Why Joining A Chamber Is A Good Business Move

I had the pleasure of talking with Kristi Howell, President & CEO of the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce (BCCOC).
We discussed reasons why you should join a chamber – and even why she has persuaded some businesses not to join. Here’s some quick tips from our interview about what you should know when shopping for a chamber to join…
Reasons to Join a Chamber? Networking, getting your name better recognized within your community, special chamber discounts, access to committees and learning opportunities.
What to Ask Before you Join? Make sure that the chamber’s goals are aligned with yours. For example, the Burlington Chamber is best known as a B2B (Business-to-Business) chamber. However, some chambers may be focused on tourism, direct selling, restaurants, or having the same zip code in common. Find out what their goals are before you join.
Who Joins A Chamber? All types of businesses can join – from hospitals, consultants, and marketing firms, to lawyers and financial planners.
What Are Benefits of Membership? You are sure to find something that appeals to you  – there are networking events for breakfast, lunch and dinner – after hours too. These encourage personal, face-to-face interactions that can start a new business relationship. Many chambers offer discounted rates on certain products/services to their members. There are special advertising opportunities, and yes, you get to know the fellow businesses within your community. Some chambers are advocates for their community, In the case of the BCCOC, one of the topics that they focus on is minimum wage.
Membership from a Marketing Perspective: There’s a variety of tools that a member can use to promote themselves and their business from within a chamber. Here’s a few:
• Lunch n’ Learns: You get the opportunity to teach a workshop within your area of expertise to fellow members
• Advertising: From e-mail blasts, and newsletters, to banner ads and program sponsorships, there’s plenty of ways to let your fellow memberships learn more about what you have to offer.
• Committees: There’s nothing better than joining a committee to meet new people. It gives you a focus, and a reason to introduce yourself to others. And others will see you hard at work, which showcases how well you get things done.
• Newsletter: Submit an article to the chamber’s newsletter, which gets mailed to all the members.
One of my favorite things about BCCOC is the way they welcome their new member – each one is assigned an Ambassador, who stays with them at events, introduces them to others, and helps them get acclimated. So even if you’re not the most outgoing person in the room, this chamber will put you at ease.
Source: www.bccoc.com
To listen to this segment in its entirety, go to: Marketing Chat with Nancy Sipera, 6/4/13