The Chamber Pro's Guide to Meaningful Member Appreciation

Our parents always told us to say thank you. As adults, it’s life coaches and HR experts that point to the importance of expressing gratitude and making people in our circles feel valued.

But you don’t want your appreciation to get lost. You want it to be felt in a meaningful way.In the chamber world, from employees to members, showing appreciation is important because appreciation makes them feel like they are an important part of your chamber.

Why Feeling Valued by an Organization Is Crucial for Its Members

This article is about your members but could easily be applied to employees as well. Expressing gratitude will help those most important to your chamber through:

Increased Engagement and Motivation

When individuals feel valued, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to contribute their best efforts to the chamber. This can lead to increased volunteerism and event attendance.

Enhanced Satisfaction

Feeling appreciated and recognized for one's contributions fosters a sense of satisfaction. This can result in higher retention rates and a more positive member environment.

Improved Well-being

Feeling valued can contribute to a sense of belonging and purpose, which can positively impact an individual's mental and emotional well-being. This can lead to reduced stress and improved overall health for the member and higher retention rates for your chamber. Being part of something larger than yourself, working toward a common goal, feels good.

Stronger Relationships

When members feel valued, they are more likely to develop positive relationships with your staff, board, and other members. This can create a more collaborative and supportive environment.

Greater Loyalty and Commitment

Feeling valued can increase a member's loyalty and commitment to the chamber. This can lead to longer membership lengths and a greater willingness to renew even in hard times.

Improved Word of Mouth Referrals

When a member feels appreciated, they will often tell others about their experience. That improves the chamber's word-of-mouth marketing and can have a positive impact on membership.

Feeling valued is essential for creating a positive and productive membership environment where individuals can thrive, contribute their best, and enjoy being a part of the community.

So, we know why making someone feel valued is important but is it as easy as just saying, “thanks.”

Not exactly.

Sure, saying thanks is important but there’s a lot of noise out there. When your expression of thanks is generic, it often gets lost. But when you can do something out of the ordinary to show your member what they mean to you, it’s something they’ll remember for a long time.

The Message Behind Member Appreciation

Just like when you’re marketing a product, appreciation is best communicated through several channels at once. Expressing gratitude should also go beyond saying thank you for being a chamber member. That makes it sound like they donated to your cause. Instead, when you are showing your appreciation to your members, aim at a higher level.

Thank them (or congratulate them) for their investment in their business or express appreciation for being part of the business community and helping others as a member of the chamber. Their membership makes the business community stronger and allows you (the chamber) to advocate in a more effective way.

Member appreciation is something that should be part of chamber culture but every once in a while, you want to do something above and beyond.

When you do, here are a few ideas.

Memorable Ways to Show Member Appreciation

the Christmas Breakfast the Lovington Chamber of Commerce hosted.

Keeping the messaging mentioned above in mind, here are 20 ways to show appreciation to your chamber members:

Personalized Thank-You Letters. The more personalized the better.

Member Appreciation Day/Week. Organize a dedicated time to celebrate members with activities, shoutouts, and contests.

Monthly Member Spotlights. Feature a different member each month on your website, newsletter, and/or social media to highlight their contributions. Make it as personal as possible. Tell their story.

Social Media Highlights. Create a "Member Crush Monday" or similar weekly feature to showcase a member's business or a special they are running.

Welcome Packages. Send new members a welcome package that includes a heartfelt letter, member benefits, and branded items.

eCards for Milestones. Use digital greeting cards to celebrate achievements, anniversaries, or simply to say thank you.

Discounted Services. Partner with local businesses to offer members exclusive discounts on services and products. Susan Downum Creed from the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce shared that, “Just before Thanksgiving we send a letter highlighting our focus areas for the year ahead. We include a discount card for the upcoming year. This is a program that our members have the option of participating in (% off purchase). It’s a small revenue source for us - but each member gets one free."

Job Listings Board. Create a job board to connect members with employment opportunities, showing you care about their success.

Recognition in Newsletters. Dedicate a section of your newsletter to recognize members' achievements, contributions, and news items.

Host Contests. Organize fun contests where members can win prizes for sharing what they appreciate about the chamber.

Celebrate Anniversaries. Acknowledge membership anniversaries publicly, celebrating their loyalty.

Members-Only Resources. Provide exclusive access to valuable resources, webinars, and content that benefit members.

Gift Baskets. Send personalized gift baskets to long-term members as a token of appreciation.

Feedback Opportunities. Create a suggestion box or survey to gather member feedback, showing their opinions matter. Acknowledge their contributions if you implement one of their changes.

Loyalty Program. Develop a program that rewards members for their engagement and participation with exclusive perks.

Annual Awards Ceremony. Host an event to honor outstanding members for their contributions and achievements within the chamber.

Member Appreciation Event. Host a special event thanking your members at a special venue or an exclusive opportunity. Terri Smiley shared that at her chamber they’ve been doing a “free member appreciation cookout at our office in the parking lot. Board members grill hotdogs and we have a toppings bar, chips and cookies. Members come eat and hang out. We also give them a small gift—we have done small umbrellas, journals and business card holders as gifts in the past.” Also, check out the Christmas Breakfast the Lovington Chamber of Commerce hosted.

Exclusive Opportunity (and non-dues revenue!). Give your members something that would be difficult for them to do themselves. For instance, April Kopitzke from the New London Area Chamber of Commerce shared what they do with a local radio station, “We partner with a local radio station, and they camp at the chamber all day in September. They offer reasonably priced radio ads, and they do an hour interview with members only. They split the income with the chamber. We filled spots from 6-8 p.m. last year. Members loved the opportunity for exposure, we had pizza, cake and made $1800."

Operation Thank You. Vicki Galford Keibler from the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce shared a fun project they do the week of Valentine’s Day. She explained, “We get bags, we put something special from the chamber, and then allow our members to put something in the bags as well. We do not allow them to give any paper i.e. flyers. It has to be something tangible. Then the staff and Ambassadors go out for three days and hand deliver to every member (we do not go to home-based business but we do allow them to come to the chamber and pick one up). The members love it.

Celebrating the Ordinary. Make ordinary moments special. Find exciting, creative ways to make a member feel appreciated even when they’re receiving an invoice. It’s not a bill. It’s a chamber-versary. Check out the sticker this chamber used on its mailed invoices.

Bonus Idea:

Pinterest is a virtual library of cute appreciation ideas that fit every budget. You can also search the site to find something that ties into your community. Here are a few giveaway ideas other chambers have used in their business visits:

A small bag of popcorn with a tag that reads “Just popping in to say hello."

Tootsie Rolls and a sticker “Great service is How we ROLL."

Chips with “Our members are ALL THAT and a BAG of Chips.”

Packs of EXTRA gum labeled “Just an extra way to remind you how awesome you are.” -Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce.

Implementing these ideas can help foster a sense of community and appreciation among your chamber members, enhancing their overall experience and engagement. But best of all, when they are part of a chamber that makes them feel that way, they’ll also be proud to be a member and proud of their business investment and contributions.

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