Social Media: Content Rules

The book Content Rules is a must read by any chamber who wants to start or raise their game when it comes to social media.

The book has many great suggestions but I wanted to focus on the frequency template that they describe.

The 1, 7, 30, 4, 2, 1 rule:

• 1 – daily tweets
• 7 – weekly blog post
• 30 – monthly blog post on a recent meeting
• 4 – quarterly research paper
• 2 – biannual webinar roundtable
• 1 – annual best practices, book, etc.

And don’t forget the title of the book, Content Rules. That's key!

Your social media should not be used as just another marketing tool. Use it to deliver content and encourage discussion on the important topics facing the business community, like growing their business, complying with regulations and electing pro-business candidates.

It’s been said before you can’t be all things to all people. The same is true with social media. You can’t be on all platforms and be successful!

Find out where your members are hanging out in the social media space and build a reputation in that space. It could be a blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, or some other platform.

It seems to me that every time I turn around a new tool is introduced in social media and is hyped as the next best thing.

Go where your members are and potential members are, don’t wait for them to come to you.

Content Rules!

For the latest articles in content marketing go to the Content Marketing Institute’s blog HERE.

Past Chairman’s Club

What a great resource that’s at your fingertips.

If you don’t have a “Past Chairman’s Club” you might think about creating one.

The following reasons are just a few good examples of why they could become your best asset and sounding board.

What might you add to the list?

• They no longer have a dog in the fight;
• They are seen as an elder statesman;
• Great sounding board for new ideas; and
• They could be a buffer to current board members.

The key to a successful “Past Chairman’s Club” is all in the set-up. Set ground rules:

• Attendance is mandatory;
• Financial support of the organization; and
• Confidentiality.

What should you do in return? Create a special program for the “Past Chairman’s Club” (i.e., breakfast speaker series that will enhance their knowledge or business). It’s important to meet on a regular basis (i.e., quarterly, or bi-annually).

Once you decide on the frequency, stick with it. They will put it on their calendars as a must attend event.

In my opinion, this is a case of “if you build it, they will come.”

Applications for Committee Participation

A strong volunteer structure ensures a successful chamber!

It has been said before our volunteers need to be the leaders in the community.

But in addition to that, they need to commit to your organization if they are to participate on a committee or your board.

At the very least, the following needs to be considered when selecting potential new committee members:

• Intellectually committed;
• Willing to participate (mandatory attendance on key meetings);
• A leader in the community; and
• Financial commitment.

If your volunteers don’t commit to the organization, why would your members? Remember, we are membership organizations.

Your members need to lead!

For an example on how one association handles the application process for committee participation go HERE.

Controversial Issues – Take a Stand!

It’s not supposed to be easy all the time.

 

A controversial issue for one chamber may not be controversial for another.

What topics in your community would be a “hot issue” or “controversial issue?”

The following items are just a couple of examples of what might be a hot topic in your community.

What would you add to the list?

 

• Endorsing a candidate for public office;
• Support/oppose a specific piece of legislation; or
• Supporting a new building project

 

I, like many others, suggest you should address it head on. Do your research, bring it before the board and publically tell your members why you’re going to take that position.

 

It’s been said here before, be transparent. As long as you’ve done your due diligence and the board has signed off, don’t back down. Publically support or oppose the action that your board took a stand on.

 

At the end of the day, your chamber will gain respect and many would suggest more members.

 

I remember a chamber executive telling me many years ago, “if you’re getting shot at, you know you’re over the target.”

 

Something to think about!

When Hiring Staff Set Your Expectations

What do you look for when hiring a new staff member to join our team?

There is no question that the wrong hire can be devastating to your chamber.

I’d like to share a general philosophy I’ve used over the years when hiring new staff members.

While this is only one aspect of what I look for in a new employee, it’s worth a review.

• Professional – very simply, this means to me, looking professional (dress), acting professional (treat others with respect).  We are a social society and what is one of the first questions you get when you meet someone new?  Where do you work?  That staff person is an extension of your organization 24/7.  We’re all always on!

• Positive Attitude – our staff’s are doing more with less over the past couple of years.  There is nothing worse than a negative attitude, the rumor mill that will make any chamber become dysfunctional, especially with the small staffs that many of us work under.

• Strong Work Ethic – while this is tough to detect in an interview, you want a person that is self-motivated and a smart hard worker.  These are the people who will always do the right thing whether anybody is watching or not.

• Results Oriented – are your staff members focused on the chambers bottom line?  Are they cognizant to the fact that the organization met its overall recruiting goal, retention goal, or met the number of attendees at your annual meeting?

If you hire people who have the above attributes and are results oriented I suggest you’re going to hire a winner.

And, your chamber will be better off because of it!

Managing Volunteers: Setting Expectations

As staff leaders, it’s important for us to set expectations for our volunteers.

Have you considered giving them a job description?

If not, I suggest you do.

Being selected to join a committee is an honor and a responsibility to support the organization goes with that commitment.

I suggest two things:

1. Create a job description and hand it out at your next volunteer orientation session.  Your volunteers will take your lead.
2. And after that, if they don’t commit, thank them for their service and recruit a new member to join your leadership team.

Remember, being on a committee is a resume builder for each of your volunteers.  They need to earn that honor.

I’ve said it before, set the expectations up front.  No surprises!  Let them know you want their intellectual capital, full participation and financial support.

Don’t accept anything less!

For additional resources on volunteer management go HERE and HERE.

Young Professional Groups

Why do we divide up our membership and is it the right thing to do?

If your chamber is like most chambers you’ve started, thought about starting or you’ve already disbanded your young professional group.

The concept sounds good, start a young professional group to bring in fresh faces and grow your membership.

The challenge is why commit to a program that is separate and many times has a different focus than your mission.

At least early indications show that many young professional groups were just another networking event at the local watering hole amongst them-selves and did nothing to help the bottom line of the chamber or its mission.

Shouldn’t they be networking with your seasoned members? Creating new contacts across generations? That’s how I was taught to get ahead, network with people who have more experience than you and more contacts than you.

To me we’re just creating a new silo within our organizations. Speaking of silos, haven’t we spent the last ten years trying to dismantle them?

Our chambers should be promoting programs that benefit all our members not just certain segments, right?

In the financial world we’re very aware of the transfer of wealth for the aging baby boomers to their kids.

Shouldn’t the same concept hold true for the next generation of business leaders? Where else will they go?

They should network with your current members. We need to be in the business of raising the tide for all our boats (members).

Just a thought!