Social Media Redux

If you haven’t had a chance to read my previous post on social media Is it Just White Noise you should give it a quick read.

As stated before, it’s making noise.  We all need to continue to pay attention to what your members want and the channels they're using to communicate.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the fact that tomorrow will bring a new gadget, app, social media trinket with shining stars for you to engage in and potentially use as your new shiny tool to attract members.

I find myself chasing the elusive “next best thing” from time to time.  At the end of the day, you could probably keep up with all the different social media tools out there (i.e., Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Ning/proprietary site, Wiki’s, blog, etc.), but you’d be exhausted and I’m not sure all your members are on all of these platforms.

My advice, pick the two or three that make the most sense for your chamber and focus on tying them together and communicate a succinct message while maintaining a consistent brand.

Communicate that brand using all communication vehicles you’re used to working with (i.e., website, newsletter, magazine) and add the two or three social media tools you’ve decided to focus your resources on to communicate with your members.

Social media is just one more avenue we can use to communicate effectively with our members.

Let’s not make it the only way we’re communicating with our members!

For additional resources on social media go HERE, HERE and HERE.

Do You Have a Membership Renewal Sales Plan?

Or do you just send that auto invoice and hope for the best?

Use this renewal process as an opportunity to further engage your member.

Most chambers I know have the customary 90, 60 or 30-day auto-invoice.

Do you call your members 120 days out to give them an update on the chamber’s accomplishments and how their dues contributed to that success?

Maybe this is the time to ask for an increase in their support of the organization!  If you give them a reason they just might do it.

BTW, who makes that call?  Here’s a great opportunity for your membership committee volunteers to do some real work.  Create a script for them.  Keep it simple.  Communicate what the chamber has done over the past year:

  • Thank them for being a member;
  • List three accomplishments on behalf of the business community; and
  • Tell them why their financial support is so important.

…and then finish with “The Ask.”

Get a commitment for an upgrade to the next level of membership support and get that updated invoice in the mail.

For more information on membership retention visit ACCE’s website HERE.