i had to adjust my strategy to get fewer, but larger projects…

to be honest, i am no longer active in that chamber. so, i am not sure how active they are.

but that said, with all the time i spend on twitter and facebook and blogs, i don’t ever see anything referencing the chamber…

i will forward frank’s contact info to a few people i know still active there…

thanks!

I’m commenting on this post looonng after you wrote it. Wondering if your Chamber of Commerce has picked up on social media yet. We’ve been using it to great effect for the Clovis Chamber, picking up new members, engaging some we never see in person and generally building an even stronger reputation for providing value to members.

If your chamber is still working on it, I know of a Social Media expert who is touring the U.S. over the next year and he is specifically working with Chambers of Commerce. He used social media to double the size of his chamber.

His name is Frank Kenny and you can find out more at http://frankjkenny.com/

Hope you’re doing well!

Thanks,
Beth Bridges
The Networking Motivator ™

In my 2 1/2 years experience with the local chamber (Trail & District Chamber of Commerce http://www.trailchamber.com ) I found that the Trail cChamber and most all chambers of commerce in the province of British Columbia, Canada, as well as most other chambers of commerce have limited financial resources, and limited social media development expertise, but the definite need for social media tools and training so I decided it was time that I created a central social network for chambers to to connect, share and inspire each other and give them access to engaging content that can teach them about social media, and show them how they can make it available for their members.

Yes, there are a few networks for chambers to connect that have been made available because of the Ning social media creation tool, but being an avid user of Ning since day one, I found that it has it’s limitations to create a truly dynamic and flexible social network for chambers. So I resourced a more flexible open source social network development environment that could provide chambers and small businesses a set of social media tools to network and become centrally engaged above the networking opportunities offered at bricks and mortar social network locations such as Facebook and Twitter.

The goal in 2010 is to launch ChamberVoice.com http://www.chambervoice.com which includes Chamber! Answers and Chamber! Micro http://www.chambervoice.com/microblog and provide a set of active resources full of dynamic content that all chambers and small business people can turn to find helpful info on how to grow their chamber of commerce and assist small business.

In January I will begin added screencast videos and rich media enabled tutorial guides to show chambers and their staff how they can implement their own ChamberVoice.com type social networks for their local chamber and area.

ChamberVoice.com and Chambervoice.com/microblog are currently in beta testing at this time, but they are fully functional and can be used now. The network provides:

1. ChamberVoice.com Social Network – has full rich media enabled social network features and forums for members to demonstrate their chambers and small business expertise – thereby helping them both contribute value to their fellow members AND perhaps find new clients.

2) Chamber! Answers – a Yahoo! Answers type question and answers section for chambers to ask, answer and discover things about chambers, small business and tourism. Yahoo! Answers and other answers sites are fine to promote chambers, but they are not focused on Chambers and small business, and Chamber! Answers is focused exclusively on chambers small business and tourism categories.

3) Chamber! Micro – Facebook and Twitter are fine to provide chambers with the short messaging tools to promote and market chambers, but they lack the chamber related focus to identify and attract and keep new prospective members engaged after the initial hype has worn off! That’s why chambers need a central chamber of commerce focused Twiiter type social network such as ChamberVoice Micro. Take a look at http://www.chambervoice.com/microblog and you’ll find that it offers Twitter features, but with Group and dynamic media capabilities that can be tailored to a chamber’s needs and that of their members.

If Building community is the main goal of social networking, then chambers need their own social network so they can brand chambers and what chambers have to offer members.

Early in 2010, the goal is to gain some early adopters that understand the benefits of social media to chambers and provide them the opportunities and the social media forum for them and members to shine and demonstrate their products or services!

Check out the beta of these chamber focused social networks:
http://www.chambervoice.com/
http://www.chambervoice.com/microblog/

I do hope to attract others to join in and assist me to create an dynamic and engaging social media network for chambers and members that is focused on open source and sharing of ideas and content that all chambers and their members can benefit from.

Look forward to hearing any feedback and ideas, suggestions. I am but one person, and I share the ideas of many others that chambers need to become social media aware sooner rather than later to provide members long term benefits.

Randy McCallum
Founder
ChamberVoice.com
rustymac@chambervoice.com
250-368-9877
Director – Trail & District Chamber

Our goals are to increase the Chamber’s visibility, position ourselves as leaders by using the tools and showing our members how to use them, to increase traffic to our website, connect better with Gen Y, and for me – as Membership Director – recruiting and retention of members.

What we’re doing: staff are all on LinkedIn and Facebook, we run a Facebook group called Clovis is a Way of Life, we have a blog, I Twitter, we use BlitzTime.com for Virtual Networking, and we post videos on YouTube.

At first it seems difficult to fit into our already maxed responsibilities, but we’re finding that it can be quicker than other marketing tools and more efficient (i.e. free).

Thanks for bringing this to people’s attention. As we say in my Chamber, if you have the suggestion, you get to be the Committee chair!

Regards,
Beth