Chamber Web Revenue

In May, WebLink will host the WebLink Summit, our annual marketing, technology and social media conference for member-based organizations.

For more than 10 years, this conference has attracted forward-thinking executives from some of the best business associations and chambers of commerce in North America.

What makes this conference so special?  Simple:  Our focus and our attendees.

There is no other conference dedicated to providing the technology information shared at the WebLink Summit -...

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Technology surrounds us everyday.  Most of it is even beneficial. :-)

It seems like just about everything is now being hosted in "the cloud" or turned into "as a service."  

There is even a company called Dollar Shave Club that recently began delivering razors to your door each month - for a low monthly fee, of course.  Razors As A Service - what's next?

Over the last 10 years or so, association management software and membership database software have followed this trend so association executives...

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During his inaugural address in 1961, John Kennedy famously said:

"...Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans..."

Now, more than 50 years later, Kennedy's sentiments seem relevant again as Millennials come of age and become a driving force in the marketplace and grows into a leadership role that is defining the American landscape and marketplace.

This transition creates an opportunity for...

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I was looking at the list of top 100 brands the other day and how they do what they do. Sure, we all know that companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Nike, Disney, and Apple have great brands. When we think of them, we’re instantly flooded with the feelings that their marketers have taught us to feel. But these are large companies. And associations and chambers don’t have nearly the budget or resources to put into branding.

So, what can associations learn from these megabrands?

1. Live and breathe...

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With all the buzz in associations about social media and digital communications, now is a great time to swim upstream a bit.  Seriously, when is the last time you received a great print marketing piece?  One that not only stays on your desk, but as a membership or marketing professional, you show off to other association professionals. 

In a world of 140 character messages that are likely viewed while you are in line at the grocery store or waiting for an elavator don't you occassionally want to...

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You've heard of the book "Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers," right?  What things are you doing today that seem a "must do" that you can stop doing to help you serve your members more effectively?   Or, what changes can you make that will help your organization adapt and thrive? 

Social media – and technology in general - has made it easier than ever for business associations, chambers of commerce and membership organizations to reach more of your audience more often AND when and where they...

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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about vendor vs. partner relationships in regard to associations and their members. Today I want to expand on that and talk about how a redesign for your association’s website can help support your efforts.

Of course, having a website is important. But having an effective website can mean more members, more engaged members, higher retention, and more non-dues revenue.

Are you considering a new association website? Here are six tips for establishing a website that...

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Consider these two definitions:

Vendor- one that sells

Partner- a person who shares in a mutually beneficial relationship

So, do your members consider you a partner? Would it have a positive impact on your chamber of commerce or association if more of your members thought of you as a partner? If you invested more in your members’ success, would your association become more successful?  

If your goal is just to increase membership or bring in more revenue for your association, you might find some...

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By Pam Sefrino, National Sales Manager

Do you really know what’s happening in your membership? What are your members truly interested in? What events or workshops have the attended in the past year? How long have they been a member for that matter, and why do they stay?   And, how can you use this information to help improve retention and even generate new members sales?

Many business associations and chambers of commerce abandon what I like to call “member discovery” because it’s just too much...Read More » »

By Pam Sefrino, National Sales Manager

We all know that one of the primary reasons that companies join business associations and chambers of commerce is to network, have access to resources and grow their own business.

One very simple (but often overlooked) thing that business associations do unknowingly to hamper members’ opportunities for business growth is unintentionally hide their member directory – which is essentially a business directory – on their web site. More on this in a minute.

Some...Read More » »

By Pam Sefrino, National Sales Manager

Your members want more. That’s the bottom line. The biggest question they are asking themselves when they actually take a minute during the craziness of their day to consider your association is, “what’s in it for me?” or “how am I really benefitting from this?”

Every day, association professionals face the challenge of not only providing increased value to their members, but figuring out exactly what an individual member finds valuable, providing...Read More » »

by Aaron Cox, Membership Management Specialist

I have seen the puzzled look on the faces of board members, volunteers and sadly even staff at chambers of commerce and business associations when asked the question, “Do you know anyone else that would benefit from membership in your organization?”

While referrals are one of the best ways to generate new membership sales, existing members often understand the value they receive from the organization but can’t always readily see the same benefits for...Read More » »

Last week, I presented a session at the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP) 90th Annual Meeting called, "Social Media Strategy for Impacting Member Sales & Retention."   It was great to see how many chambers of commerce have implemented social media into their communications efforts!

I follow around 700-800 chambers of commerce and their staff on Twitter and Facebook and I see several chambers doing a great job of engaging their members and finding ways to demonstrate the...Read More » »

We know that one of the main reasons companies join chambers of commerce is to increase their business.  And the exposure your members gain via your website is the single largest way you can promote them and drive traffic to their business.

The value that members receive from exposure on - and traffic from - your chamber’s website often justifies their membership renewal each year.  And, that value can be used to acquire new members, plus generate non-dues revenue through website advertising.

With...Read More » »

In the past year, I've seen dozens of chambers of commerce dramatically increase their use of social media, especially Twitter and Facebook.   I've noticed a few chambers of commerce that have truly created their own community of followers on Twitter, too. 

These chambers not only promote their own events and news, but they highlight their members (using their Twitter IDs) and they engage them with conversations.   And, their members even end up promoting each other in addition to recommending...Read More » »

The Zionsville IN Chamber of Commerce (just northwest of Indianapolis) recently announced a new marketing initiative using technology to promote their community.   However, several of the community's business owners are not exactly enamored with the plan.   Read the full article here.

The Chamber has purchased advertising on electronic billboards at the baggage claim area of Indianapolis International Airport.  While this is a technology used by many companies to reach their target audience, I...Read More » »

Within the past two years, we’ve seen well-established newspapers fold as readership numbers plummet. The culprit? The internet, of course. As this CNN article points out, newspapers are “losing their relevance in the lives of a majority of Americans, particularly younger readers.”

And this trend isn’t isolated to just newspapers – it affects chambers of commerce and business associations. Today, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce (a WebLink International client) announced they will cease...Read More » »

Earlier this week I posted Part 1 of 10 Things Chambers of Commerce Can Do To Improve Their Websites.   Today, I continue with Part 2.

5. Cross promote your social media activities – You’ve probably got a Twitter account, a blog, a Facebook page and a LinkedIn profile.  You might even have a Flickr account or a YouTube channel.  How will your site visitors know about these unless you tell them? Include social media icons on your home page (every page would be better) and link them to your...Read More » »

While perusing the U.S. News and World Report’s website today I came across a few lists of “Bests” -- America’s Best Places to Find a Job, 10 Best Places to Grow Up, etc. And yet, when I went to some of those city’s websites, there was no mention of these honors -- a missed opportunity for the chambers of commerce, the visitor’s convention bureaus and any other city website really.

Maybe my college liked to brag too much, but whenever something like this was announced and we were on the list,...Read More » »

Over the past few weeks, I've spent quite a bit of time talking face to face with chamber of commerce executives, both at the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Convention and the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) Academy.  We've talked about improving retention, increasing new members sales, generating non-dues revenue and more. But by far the hottest topic has been social media.

I find it puzzling that so many chambers of commerce are still "holding off" on using...Read More » »