Communication / Strategic Alignment Plan

This year our strategy that is driving us is aimed at answering one question: How Can This Benefit Our Members? The answer has to meet certain criteria before we even consider proceeding. Our aim is to focus entirely on our members and generating as much experience as possible.

Business Visibility
Ensuring businesses are getting the maximum exposure is essential. These are the most strategic ways to accomplish this:

1. “Business Focus”:

   •  Meet to fill out list of interesting facts and business review

   • Write brief/story on business

   • Take images

   • Share on:

     • Website – invigorate listing and showcase as blog/news

     • Social media – link to and tag relevant tags

     • Newsletter (teaser paragraph leading to full business review)

2. Seasonal Theming

   1. Encourage event and window/town dressings seasonally
       

Member Vitality
Ensuring Chemainus is seen as an economic consideration is essential. As few are working on ED in Chemainus, it is important to spend a small amount of time on this monthly.

1. Economic development

   • Working with Cowichan EDC on a plan to promote ED in Chemainus

     • Showcase plan to BIA and work with EDC as required

   • Create a general ED package (see if Chamber would like to partner), which can be used by realtors, EDC, and CBIA.

     • Pages to include:

       • Tourism stats

       • Available properties (if applicable/going after a business for a specific space)

       • Chemainus community stats

       • Living here pamphlet + relator contacts

       • Working here pamphlet + testimonials

   • Reach out Monthly

     • Each month during BIA meeting discuss 2 businesses for BIA to broach and woo for the month and or strategize with

2. Advocacy and Community Communication

   Ensuring businesses know we are there to support their needs:

   • Community Communication Group – Continue

   • Muni Meetings and touch base with group as required

3. Social Engagement

   Encourage extended outreach within business networks and extended growth of CBIA’s existing one.

   • Member engagement: Social “how to” package to encourage members to post and tag

   • Monthly Events Calendar: Screen cap and tag

4. Member to Member Engagement

   Encourage a diverse business to business network and encourage social support through interaction.

   1. Business to Business tour event -  twice a year

   2. Business Welcome - article for new businesses and welcome package

5. Weekly Member Check-in

   Ensure that each week on a specified day(s) the CBIA is going into businesses checking in to ensure engagement and continued interaction.

6. Member Dedicated Resources:

   • CBIA website

   • Newsletter 

   • Education One per month

     • Facebook for beginners

     • Facebook advertising

     • Getting the most out of the shoulder season

     • Pricing for success

     • Upselling and continual communication

     • Growth planning for the future

     • Brand your business

     • Know your customer, maximize sales and create business

     • Investing in your business' future

     • Keys to a successful website

     • Build your own website

     • Business Cents – Accounting for small business

     • Business marketing

7. Member Specific Events

    - March/May Job fair

8. Quarterly meetings (Input and feedback)

   1. Schedule before/after community meetings (back to back) so that businesses can also attend community meeting

9. Advertising

   1. Weekly write-ups in local paper with events

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