While speaking at many chamber of commerce events this year, I always emphasized the importance of each individual business using social media. I now realize that chambers themselves could be more effective if they implement a social media strategy.

Social media includes blogs, social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, and video sites like YouTube and Ustream. These sites have been great for reconnecting old friends and building business relationships, but they can also be the missing link for chambers across the country.

Blogs

Every Chamber should have a blog on their Web site. The gold standard in blog platforms is WordPress, which can be added to any existing Web Site. The link should be www.yourchamber.com/blog. A blog will dramatically increase traffic to the chamber’s site, which will in turn increase clicks on advertisements and chamber member links.

A blog and Web site with heavy traffic will increase the value of the chamber membership. Many chambers already send out monthly newsletters via e-mail to their members and send regular mailings to their residents. You don’t have to be twice as creative here. The content in your newsletters can easily be copied and pasted into your blog. This blog is now search engine friendly. Anyone searching Google can now find your blog and will now visit the chamber Web site.

There will always be a struggle to create good content. Chamber officers should contribute regularly, but the chamber members themselves should also be invited to contribute as guest bloggers. By inviting the chamber members and officers to the blog, you are working collectively to drive traffic to the chamber Web site and to its respective business sites.

Someone may click on the blog link to read a post by the local realtor, but while they are there, click on a post written by the local florist. This blog is now connecting the business owners to each other and they are working collectively to promote each other’s businesses.