Matthew Wissler, Leah and Scott Corneliussen and Emily Larson are wellness coaches at Inspire Nutrition in Alexandria. Inspire Nutrition serves healthy meal replacement shakes as well as a variety of other items and has options to fit every dietary need and restriction.

By Jess Ptacek, Visitor Center and Office Coordinator, Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

​The young people in this community are the future of this community. It is important to build relationships with other individuals who are going through similar experiences and to continue to learn and grow in the professional world. The Alexandria Area Young Professionals (AAYP) organization offers opportunities for young people to do just that – build relationships and learn.
 
AAYP operates under the umbrella of the Alexandria Chamber. It is guided by an eight-person Leadership Team made up of local young professionals. The team includes a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Events Coordinator and a Marketing Coordinator, as well as a Member-at-Large and a Chamber Liaison. This team focuses on the needs of the organization and its members, and plans relevant speakers and programming.
 
AAYP offers monthly luncheons the first Thursday of each month from 12-1 pm at Grand Arbor. These luncheons include educational topics and speakers or networking opportunities for the members to get to know one-another. The group also offers quarterly socials that include fun activities such as escape rooms, yard games at the local city park, happy hour at a local restaurant, etc. Last summer AAYP adopted a highway that now gets cleaned twice a year.  
 
An annual individual membership is $25 or a business may purchase a membership for $125, which covers memberships for all employees under the age of 40. Lunches may be paid for at the door with cash, check or credit card, or punch cards may be purchased for 6 or 12 lunches. Members receive a monthly e-newsletter around the first of every month that includes information about upcoming events, member news, and announcements.
 
With more than 90 members, AAYP is a popular organization that continues to grow. It’s a great way for young professionals to meet others, to network, and to learn about and serve their community. To get involved or to learn more, check out the AAYP Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/alexandriaareayoungprofessionals/, website: www.ypalex.org or email ypalexandria@gmail.com. 

By Lauren Johnson, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

Are you a Chamber member looking for a quick, easy, yet effective way to get information out to the public? If so, I highly recommend sending an email blast (eBlast) through the Alexandria Chamber!

The Chamber sends eBlasts twice a day at 10 am and 2 pm, Monday through Friday. This system is an effective way to let the public know about Chamber happenings but is also a great platform and benefit for our members to use as well. EBlasts through the Chamber cost $100 (or $65 for non-profit members). After sending your eBlast, you will receive an analytics report for how your eBlast performed to best determine the value.

We need four things: First, an approximate date you’d like the eBlast sent. Next, an 8.5” x 11” PDF or JPEG version of your flyer (this is the ideal size for our eBlast template). Include enough information on this flyer to get the details across to the viewer, but not too much that it is overwhelming. Include the “who, what, where, when” and contact details for more information.

Third, determine what you want your eBlast to link to. This can be a website URL, Facebook page/event, or an email. If it is an event you are promoting, I suggest linking to the web or social media page for that specific event. If it is general information about your business, the business website works best. If you’re sending an email blast that involves sign ups or applications, linking it to an email may be the best option.

Finally, the last important detail is your subject line. This needs to be catchy and to the point. The subject line will be the FIRST thing viewers see when it pops into their email inbox. This is the deciding factor for a lot of people in whether or not they want to open the email or just delete and move on.

The Alexandria Chamber has a high open and click rate – open rates are around 38% (the email marketing average is around 10%) and click rates are around 18% (the average is 2%). Why are Chamber eBlasts more successful? Often it is because the community trusts information that comes from the Chamber!
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For more information regarding how to purchase an eBlast, reach out to Lauren at marketing@alexandriamn.org or call 320-763-3161. If you are not currently receiving eBlasts from the Chamber but would like to, visit this link: https://www.alexandriamn.org/subscription-sign-up.html to sign up. It’s a great way to stay “in the know” about local happenings.