YouTube and Ustream
If pictures are worth a thousand words, videos are worth a million. Almost everyone has watched videos on YouTube. When someone does a Google search, videos get very high search engine rankings.
Every chamber should have a YouTube Channel. They are free and can host short 30- to 60-second commercials for every chamber member. This is also an excellent opportunity to showcase videos of chamber events. Videos will help connect chamber members and help promote their businesses to their customers. Videos are the next best thing to meeting someone in person.
Ustream may seem a little complicated, but it is free and as easy to set up as an e-mail account. Ustream allows you to broadcast any event live and then it stores the recordings. These recording can also be added to YouTube and Web sites.
Many chamber members are not as active as they could be in monthly meetings or committee gatherings. Ustream allows the chamber and the businesses to stream live video at anytime and store it for future reference. Business owners that cannot leave their office to make a meeting can watch online and interact live via chat. They can even volunteer, ask questions or share comments for a meeting they were not able to attend, or watch the recording when convenient.
Next Step
All of the above tips are free and can be helpful in growing chambers and the businesses of members. Social media will never replace a good old handshake or the exchange of business cards, but it is a great way to supplement these traditional methods of business networking.
As businesses and chambers struggle to stay ahead of the economy, social media may make the difference. Many chambers have seen a dip in membership this year, and social media may be the best way to bring value to existing members, encourage members to return or find new members. I encourage all of you to become active in your local chambers of commerce and become active in social media to make the rest of 2009 a success and 2010 your best year ever.
This is the third and final lecture in a series from Brian Tomkins. He also has lectures on Blogs, Facebook and LinkedIn. To view these lectures, please do a keyword search (i.e. Brian Tomkins Facebook Chambers of Commerce). To contact Brian Tomkins, please e-mail him at BrianTomkins@
