You’ve probably heard that people prefer to do business with people they know and trust. In a market where business advances can come down to who you know and who can recommend you, how do you make those important connections?
Of course, in the technologically-driven world that we live in, social media is a great way to present your business in a personal way. But if you’re a small business and can’t dedicate the time or resources needed for a strong social presence, then what?
Another way to become the business that people know, trust, and choose to do business with is through Chamber membership. Here’s how the Chamber helps members like your business become more known, liked, and trusted.
Getting Your Name Out There: How the Chamber Helps People Get to Know You
If you want people to do business with you, they must think about you. No matter what you sell or what service you provide, you won’t do any business if people don’t think about you when they’re in the market to buy what you offer.
Chamber membership helps businesses become more present and top-of-mind in a variety of ways. These include:
Referrals: As the voice of business, visitors and people who are new to the area often call on the Chamber for recommendations & referrals. In addition, the Chamber promotes member-to-member connections. We want to introduce you to the kind of people who will be helpful to your business!
Networking events: The easiest way to get to know more people is by meeting them in person. When you attend Coffee with Colleagues, Business After Hours, or any Chamber seminars, you have the opportunity to expand your business network. By marketing your business “the old-fashioned way”, you can build your contact list in a more personal way. Attending these events regularly keeps you engaged and top-of-mind.
Hosting: Your Chamber also has a number of events that could be hosted by your business. This is the great way to help people get to know you better by visiting your store or business or sampling what you have to offer.
Marketing opportunities: Take advantage of the access to your Chamber community! Utilize your e-flash benefits to help promote events or special offers and share exciting news or announcements through press releases.
Increasing Trust
Sometimes the community knows what you do but doesn’t know enough about you to trust you. In these cases, a Chamber membership is invaluable. According to the Schapiro Study, “Chamber membership has consistent and powerful benefits for small business members—if consumers are aware that the small business is involved with its local chamber.”
In that study, they found that if respondents knew a small business was a member of its local Chamber, the business saw a 49% increase in its consumer favorability rating, a 73% increase in consumer awareness, a 68% increase in its local reputation, and an 80% increase in the likelihood that consumers will patronize the business in the future.
Chamber membership goes a long way to helping businesses develop a trustworthy reputation. Many people see Chambers as business entities or similar to the Better Business Bureau. While neither is true, these individuals apply the same feelings of community membership and upstanding reputations to the chamber members as they would a good rating from the Better Business Bureau.
The Chamber can also help people trust you when you choose to associate or sponsor a well-loved community/Chamber event. For an event that has a large following, when your business is a partner or naming sponsor for that event, the reputation of the event spreads to your business as if you were hosting it yourself. It improves the trust people have for you.
If you’re interested in learning more about how the Chamber can help you grow your opportunities, call or email us today: 843-525-8525 or Hello@nullBeaufortChamber.org.