Today's issue contains the Top Five Ways to Maximize Your Chamber Membership, an explanation of The Power of Television as an advertising medium and part one of a two part series describing 10 Simple Tips to More Effective Trade Shows.
More on the new Want Ads section:
If you do not place a free Want Ad, you are missing a fantastic opportunity! Your fellow subscribers provide all types of products and services: cell phones, IT consulting, investment banking, legal services, general construction, office furniture - the list goes on and on.
Here is the deal. Tell us what you want and your posting will be sent to over 2,630 business professionals in next month's issue. Those people will either contact you to offer their service or guide you to someone who can. This is called virtual networking.
Your only dues for receiving The Next Level are to pass it along to anyone you think may benefit. And keep emailing us the subjects you would like to see.
In the digital age of technology, with perks like e-mail and cell phones, the personal aspect of dealing with people face-to-face is sometimes lost in the mix. If you work solely from your business, prospective clients won't know who you are and what you are about. Putting yourself out there and meeting people will make them think of you the next time they need services or products in your field. Connecting an actual person with a product or service can do wonders for the growth of a company. This relationship building is why networking is key in business success today and becoming an active member of a Chamber of Commerce is a great way to do just that.
A Chamber of Commerce functions to connect business with business. A common goal of most chambers is to create synchronization with business, education and government in a given community. The main purpose of a Chamber of Commerce is to serve its membership by helping them grow as business professionals and by helping in the expansion of their businesses.
A Chamber sets the stage for its members by providing them with advertising, networking, educational and promotional opportunities, but it's up to the members to perform. Simply joining and paying monthly dues alone is not going to help improve the success of your company, just as purchasing an educational book is not going to instantly make you smarter. You have to actively read the book like you have to actively participate in the Chamber to get value.
Here are the top five ways that you can maximize your Chamber experience:
Interview the Chamber. Talk to the Chamber and find out everything that they can offer you. Research their goals and their audience to determine if they can help grow your business.
Join up and jump in. Get Involved! Join a Chamber committee, it is a great way to get involved with the community, to meet people and to have fun. If your schedule doesn't permit this, then attend Chamber events. Make sure to show up at business card exchanges and other Chamber functions to network, network, network!!
Look for clients, suppliers and strategic alliances. This means strategically plan your networking ahead of time. Determine who will best benefit you and vice versa.
Use the tools available. Take advantage of the low advertising rates in Chamber newsletters and buyers guides. Submit articles and press releases about your business, it is a great way to get exposure among your fellow members. Link your web site to the Chamber's and also take advantage of broadcast fax opportunities.
Help the Chamber grow. Bring people into the Chamber. Create double-win situations by shopping the Chamber and by making Chamber referrals. Word of mouth is a great way to obtain business.
With the Chamber's goal of helping its members succeed, remember you have to participate to make it happen.
Colleen Fairman is Communications Director of the Greater Willow Grove Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at cfairman@willowgrovechamber.com or 215-657-2227.
True or False? 1. Television reaches more people than any other medium (i.e. Radio, Newspaper, Internet, Magazines) 2. Adults spend more time with Television each day than any other medium. 3. Television advertising has the best perception among adults. 4. More adults learn about products from Television than any other medium.
All the above statements are TRUE.
In advertising, it is important to reach as many people in your target as possible. The more people who see or hear your message, the greater the chance you have of creating a lasting brand or selling a product or service. Television reaches 93% of adults in the United States. All other mediums reach significantly less. On a daily basis, Radio reaches 76%, Newspaper reaches 63%, Magazines reach 42% and the Internet only reaches 35% of adults. Television also reaches a more desirable adult market, one with higher incomes and more education.
On average, adults spend an astounding 253 minutes watching Television each day. That is almost double the next closest medium, Radio, with 128 minutes. Adults spend 45 minutes a day on the Internet, 30 minutes reading the Newspaper and 19 minutes reading Magazines.
Television advertising is also perceived by adults as the best and most prestigious form of advertising. 78% feel it is the most influential medium, 74% believe it is the most exciting, 66% feel it is the most persuasive and 49% believe it is the most authoritative. Depending on the product or service, Television can add a sense of legitimacy that cannot be as easily achieved by other mediums.
Finally, Television is extremely informative due to its ability to simultaneously transmit both visual and audio messages. 52% of adults learn about products and services primarily from Television. Much fewer adults are informed by other forms of media: Magazines 17%, Newspapers 15%, Internet 10% and Radio 6%.
A company that would benefit most from the use of TV would be one whose advertising goal is to reach people with higher incomes or decision makers while building a brand or driving traffic to a retail location. It is also important the company can sell to, or service, the entire market. Law Firms, Retail Store chains, Utilities and Transportation companies, among many others, typically benefit from the broad reach and prestige of TV advertising.
As powerful as Television can be, it is not the right choice to achieve every company's advertising objectives. While it is great at reaching decision makers of companies, creating an image for a company and delivering information quickly, it can be cost prohibitive. Additionally, Television covers an entire market. A small retailer with a trading area of a mile or two will experience a lot of waste using Television.
As with any advertising, it is critical to first clearly detail your objectives and then decide the best way to achieve them. Television can be a powerful tool and very important part of any advertising campaign if used effectively.
David Yost is Account Executive for Viacom Station Sales (CBS, UPN). He can be reached at P:215-574-5769, e-mail: djyost@cbs.com
By the time you factor in the production of a booth, cost to exhibit, membership and/or registration fee and the travel and entertainment expenses for attendees to go to a tradeshow, it might seem that the costs far outweigh the benefits of going. But this could not be further from the truth.
Tradeshows are a fabulous venue to gain brand awareness, introduce new products/services and cultivate new sales leads and prospects within your own industry or others you are seeking to target. Your success with a tradeshow all depends on how you leverage your own resources and those available to you at the conference/tradeshow.
In this two-part series, we offer 10 simple methods by which to gain the biggest bang for your tradeshow buck. This first article highlights pre-show tactics to reduce your costs and improve your return.
Tip #1 - Early-bird Savings: Commit early to booth and attendee registration to take advantage of pre-registration prices and special discounts. This can easily add up to $300 or more per attendee. If you have a large number of attendees from one organization, call to see about a reduced group rate. And, unless you work for a travel agent, it's best to book your hotel via the show's or sponsoring organization's Website. They have already negotiated great rates (some with continental breakfast) and reserved blocks of rooms at conveniently located hotels (most often with free shuttle services). Just book early.
Tip #2 - Refresh Your Booth: Construct a modular booth or alter an existing tradeshow booth used in previous years to ensure you create a new image for your company each year. It is amazing the long memories that the press and habitual tradeshow attendees have from one year to the next. And, always plan to use a gimmick, giveaway or contest to encourage visitors to your booth. While most are looking for a trinket to put in their office or bring back to children, it affords you an opportunity to break the ice and reel 'em in.
Tip #3 - Prospect Data: Capturing business cards is still an effective way to obtain contact information on prospects while off the tradeshow floor. But when on the floor, use the "swiping" tools that many organizers now offer. Simply swipe attendee tags and you quickly capture contact, company and other information about your prospects without searching for a pen. Be sure to inquire, in advance, about these tools and the varying levels of data you can pay to obtain from them. The extra cost for additional prospect information turns out to be only pennies. And, the best part is, you'll have a print out of all booth visitors to review on the flight home.
Tip #4 - Just The Facts: Be prepared to give one-page fact sheets that succinctly describe your firm's capabilities, key benefits and tangible deliverables associated with customers doing business with your firm. Be sure that, at a minimum, your company name, contact, email address and phone number appear on every page to make it as easy as possible for prospects to reach you post-show. Save the four-color brochures and 10K reports for later in the sell cycle when you've qualified your best prospects.
Tip #5- Pre-Registration Means Pre-Armed: Registered attendees can obtain, in advance, a list of the companies and individuals attending the tradeshow. Use this list to target prospects with a "teaser" invitation to visit your booth. Disseminate this list to attending employees so they can research the hot buttons and challenges confronting your key prospects and their industries. This knowledge will distinguish you and your company from the competition.
The costs can seem staggering at first. But a little homework and advance planning will guarantee your company tradeshow success.
The second article in this two-part series will appear in the next issue of The Next Level and will focus on at-show and post-show tactics to maximize the return on your tradeshow investment.
Susan Steinbrink is president of Market Architext, a strategic marketing consulting firm. She can be reached at susan.marketarchitext@verizon.net or 215-628-4777.
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