Take advantage of your Chamber member portal!

By Jess Ptacek, Program & Events Coordinator, Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce website acts as a hub of information for many things. One of the most useful tools is our online member directory. Thousands of people utilize our website to look up businesses in our area. A membership with the local Chamber of Commerce can act as a “stamp of approval” so when they need a reputable business, they come to us.

In 2020 more than 72,660 people visited the Alexandria Chamber website. That many people had the opportunity to view your listing on our website! Here are some helpful hints to enhance your listing to ensure you catch their attention:

• Add your logo. When website visitors are scrolling through the online directory, a full-color logo can really stand out among the rest.
• Add your social media links. You may add Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Youtube, Flickr, Yelp, Open Table, Instagram, FourSquare, TripAdvisor, Houzz, and Angie’s List. It is free to add these links and they can drive more traffic to your pages.
• Add a photo and video. These items will show up on your individual directory listing. Having a video or a photo to showcase your work can help potential clients learn more about you.
• Update your descriptions. For each category you are listed under, you can add short and long descriptions as well as keywords to help website visitors find you. Your short description is listed under your main directory listing and your long description is listed on your individual directory listing. Use your short description to grab their attention and encourage them to click your link to learn more.
• Add a coupon – this allows you to add a coupon if you are running a special. The coupon will be shown on your listing and can be used by anyone visiting the website.
• Add the optional member website hyperlink – for an additional fee, you can have the website hyperlink added to your listing. This will link your Chamber website listing directly to your website. Call the Chamber at 320-763-3161 to add this option.

Some other reasons to utilize your online member portal include:

• Update contact information. Add new employees, remove former employees, or change contact information for all employees right from your online portal.
• Chamber communications. Sign employees up to receive Chamber communications to keep them informed on what is happening in our community and with your local Chamber. Studies show engaged employees stay longer!
• Update your amenities. Many businesses may have amenities that they want customers to know about – a golf course that has a pro shop on-site, a restaurant that offers live music on the weekends, or a resort that has an outdoor pool. There are several amenity options to choose from.
• Download the Chamber member logo. As I stated above, a Chamber membership can be used as a “stamp of approval”. This annual logo can be used on your website, social media, and marketing materials to show that you are a Chamber member.

After you have done all of these things, be sure to view your referral report to see how your enhanced listing is working for you. How have your social media links been working? How many people have clicked on your hyperlink? You will be able to see the answers to these questions and more on the referral report.
Two more things I encourage you to do…submit events and submit jobs. When you submit an event, that event will be added to the online Douglas County Community Calendar. In turn, all Chamber member events that are added to the community calendar get added to the weekly Events at a Glance email blast that is sent out on Thursdays by the Chamber. Submitting a job opening is free for our members and will be posted to our newly enhanced online job board. As a member, you will have the opportunity to enhance your listing for $20 and get your job highlighted, posted to the top of the page, and listed on a Google Jobs Network.

If you have questions about your online portal, view the online Member Portal Guide video here: https://www.alexandriamn.org/member-portal-guide.html or reach out to the Chamber team by calling (320) 763-3161 or emailing [email protected].