Chamber Speak Abroad: My International Relocation & A Chamber Marketing Epiphany
I’ve been off the chamber grid for a bit – since 2022 to be precise. But I’m back, and I wanted to share what I’ve been up to and how my experience over the past few years has inspired an exciting new way for me to support chambers of commerce.
For The Love Of A River
I suppose my slow step back from Chamber Speak actually began in 2021 when I was presented with the opportunity to direct and produce what would later become an award-winning documentary film. A little context – I spent the first 10 years of my career in broadcast news and video production.
The project just landed in my lap, and I couldn’t say no. It was a fully-funded production planned around the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo National River becoming America’s first National River.
The mission of the film was to tell the story of how the Buffalo River earned its designation as a National River and became a protected place within the National Park Service. It was the story of a national treasure under threat and the grassroots movement led by a small town doctor to protect and preserve the river for future generations.
It was significant to me because the Buffalo National River has been “my happy place” for decades. My first river canoe trip was there. I have spent many a weekend with dear friends paddling down the Buffalo’s riffles and sleeping on its gravel bars. It was an honor and a privilege to be invited to tell this story.
It was a two-year project, and two months after First River: How Arkansas Saved A National Treasure debuted in Bentonville, Arkansas, my life took another significant turn when my husband and I stepped on a plane bound for New Zealand, where we now reside.
Chamber Work Down Under
There are a lot of details in between our arrival in New Zealand in June of 2022 and now. I will spare you most of them.
What I will tell you is that within two weeks of our arrival something unexpected happened. I was offered a job as marketing manager for the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce. I accepted and the next two years were a wild and wonderful ride.
A lot happened. The organization was knee-deep in a major transformation when I arrived.
In the two years I was there we would tackle a CRM change, a membership model shift from fair share to something similar to what would be described in the States as tiered.
You see, I had been working with chambers for 10+ years, but I had not actually worked in a chamber since 2012. Being back in that environment of supporting members, working with limited resources and budgets (yes, that is universal!), and trying to communicate the value of membership, reinvigorated me and my passion for the industry. It helped me to reconnect with the industry in a hands-on way and regain my understanding of the current challenges that chamber professionals face in the day-to-day. I came out on the other side with new tools, experience and wisdom.
That’s why I’m back. I experienced some major wins while leading the marketing and communications team at Business Canterbury, and I want to share them with you.
In those two years we:
- Fixed our broken, low-engagement, social media channels.
- Refined our email marketing through audience segmentation and content targeting, which resulted in dramatically improved engagement and increased event attendance.
- Delivered a rebrand that brought our organization into the 21st century, modernizing our visual identity and helping us position ourselves with a younger demographic.
- Started really telling our story.
An Epiphany of Sorts
As part of my role, I went through an inbound marketing certification program that made me feel like I had caught a lightning bolt. I realized that though many chambers back in the States are trying to do content marketing, they are doing it wrong. And many of the industry experts, including myself, haven’t been helping them learn to do it right.
Chambers are wasting valuable time and resources posting content that on the surface seems relevant to their audiences, but they are getting little engagement to show for it. And worse yet, that “relevant” content is often irrelevant to chamber membership, doing little, if anything, to help them tell their stories,. And in the worst cases, that content is actually confusing their audiences about what the chamber is and does.
But when content marketing is done right and your messaging aligns with your mission, it is magic. It is the best way to tell your chamber’s story, communicate the value of chamber membership and help your membership team convert prospects into members.
I have spent the past few months creating and beta testing a service to help chambers capture and apply that magic. It is ready to go and it works.
If you would like to learn more, get in touch. I’ll also be posting some case studies from the two chambers that have been testing the concept here on the Chamber Speak blog and over on the Chamber Speak LinkedIn page, so you can follow the progress there as well.
A Few FAQs
How’s New Zealand?
It’s stunningly beautiful, a bit quirky, and a kinder, gentler culture. I am home. If it’s on your bucket list, get in touch, I am happy to share travel tips. Here are just a few photos of this amazing place.
If you would like to follow my journey, you can find me on Instagram.
Can Chamber Speak still support you?
Absolutely – the time difference just means that if you would like to chat with me, it will have to be in the afternoon. I also have a small team back in the States ready to support you.
Stay inspired. And remember, the work you do is making a difference, and your local businesses need your support now more than ever.
Cheers!
Michelle
