Marketing Opportunities with the Chamber

Here at the Chamber, we want to help you market your business, and we have several outlets for which you can do that! We now have the enhanced logo in our member directory option, which allows for your organization’s logo to show in the member directory with your company information. This is an option on your annual bill for $120 and we wanted you to know the benefits of selecting this optional upgrade before you get your bill next week.

As I’m sure you know, attention spans are changing as quickly as technology evolves in the 21st century, and the average attention span is down to a short 8 seconds. With the opportunity to include your logo you increase the chances of members picking your organization against a competitor. Images are said to produce 650% higher engagement than regular text, increasing your chances for business by adding your logo to our member directory.

To view an example of a listing with the logo, click here.

If this is a feature you would like to have for your organization, please make sure to select it on your annual bill listed as “Enhanced Membership Directory Listing” for $120.

Now is a good time to look at all of the advertising and marketing opportunities that we have available at the chamber in the next year!

Please contact Jacquelyn Vasvari-Toke, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing, with any questions you may have.

3 Essential Elements to Scoring Big with Mobile Advertising

By: Scott Gottlieb, YP-Tampa, St Petersburg & Sarasota

Tampa Bay is a marketplace rich with opportunity. The metro area is not only one of the wealthiest in the state with an aggregate net worth near $300 billion, it is also one of the largest metropolitan areas in the Southeast. The city’s diverse consumer base is mirrored by the diversity of businesses, which include everything from international trade to homeland security/defense, financial services and life sciences. These businesses have a range of advertising options to connect with local consumers.

Mobile advertising has become a go-to option because it offers the ability to zero-in on a place of business, as well as an individual. Even more telling, research shows that an overwhelming majority of people who use mobile to look up a business go on to make a purchase. The key is to unlock the power of mobile by keeping three guiding principles in mind.

•  Mobile-friendly websites.Many prognosticators say that mobile searches will exceed the number of searches made on PCs in 2014. That means 50 percent of consumers searching for anything will be doing it on a mobile device. However, you would be surprised by the number of businesses that have not optimized their websites for mobile devices. Mobile responsive sites load faster, are easier to read and give users a much better overall experience. Businesses that don’t take advantage of this are missing an opportunity to connect with customers and an opportunity should not be wasted.

• Understand data and location-based information. Piecing together pictures of prospective audience targets is possible when you capture and understand data and location-based information. We have so much more knowledge today about consumers than ever before. With mobile, we know where they work, where they play, what they like, behaviors (past and present) and unique hobbies. This is all extremely relevant data to inform businesses on consumer habits and interests. Mobile location data offers more clues, such as proximity to your business’ location. This can help businesses reach consumers in the moment – whether that’s getting a morning cup of coffee, picking up dinner on the way home from work or heading to the store on the weekend.

• Develop insights. “Insights” help to inform product development, optimize advertising campaigns and drive results.  What are the insights you need to help drive your business? Think carefully about your buyer’s current path to an actual purchase. Work to understand your buyer’s journey and the role of mobile within that process. Because the majority of purchases are planned, most people will not act immediately upon seeing a mobile ad. Reach people when they are considering their next shopping trip by providing options such as: “call a store,” “find a location,” or the ability to interact with a special offer or coupon. It all comes down to using a softer sales method by presenting several options that don’t make the consumer feel pressured.

Ultimately, success is defined by the ability for a business to make a connection with the right consumer at the right time. Mobile is one of a number of available advertising options and platforms. By zeroing in on the target, both in terms of demographic and geography, businesses can develop marketing strategies that drive commerce and help their communities to grow.

Scott Gottlieb
GSM/Market Manager
YP-Tampa, St Petersburg & Sarasota
To learn more about mobile advertising, please contact me at sgottlieb@yp.com.

Facebook Small Business Boost Comes to Town

By: Pat Huston, Business Consultant – SBDC Hillsborough County

Just in case you missed it……here are a few of their suggested tips.

 For your Facebook page:

1. Cover photo: NO text please. This is your biggest piece of real estate!
2. Profile pic: think logo or brand. It can be a picture of you if you’re the brand!
3. Fill out your complete profile, don’t forget the links! (Web page) and other social stuff.
4. Post regularly but no more than once per day. Don’t compete against your own posts!
5. Create photo and video posts with a call to action. Please little or no text.

OK … get that, but what does it look like? What about my business? Is there a way to see an example of what we do? Can I look before I leap? The short answer is yes. Here’s how. Go to https://www.facebook.com/business/success/

Scroll down till you see this:

You can sort by size, goal, industry and region, or you can just scroll through all the examples that follow.  You are bound to find an example that will inspire you before you spend. Like the page and then watch for a while. (Stalk 🙂 ) When are they posting? What did they post? How is their page set up? What posts are getting the most attention?

Did you see a connection? What grabbed your attention? And by the way, thanks for the coffee buddy…that is Buddy Brew Coffee on Kennedy Boulevard! 🙂

Pat Huston is a Business Consultant with SBDC Hillsborough County. She can be reached at 813 285 0195 or hustonp@hillsboroughcounty.org

Got advertising dollars to spend? Advertise with the Chamber!

If you’re looking for a great way to get the word out about your company, consider advertising with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. We have several on-going advertising opportunities available:

2012 Location Guide
Our location guide is distributed to members, individuals looking to relocate to the Tampa Bay area and those seeking more information about our local economy, business and industry, arts, healthcare, education and local neighborhoods. Advertising in our guide allows companies to make a great initial impression to new residents and visitors. Tampa Bay is truly a great place to work, live, play and stay – don’t miss this opportunity to market your company’s message to an engaged audience.

Time is running out to secure a prime space! The back cover and inside back cover are still available, along with a wide-array of sizes for the inside of the magazine.

For more information about advertising in the 2012 Location Guide, download the spec sheet or contact Felicia Harvey, Director of Communications.

Electronic Advertising
Semi-Weekly Newsletters
The Chamber’s two weekly electronic newsletters are sent to representatives from our 1600 member companies, as well as nearly 500 non-members, for a total distribution of over 6,500. The Chamber offers one banner ad per month, per issue as an advertising opportunity to only Chamber members.

• eView focuses on both Chamber and member news and is released on Thursdays.
• Events highlights the Chamber’s upcoming events and is released on Tuesdays.

Website Advertising
Advertising on the Chamber website is a cost effective way to market your business to thousands of visitors each month. The Chamber offers one banner ad per month on each of our most visible pages:

• About Tampa
• Chamber Events
• Chamber Programs
• Business Resources
• Business Advocacy
• Membership
• Your Chamber

For more information about newsletter or website advertising, download the spec sheet or contact Brianna Faulkner, Graphic Designer. You can also view the newsletter archives on our website.

To read more about these advertising opportunities, please download our 2012 Media Kit.