As a busy professional, you really can't be reminded enough about the importance of making time to relax and recharge. In fact, according to Oxford Economics, busy professionals in the U.S. only use about 77 percent of their paid time off. And, according to American Express, only 49 percent of business owners take a week off from their business.
If you find it hard to break away for much-needed time to recharge your batteries, you might also feel hard pressed to find time to take advantage of all your Chamber benefits.
However, taking advantage of those benefits matters. According a research study by The Shapiro Group, Inc. and Market Street Services, when consumers know that a small business is a member of their local Chamber of Commerce, they are 44 percent more likely to think favorably of it and 63 percent more likely to purchase goods or services from the company in the future.
Even committing to just one activity, event or exposure opportunity each month can make a big impact on your business.
I’ve provided three insider tips to help you maximize your Chamber benefits—whether you have just 15 minutes or three hours. Choose what fits your schedule and growth goals, and let me know how it helped your business this month. I’d love to hear from you.
15 Minutes
Post a Deal to Drive Traffic to Your Website
Posting Hot Deals or Member to Member Deals (which you can access with your member login) is a great way to promote seasonal specials.
Why?
- Listing a deal is a free benefit for Chamber members, meaning it generates a guaranteed ROI.
- Listing deals help people find your business.
- Including a web link in your deal listing can help drive search engine optimization (SEO) gains for your website.
Because deals only take a couple minutes to set up, there really is no reason NOT to take advantage of this membership benefit.
Drive traffic to your website by including a link in your deal. Link to your home page OR a dedicated landing page where visitors can learn more about the offer and sign up for your monthly newsletter.
The image below shows you where to include your website.
Did you know you can also sign up to receive email alerts when new Hot Deals are added? It's the easiest way to make sure you never miss a great offer!
1 Hour
Enhance Your Hot Deal Listing to Generate Stronger Results
Instead of uploading an image, like a flyer, OR typing a detailed description, do both!
Completing all the fields for your hot deal gives you more ways to stand out.
Use powerful language in your description and headline to inspire people to take action. Think of phrases that evoke excitement, exclusivity, and urgency, like, "limited time offer," "exclusive VIP savings for Chamber members only," or "ends soon!"
Upload an image people will WANT to click on, like a printable coupon. Think coupons are outdated? Statistics reveal they are still a driving force in commerce. According to Valassis, 90 percent of consumers use coupons from a variety of both online and offline sources.
Free services like Canva are easy to use and allow you to create completely customized, professional flyers and coupons, like the example below I created in about five minutes.
The image below shows you where to upload an image and type a description when you create a new hot deal in the member portal.
Looking for an added way to get the word out? Consider emailing a link to your hot deal to other Chamber members in your address book.
3 Hours
Double Date to Make New Professional Connections
Have you been thinking about new ways to expand your professional network? "Double dating," in the professional networking sense, is a great strategy. The next time you have plans to attend a Chamber event, invite a current client, connection or strategic partner. Ask your guest to bring someone they think you should meet, and you do the same for your guest.
Think of all the ways this could be a success. At minimum, you will deepen your existing relationships. And you might just make a new connection with an ideal prospective client or customer you likely wouldn't have met otherwise.
As a busy professional, time may always feel like a scarce resource. That’s why your Chamber provides easy-to-access resources to help you take care of business faster, so you can have a little time back in your day.
How have you leveraged Chamber resources to reach your growth goals? I’d love to hear from you.Patricia McKinney is the Chamber’s Member Engagement Specialist, dedicated to helping Chamber members grow their businesses and take advantage of all the benefits of Chamber membership.
