Recently I wrote an article on the benefits of joining your local Chamber of Commerce as a way of getting exposure for your business. See "Marketing on the Cheap: Join The What?" at this source or at http://sbmag.org. The Chamber of Commerce is or should be the number one organization in your area promoting business. Your involvement will help them indirectly help your business while giving you direct exposure to a large and viable market.
Now let's look at other organizations you, your business and, of course, your community can benefit from by your involvement, but not in that order.
Service Clubs: There are three major service clubs that come to mind, and I'm sure you are familiar with them to some degree already: Rotary International, Kiwanis International and Lions International.
However, don't just run off and join the largest club in your area just because it's the one that gets the most media coverage. As a matter of fact, you shouldn't be joining a service club at all for the sole purposes of promoting your business. You should be joining because it is the right thing to do. The benefits, and there will be benefits, will come indirectly.
Each of the above mentioned organizations have a main charity or area of interest as a national or worldwide project. Lions International for example is recognized worldwide for their service to the blind and visually impaired. Kiwanis' motto is "Serving the Children of the World", and Rotary has had as a long-term goal of the worldwide eradication of polio. Of course, all these organizations are many years old and have branched out into a number of other humanitarian efforts as well. Beyond the national organization's each local club usually has their own projects and objectives.
Fraternal Organizations: Now that you have joined the Chamber of Commerce and are looking at service clubs, you may also want to consider Fraternal Organizations. The first three that come to mind are: The Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks, Moose International and Fraternal Order of Eagles. Like service clubs, all three of these organizations are national or international with local clubs. However, also like service clubs, there may me others or an independent fraternal organization in your area that is more suited for you and your interests.
Years ago I joined a new Rotary club that just started up in our community. They were, and still are, a great group of people. Their main efforts on the local front was dealing with youth orientated projects, helping to build ball parks, sponsoring scholarships and a few other very worthwhile causes, but no causes I was passionate about. A friend of mine was involved with a group of people that were trying to start a local organization to deal directly with funding anti-drug programs in local schools. My wife being a teacher in the local district, made that seem like a much better place for me to put my efforts. We went on and founded a new Lions Club in which I became a founding officer, a Past President, Lion of the Year and recipient of a national award form Lions International in recognition of my efforts in the fight against drugs. This only happened because I chose the right organization with which to get involved.
I'm not telling you this story just to blow my own horn. Okay, well maybe a little bit. My point is that if you do chose to be a joiner, make it count. Choose one that will give you opportunities of working on projects in which you have an interest.
Once you join a service club or a fraternal organization, get involved! Become active. Consider chairing a committee or becoming part of the leadership. However, don't take on more then you can or want to do. If you make a commitment, make sure you follow through and do the very best job you can. Anything short of that could produce negative public relations for you.
One last thing about belonging to a service club or fraternal organization; your acceptance into one of these organizations is not invitation to unload or launch into a sales pitch at every meeting or at any meetings for that matter. Don't make that mistake. However, there may be opportunities arise for direct marketing such as advertising at club-sponsored events, program guides, newsletters and others. We covered a number of these opportunities in "Marketing On The Cheap: Join The What?", see link above.
No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. We do request that we be informed of where it is posted so reciprocal links can be considered. Email floyd@sbmag.org.
Floyd Snyder is the founder and former owner of Executive Advertising, Camera Ready Art and Strictly Business Magazine. Currently he is the owner of Strictly Business Magazine at http://www.sbmag.org, http://www.FrameHouseGallery.com, http://www.educationresourcesnetwork.com/and http://www.TraderAide.com.
The postcard can be a very powerful marketing tool. Many... Read More
I'm always amazed that people would spend months to develop... Read More
Almost everyone who dreams of starting their own business is... Read More
Direct Mail . . . Newspaper . . . Radio... Read More
With so much money invested on innefective advertising, it's time... Read More
Coupons have proven themselves to be highly effective sales tools... Read More
After spending 30 minutes in a coffee shop with a... Read More
Every January, trade publications put out a list... Read More
Too many loan officer websites look like congested intersections, information... Read More
In the past, purchasing ad space was the solution to... Read More
Sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it? Well, I can tell you... Read More
You want your prospect to make the decision to buy... Read More
Good marketing, whatever form it takes, always meets certain criteria.... Read More
SMS is good for:? Short lead times and immediacy ?... Read More
Business to business communications on the web are as stale... Read More
Do you know what Howard Stern... Oprah Winfrey... and Paul... Read More
If you have been in business any length of time,... Read More
Triple your response from expos by avoiding the top ten... Read More
Owning a small business isn't easy, especially if you are... Read More
In my plethora of experience tucked away between these ears,... Read More
In the last issue we looked at 5 reasons why... Read More
When marketing themselves to leads and prospects there are five... Read More
Let's continue to discuss the various marketing principles that are... Read More
It is often difficult to manage to do marketing tasks... Read More
Business marketers have a lot of weapons in their arsenals... Read More
It was probably first discovered out there in the caves... Read More
Pre-note: In this article, teleclass is an example used to... Read More
1) People are buying in smaller quantities. Our busy lifestyle... Read More
A seasoned networker knows the real meaning of networking --... Read More
If you've never done a postcard mailing, you're probably wondering,... Read More
What is it like from a marketing perspective to be... Read More
Considered a vital link in a show's promotional plan, direct... Read More
In just one month three California vineyards have introduced new... Read More
Are you struggling to find a new twist for... Read More
Personal contact with customers is a crucial element in the... Read More
When you're just starting out in business, it's a safe... Read More
Here's the deal: advertisement is not marketing. It's like saying... Read More
Mailing lists may be the cause of more heartbreaks than... Read More
Business marketers have a lot of weapons in their arsenals... Read More
A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it... Read More
It's a sunny morning and you're sitting in your office.... Read More
Part #26) Food safety is becoming paramount.What this means to... Read More
The job of convincing your existing customers to spend higher... Read More
One person tells another, who tells another, who tells another... Read More
With the Internet opening up the doorway to the global... Read More
"Try not to become a man of success but rather... Read More
Marketing is both an art and a science. Anyone who... Read More
Sales are down, and I need more customers now! Sound... Read More
Interpersonal Communications is the transmission of information from one person... Read More
What is the biggest problem most marketers have? Who knows.... Read More
More And MoreIt was notable that when I started my... Read More
Personal marketing makes it easier to sell, by building relationships... Read More
Too many loan officer websites look like congested intersections, information... Read More
1) Create systemsCreate systems for everything you do, especially those... Read More
Your market is who you want to reach. Your customer.... Read More
Are your marketing messages to Realtors® guilty of these promises?-... Read More
Having run a multi-state franchise company with multiple brands it... Read More
If you use direct mail postcards to generate leads or... Read More
The fight for your customer's attention at a tradeshow has... Read More
A powerful consumer market with annual spending power exceeding $350... Read More
Do you ask prospective clients to go too far?Must your... Read More
So you've decided to start publishing an e-newsletter, or you'd... Read More
Some people have little difficulty attracting and maintaining clients who... Read More
Postcards can drive a huge amount of traffic to your... Read More
When marketing themselves to leads and prospects there are five... Read More
If you're just dipping your toes into the waters of... Read More
Marketing |