5 ways to optimize your chamber of commerce experience.[Covid edition]

Hey! you look tired.

Let's take a break from the social media, promoting your site online, juggling SEO, and online stuff.

Why? Because you deserve it and we also have to focus on the personal growth of your business, and you as a professional.

During the past couple of months, I had the opportunity to work with a great local chamber of commerce. I learned many things, and met wonderful people running great businesses. Most of which, I will still keep in touch because they are cool. The point is, you have a great opportunity to join a place, but you have to do your homework. Based on my experience, here is what you should focus on when joining a chamber.

🖐 Get to know the staff!

Every chamber of commerce has an executive director (the OG of the org.) and a board of directors, chosen by the members. These people usually have been in the chamber for ages, and they are the best resource to get you started and point you in the right direction.

💻 Complete your Directory profile

I'm going to be straight up honest with you, most chambers have a crappy looking website, but we are not shallow and will not make fun of them! So let's focus on functionality: When it comes to local businesses, chambers should be about the most visited (generally speaking, do your homework)
Having your business listed in there, means you open a new line of traffic to your own website, and social media channels to potential customers.

🍀 Network like it is your job!

Here is the juice! Your main goal when you join the chamber of commerce is not to sell your goodies (at first) but to meet people that are doing the same thing you are: growing a business. You learn what they have been doing, what it works, and most of the time, you might end up with a referral. That is a win.

💸 Sponsorship opportunities

If you don't have time to network, or don't know many jokes. The fastest way to expose your brand to other members is to sponsor chamber events. All (optimal) chambers host many events per month, most of which have sponsorship opportunities. Sometimes, you get a few minutes at the beginning of the event to talk about what you do. By sponsoring events, you help financially your local chamber of commerce, so Win/Win.

🎉 Host Events

Chambers are constantly doing events. It is what they do! If you have the capabilities to host an event at your place, do so. This is another great opportunity to get fellow members to know your physical address and check out your hit store. Just make sure you clean that bathroom the night before.

A friend of mine told me: Chambers are like gym memberships. You are not going to see any changes just by paying the membership, you have to workout. Running a business is very time consuming at first, but investing some time (properly) on this local organizations will get you a good ROI, and who knows, you might find some new friends along the way!