Congratulations!

Going in-house can provide substantial rewards; it can also create huge challenges.   A handful of chambers are very successful with their in-house publishing program.  Many are doing an adequate job drawing on their member resources.  Others are really struggling with an in-house publishing project.  And many have tried it and got so burned, they'll never do it again.

Consider that almost all successful business people, winning sports teams, highly effective leaders and outstanding students seek out the help of mentors, coaches and tutors to be the best they can be.

Consider the following:

When staff time is factored in, most in-house publishing projects actually lose money. With CMP to coach your project and provide complete project management, you free-up your staff to be more productive.

How much time is your staff committing to an in-house publishing project versus investing their time on other revenue generating activities?  By outsourcing the project management to CMP, staff is free to focus on the high-value stuff while we manage the publishing stuff.

Sales.
On average, we estimate sales should be about $100 per member.  That is, if you have 700 members, your publication should average $70,000 in ad sales.  What kind of online products do you use to increase exposure for your advertisers?  Are the publications distributed where they will have the most benefit for the advertisers?  How often are the articles completely revised to be sure they provide value to readers?

Questions like these are important to work though to maximize sales.

Costs.
Did you know that in most cases, a chamber of commerce is a "one-shot" for a printer?  Meaning the chamber cannot negotiate a volume discount because their publication is annual, or even less frequent.  Are you leaning on a relationship with a board member to get your printing done?  Volume discounts are key to low costs.  How aggressively are you able negotiate your costs?  We bring volume discounts to your project.  In some cases, we can save you up to 50% on your printing costs.

One piece of unsolicited advice - never sign a printing contract until ad sales are finished.  Call us and we'll explain why.

Content
How often are your articles updated?  How do you determine what content to include in the publications?  The more useful the content and articles, the more valuable the publication will be to readers. The more valuable to readers means better sales with current and prospective advertisers. CMP can show you how to make your editorial content work harder

CMP helps you understand what the market really wants—which helps you tailor the project to those needs, for greater success.

Design.
Could your publication use a little polishing up?  A true publication designer creates an effective flow, draws readers' attention to specific areas and makes the overall experience pleasant for the user.  Good design determines whether a person picks up a publication or not, and whether they flip through it or are drawn in.

We have partnerships with top-notch magazine designers, many custom publishers and several city magazine publishers as well.  Our resources become your resources when we work together.

Profits
Combining all the above works to boost profits.
And retain current members.
And attract new members.
And promote the community.
And build a strong local economy.
And keep the chamber relevant.

If your in-house publishing project is successful, then congratulations again -- and may we use your success for a case study?

If you have a feeling that your in-house project could be improved, then send an This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or give a call at (800) 428-1798 x101 and ask a few questions.  We love to talk shop.

Chamber Marketing Partners coaching helps turn a good in-house publishing program into a great, high-performance non-dues revenue machine.