15 Reasons Businesses Should Join the Chamber

Do you wish you had more help at the office without having to come out-of-pocket for the additional salaries, service fees, and overhead costs? We understand that feeling because your Chamber of Commerce is comprised of small business owners and administrators like you who are looking for ways to reduce fees while getting more accomplished. With social media marketing resources, competition across all industries is fierce! You need to find a way to teach the community about your products and services without going over budget on advertising. That's why now, more than ever, businesses rely on the Chamber for a multitude of included benefits that are offered to members. There are a plethora of Chamber benefits you can use for growing your business. In this article, we discuss our favorite 15. Read on to see which of these amazing opportunities will help your business the most!

1. Free Marketing Services
   Probably the first thing you want to know about is the Chamber's array of included marketing services available to its members. Your Chamber of Commerce will have several avenues to pursue to promote member business websites, events, and promotions. For starters, the membership directory is published on their website and often times in the local newspaper. This directory listing puts your business name in front of community members. Moreover, since you listed your business with the Chamber of Commerce, people know you run a valid business. Therefore, the directory alone improves your credibility with consumers. But, the Chamber goes far beyond the membership directory to publish your business events on its website and promote your company name with events that you sponsor. Since a 2012 study by the Schapiro Group revealed 80% of consumers are more likely to buy a product from a Chamber member, each marketing strategy they offer carries considerably more weight than going it alone. 
   
   
2. Get a Higher SEO Ranking
   In addition to the aforementioned marketing perks to having your company name associated with the Chamber of Commerce, just being listed on the Chamber's website boosts your SEO ranking! With so many online shoppers these days, achieving a high ranking spot on the search return list for your products and services is a top priority for every business owner. Since the SEO bots search for credible businesses, a link to your business website on the Chamber's well-regarded and long-established website will tell the bots your business can be a trusted source for information. As a result, when a user searches for keywords found on your website, your business will rank above a competitor that cannot boast such lofty online connections. Plus, you can take this backlinking to the next level by asking your new Chamber friends who manage related websites to place your business link on their websites, which will signal to the SEO bots that your website is very popular and likely to contain helpful information users are looking to find.
   
   
3. Make Business Contacts at Social Events
   You may be wondering how you would go about meeting these fellow Chamber members. That's the fun part! The Chamber of Commerce hosts many events throughout the year where you can mingle with the leaders of the community, build relationships with compatible business owners, and talk shop with your competition. These events provide an invaluable networking opportunity, especially for companies that primarily target local area consumers to create revenue.  
   
   
4. Generate Leads Through Networking
   Marking business contacts is an extremely important part of building a business, but let's talk about the endgame - sales! Since Chamber members enjoy supporting other members, you can use networking at these Chamber social events to build brand awareness for your products and services and generate sales leads. Just make certain you bring enough business cards to hand out.   
   
   
5. Generate Leads Through Sponsoring Events
   If you would like to reach more members to promote your brand with to attract new leads, sponsoring one of the Chamber events is a fabulous way to place your company name and logo in front of all the event participants. Then, by meeting and greeting the attendees, you have a chance to hand out business cards and chat about the highlights of your products and services. Try using this time to share a special promotion or offer coupons printed on the back of your card.
   
   
6. Gain a Mentor
   Another way to use these social opportunities to your strategic advantage is to introduce yourself to some of your industry and general business heroes. There are many successful professional men and women actively participating in and sponsoring events hosted by the Chamber, and they all remember how it felt to start out with no connections and very little capital to invest. Looking for the event sponsors to see which area of the Chamber holds the most interest for your gurus is a great way to make sure you have a chance to shake hands.
   
   
7. Access the Membership Email List
   You don't have to wait for a social occasion to build brand awareness and generate leads with all the Chamber's database of members. Simply use the membership email distribution list for your eblast campaign that spotlights your monthly promotion or special event. To make the best use of this medium, keep videos to less than 20 seconds in length and use eye-catching images.
   
   
8. Receive Business Discounts
   Everyone can use a break on office supplies and equipment when starting a business. Part of your membership includes discounts from Chamber partners on commonly purchased business items. Couple this with the free marketing services, networking benefits and SEO ranking assistance, and you have the beginnings of a successful venture without breaking the bank. 
   
   
9. Gain a Voice in the Government 
   When something is holding your business back from thriving, it is good to know you have a powerful ally in your corner. The Chamber of Commerce advocates on behalf of its small business members at the local, state, and federal levels. If you need changes in the law to be enacted to grow your business, the Chamber is one resource you will want to utilize.
   
   
10. Reduce Your Membership Cost!
    With all these benefits, you must be thinking it costs an arm and a leg to join! However, you would be surprised at the affordability of your starting membership dues as compared to such expenses as hiring a marketing service or purchasing an ad campaign, hosting and sponsoring a community event on your own, and paying full retail price on all office supplies. This is why business owners and managers are happy to work together in the Chamber to keep the costs low and budget-friendly. In fact, many businesses can take a tax deduction for their membership dues! Check with your accountant to see if you qualify for this deduction.
    
11. Use Chamber Newsletters to Stay Informed
    Watching the local news channels and reading the paper will help you stay current with the latest in your community. However, the Chamber's own newsletter will keep you in the loop with local business happenings. Find out what your competition is doing to promote brand awareness, read stories about some of your business contacts, or use this medium to highlight your own special happenings. 
    
    
12. Learn More at Professional Development Events
    Growth often cannot be sustained without industry knowledge and on-going business-related training. Professional development is crucial to such areas as learning more efficient ways to manage time and money or how changing laws will affect your place of business, workers, or consumer base. The Chamber offers many opportunities to learn from the experts.  
    
    
13. Become an Advocate for Small Businesses
    Do you have solutions to political issues affecting small businesses? Are you looking for changes in the laws to make it easier to conduct business in your industry? Getting involved in the Chamber's lobbying efforts is a great way to step into the political arena and be heard.
    
    
14. Volunteer at Events
    The Chamber has many ways for you to volunteer your time and talents. Giving back makes you feel good and also enables you to have a chance to bond with fellow chamber members. Chamber events, in particular, can afford you the chance to meet some of the Chamber board members and long-standing Chamber members.
    
    
15. Support Your Business Community 
    Supporting your Chamber with your membership dues and volunteer work benefits the business community overall. When all local businesses stand together and share the workload, more can be accomplished and the community can thrive. This is what the Chamber is all about, and you have a myriad of ways to serve in the Chamber to keep the support flowing.

As you can see from our top 15 reasons to join the Chamber of Commerce, it is much harder to find a reason not to join! The visibility in the community and free marketing services alone are worth the cost of membership. But, joining brings you so many more advantages that build brand awareness and generate leads on your own. So, what are you waiting for? Join your local Chamber of Commerce and get started with making a splash in your business community today!