A New Look Brings Better Results

For the past 59 years, the Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce has advanced the commercial, industrial, and civic interests of Palatine, Ill., a large village in the suburbs of Chicago. Fielding more than 6,000 inquiries a year, the Chamber's staff promotes its members to anyone seeking goods or services in Cook County. But the Chamber's main goal is to foster the growth and development of Palatine's business environment and its 400 members. Also, as the voice of the local business community, the Chamber hosts many functions, such as networking mixers, educational seminars, governmental meetings, and other community events.

Challenge: Demonstrating Value in Tough Times

According to director Mindy Phillips, the Chamber and its members have found the current business environment to be particularly challenging. "When we are selling membership or membership renewals, we have often heard that money is tight and that they cannot invest in the membership," she says. But events like their 'Lunch & Learn' seminars, where local experts share their insights during a meal, are valuable ways to help members stay competitive in tight times. Still, luring companies to become members is hard when they're worried about keeping their own lights on and doors open.

Solution: A New Wizard Delivers a Fresh Look

Since 2005, the Chamber has worked with Constant Contact, sending The Key, a bi-monthly email newsletter that contains valuable information and advertisements from its members. "We have used Constant Contact to add more benefit to being a member of the Chamber," Phillips says.

But a lot had changed in email technology since the Chamber began using Constant Contact. In order to take advantage of the newest web technology, the Chamber needed to transition from the classic wizard to the newer visual editor. The newer editor and wizard guides users along the email creation process, helping to place images, text, and hyperlinks.

I didn't realize how convenient it would be to create email campaigns using the new templates. Before, with the classic wizard that the Chamber had used for the previous four years, the email creator had to click from page to page to build an email message. Now, with the newer visual editor and wizard, users can see the entire email communication on one screen and are able to enter text in any box without having to navigate to a new page. "Uploading photos and graphics easily is also an option for us now," Phillips says. "We love it!"

In December, she wrote one on how holidays are celebrated around the world. When the Olympics were in Italy, she wrote an article about Italy. She's also written about marketing to the Hispanic community, and why it's critical for companies to offer their websites in more than one language.

Results: Informed Members and a Vibrant Chamber

As the Chamber continued to use the newer editor, its newsletter really began to shine. Already adept users of Constant Contact, the Chamber has been able to improve its member communications by creating richer, more engaging messages. New fonts, a revised layout, and more member logos helped The Key jump off the screen, and the Chamber immediately saw improved results. For example, where there was once information about advertising rates, there are now sponsors, displayed with full-color logos.

"We have seen an increase in opens and click-throughs," Phillips reports. "We have also received great feedback from members who say they feel more informed about what is going on in the Chamber." That's because the newsletters are also loaded with links to events, like the organization's Progressive Networking Breakfast and the Palatine Community Appreciation Weekend.

The transition to the newer editor has been so successful that the Chamber is also preparing to launch a new email program that, four to six times per month, will feature timely information from members, such as event announcements, promotional information, and details about sales. "I didn't realize how convenient it would be to create email campaigns using the new templates," Phillips says.