How Your Chamber Can Use Its Own Digital Text Marketing Platform
- Shop Local and Direct to Consumer Marketing : Digitize your shop local/buy local campaign! Use it as a direct to consumer communication tool to announce deals from local merchants, ribbons cutting events, grand openings, community events, chamber events and messages reminding consumers to shop local.
- Business Action Alerts: Message businesses about upcoming Chamber programs, seminars, events, or legislative alerts. Keep the business community informed and engaged!
WACE Presentation Highlights and Helpful Links
A Digital Shop Local Program for Chambers
"A More Effective Shop Local Engagement Program"
Text Message Marketing is Growing Exponentially!
Businesses use text marketing to build customer loyalty programs and to communicate with their clients. Why is text message marketing so popular? Compared to email marketing, which has an average open rate of 22%, the huge 98% open rate of SMS messages is even more impressive. This is a great communication tool for Chambers wishing to create or enhance a shop local campaign.
Background
Opt-In Shop Surprise Survey Results (3,476 Customers/ 465 Responses)
What features to look for in SMS Software as applied to a Shop Local Campaign:
Presentation Documents:
For More Information:
Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce
Mary Orta
VP of Operations and Marketing
Mary.orta@surpiseregionalchamber.com
Notes:
(1) 2019 Annual WACE Conference: Feb. 6, 2019, Anaheim Ca, " New Spins on Old Concepts, Ideas and Programs", presented by Raoul Sada, MPA, President and CEO, Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce; Title: Shop Local in the Digital Age. Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) is comprised of chamber leaders from 18 Western States and Canada. Since 1924, the association has played a significant role in the growth and development of chamber of commerce professionals.
(2) SMS Services
Many vendors provide SMS software. The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce has purchased a wholesale account which allows for a free trail. If you would like to see the back-end of sms software go to http://chamberofcommercetexting.com/
NEW: Special SMS Package Rates (must be a Chamber of Commerce)
"A More Effective Shop Local Engagement Program"
Text Message Marketing is Growing Exponentially!
Businesses use text marketing to build customer loyalty programs and to communicate with their clients. Why is text message marketing so popular? Compared to email marketing, which has an average open rate of 22%, the huge 98% open rate of SMS messages is even more impressive. This is a great communication tool for Chambers wishing to create or enhance a shop local campaign.
Background
- The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce has developed a Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program called Shop Surprise. The program has won state, national and international awards for its creativity and effectiveness.
- The Shop Surprise program was recently presented at the conference for the chamber of commerce executives (1). Our Chamber is inviting other chambers to join the digital age with how-to suggestions and resources (including a low cost sms platform ) to implement digital shop local campaigns across America.
- Chambers have a competitive advantages in the execution and marketing of shop local campaigns. Chambers are one of the most trusted and respected brands in America! We have connections with the business community, and we have a long history of being advocates for improving the local economy by encouraging residents to shop and buy locally.
- The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce has taken a traditional shop local campaign and modernized it for the digital age.
- Shop Surprise - Shape Surprise is a buy local campaign which we define as: A preference to buy locally (goods and services) over those produced further away in another community. Your definition may vary.
- Create a Cost-Effective BRE Program
- Enhance your Credibility with a 21st Century DIGITAL Campaign
- Elevate Your “Buy Local” Campaign to a Game-Changing Influence on the Community
- Help Drive More Sales to Local Businesses
- Generate More Sponsorship and Fee-for-Service Revenue
- Drive More Residents to Grand-Openings and Other Chamber Events
- Engage More Residents with an Easy Opt-In Process (no apps to download, easy to opt in and out)
- Easy to Use Technology. The technology is readily available from hundreds of companies .
Opt-In Shop Surprise Survey Results (3,476 Customers/ 465 Responses)
- Facebook # 1 for participant recruitment
- Eating and Drinking most preferred business category
- Support the local tax base is #1 BRE reason stated
- 80% female
- 55% first time opting-in for SMS deals
- 85% are ok with more than one deal per day
What features to look for in SMS Software as applied to a Shop Local Campaign:
- It must be very simple for consumers to opt-in. Example: Text the word SHOPLOCAL to 888 690 2300. Avoid special phone apps that must be downloaded. The beauty of the program is its elegant simplicity!
- A dedicated opt-in number. The opt-in number should be owned, and used exclusively by one chamber, no one else. Many low cost providers use the same phone number for hundreds or thousands of businesses which can cause problems. Video Explanation ( A dedicated number can cost up to $1,000 per month. Our Chamber provides a dedicated number at no additional cost to our Chamber partners)
- A vendor who understands that a shop local campaign is different from a single business platform (Chambers will broadcast messages for many businesses)
- Ability to automatically schedule messages annually, monthly or weekly (a drip marketing program), with messages going out automatically, with no staff invention, saves time , and allows you to push general marketing messages about the importance of shopping local on a year-round basis.
- Ability to collect customer name to auto populate your sms database
Presentation Documents:
- Chambers Then and Now: 3_p_vs_3_c_ver_3.pdf
- Chamber Market Segmentation: chamber_market_segments_v3.pdf
- Sample Fee-for-Service shop_local_scope_of_work_and_fee_for_service_2.pdf
- Shop Surprise Opt-In Survey: shopsurprise_opt_in_survey_results.pdf
- Tips for Crafting and Ranking Deals, Sample Merchant Sign-Up Forms www.surpriseregionalchamber.com/shop-surprise-for-biz.html
- Why Shop Surprise/Shop Local click here.
For More Information:
Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce
Mary Orta
VP of Operations and Marketing
Mary.orta@surpiseregionalchamber.com
Notes:
(1) 2019 Annual WACE Conference: Feb. 6, 2019, Anaheim Ca, " New Spins on Old Concepts, Ideas and Programs", presented by Raoul Sada, MPA, President and CEO, Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce; Title: Shop Local in the Digital Age. Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) is comprised of chamber leaders from 18 Western States and Canada. Since 1924, the association has played a significant role in the growth and development of chamber of commerce professionals.
(2) SMS Services
Many vendors provide SMS software. The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce has purchased a wholesale account which allows for a free trail. If you would like to see the back-end of sms software go to http://chamberofcommercetexting.com/
NEW: Special SMS Package Rates (must be a Chamber of Commerce)
Sample: Shop Local Branding & Sponsorships
Title Sponsor: $15,000 (Limit 1)
- Naming Rights (form of advertising where by a company/city purchases the right to name the program)
- A naming rights partnership offers a huge return on advertising dollars that is far above what can be achieved through traditional marketing channels. Much of which comes in the form of offsite promotion through media/public mentions
- One-off marketing customization to meet your specific marketing goals and objective
- Five year commitment required
Branding Sponsor: $5,000 (Limit 7 Sponsors*)
· Logo placement of Shop Surprise website landing page and promotional materials
· Includes business membership to Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce
· Includes name mention in press releases and public service announcements
· Include logo placement on Shop Surprise banner
* Why Limit the Number of Sponsors:
The Chamber looks at "sponsorship clutter" as a measure of how many companies are competing for share of voice related to a particular program. Fewer sponsors allows for a company to have a more prominent ID, etc. Excessive sponsors increase visual clutter which makes it harder for a sponsor to stand out, ultimately lowering the value of the opportunity. The Chamber therefore limits partner sponsors, to ensure maximum visibility and branding. The less clutter, the higher the advertising value, the more a sponsorship costs.