfully for lightweight community activities, especially when they also involve an in person element. (As an Alumni of Leadership Gwinnett, I am now part of that Group on Facebook). Causes. A friend of mine posted on Facebook a request to sign a petition demanding answers from Bailed-Out Banks. This is just one of many causes that can spread VERY Quickly through the Facebook Community and beyond! From The President: I hope you find this newsletter helpful as you face the economic challenges facing each of us. If you have suggestions for content you would like to see in our News To Use, please email me. I wish each of you a prosperous March! Joanne Taylor Join the ChamberExpress Group on Facebook!
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