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The Copywriting Connection

In This Issue: A Message from Kelly Feature Article: Five Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership Word of the Week Tools for Your Success Special Offer Kelly's Speaking Engagements	September 9, 2008 - Vol. 20 Issue 2
	ISSN# 1935-7273 - $197 Annually
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A Message from Kelly

Welcome to The Copywriting Connection! This week we are talking about your local Chamber of Commerce. Many copywriters join a chamber when they start their business simply because they think they should. After all, what better way to meet local business owners? Before you join I recommend you do some research and make sure a chamber of commerce membership is the best way to spend your energy -- it may not be.

Last week's article on taking action to create change really got some people's butt in gear. Good for you! In my yoga class yesterday the instructor told us fall is a time for change after the "fiery" and fast-paced summer. She said that fall is a good time to start a new habit or behavior. Studies show you are more likely to stick to your commitments when you start in the fall (such as making a commitment to stick to a yoga routine). I'm not sure if those statistics are correct or not, but it sounded good to me. :) And by last week's reaction to the article on taking action to create change, it may sound good to you too. As they say, "fall is in the air".

You can create the life you desire -- understand that only you can take the baby steps necessary to get there.

Happy Copywriting!

Kelly

Five Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership

Most communities have a Chamber of Commerce and many of us are members just because we thought we should be. As a copywriter we see other businesses in our community with the chamber stickers in their windows, and think it's a great place to meet them. The fact is not all chambers are the same.

Chambers of commerce come in all different sizes and have different types of benefits available to their members. But as different as they are, they all have one thing in common – their mission is to connect businesses with each other. Their main purpose in the community is to help your business grow.

Joining a chamber of commerce sounds great, doesn't it? It sounds like an easy way to connect with other business owners and the community. If only making money and connections were as easy as joining…

First things first, you can't become a member of the Chamber of Commerce and then not do anything. You are just throwing your money away. You have to commit to being involved and taking the time to manifest the benefits available to you.

Here are a few basic things to do to maximize any Chamber of Commerce membership:

Is your niche there? If you are strategic in your marketing and have chosen a niche to work in (which I highly recommend), see if your niche has a presence at the chamber. As a healthcare copywriter I may meet several local chiropractors, nutritionist and other businesses at chamber events. Do I meet the COO of the hospital I'm targeting? Probably not at the monthly get-togethers. Be smart and look at who attends what before you join. If your niche is the construction industry you may find you are better off networking somewhere else.

Investigate all the benefits before joining. If you are already a member, take the time now to review the member benefits – what haven't you taken advantage of? Take some time to uncover the different marketing options available to you as a member. Ask the person that signed you up what the best events are for you to attend. Is free advertising included in your local paper? Are ribbon-cuttings standard procedures for new members?

Attend networking events. This doesn't mean that YOU specifically need to attend every event. You may have someone in your office attend more frequent events, and you attend ones with the "high-rollers" in your community.

Include educational articles in publications. Does the chamber have a publication they send out to members? Don't necessarily jump right to advertising in the publication if they have one. You want to ask if they accept educational articles that would benefit all of their members first. It's usually free to include these and they are read more often (and are more believable) than ads.

Encourage strategic introductions from the staff. If there is a specific business you want to form a relationship with, ask your chamber representative if they can sit you with someone from there or introduce you. Be strategic and network. Don't waste your time with the people that don't do anything but attend events. Move forward and be purposeful in your connections.

Get involved in a worthwhile committee, but be particular about which one. Larger chambers will have different "levels" of committees you can get on. Be picky. Ask who the other members of the committee are. Are they the movers and shakers in your community? Are they business leaders you want to forge relationships with?

Don't just become a member of your Chamber of Commerce just to do it. Be strategic, ask smart questions, and be picky about who you spend your valuable time with.

Want to use this article for your e-zine or web site? No problem! Just let us know at support@thecopywritinginstitute. We'll send you a short bio to include at the end of the article.

Copywriters Challenge

We challenge you to look before you leap, especially in your networking endeavors. Before joining any organization make sure it is going to meet your needs and that YOU will do what it takes to get involved.

Word of the Week

This week's word of the week is matutinal [muh-toot-n-l]. Matutinal means pertaining to or occurring in the morning; early in the day.

Tools for your Success

www.zoho.com - Zoho has many different business tools accessible by the web including a web conferencing program, a planner, an online presentation tool, a CRM program, and much more. Many of these options are fr*ee.

Special Offer

Build Your Copywriting Business

In this course you will get your copywriting business off the ground and put systems in place to attract high paying clients that love you! You'll have homework, write your own marketing materials, learn what's important to your target market and how you can best help them. You'll learn how to get to know your ideal client, how to uncover what they need from a copywriter and how to get in front of them.

You'll also learn what things you MUST do in order to be a high earning copywriter and learn what marketing methods work best for successful copywriters. Develop marketing materials – like your web site, business cards, a sales letter (and get feedback on them from those that have done it successfully!) And you'll create writing samples and learn how to get them published. The course also includes coaching and feedback on all assignments and written materials.

Read more about this class here: www.thecopywritinginstitute.com/buildyourbusiness.html

Learn the Ropes Copywriting Class

A hands-on copywriting class that will both train aspiring copywriters to write phenomenal copy (with my personal guidance and feedback) AND help businesses that need copywriting help but are having a difficult time finding qualified copywriters. Writing these assignments and getting feedback from me and my clients will without question make you an experienced, well-qualified copywriter ready to take on much larger and complex assignments with confidence and joy!

Read more about this class here: www.thecopywritinginstitute.com/learntheropes.html

Kelly's Speaking Engagements

Boulder Writers Alliance (BWA) - September 23rd - I'm speaking on "Tips for Freelancing Success" at the BWA Expo: www.BWA.org.