A common complaint that is heard among businesspeople is in regard to mainstream media’s failure to publish more news stories about the positive accomplishments of businesses and the community in general. Conflict and controversy are what sell in the media—which often means good news about business growth and economic development rarely generate notable coverage.

This issue of The Greater Lansing Business Monthly highlights area publishers that are making an impact on the region. GLBM publisher Chris Holman has been a leader in communicating the good news about business through this magazine, radio, television and via social media. Holman and a few others have long recognized that, not only are there great stories to tell, but the business community should have reliable and credible media platforms to communicate those stories.

As the voice of business for the Greater Lansing area, an important part of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce’s (LRCC) mission is to communicate the numerous stories about our members and the business community. Equally important is the chamber’s role in communicating the business community’s position on the leading public policy discussions within state and local government.

LRCC’s primary communication tool has been FOCUS magazine, a monthly publication that is distributed to 5,000 individual chamber members in print and electronically. FOCUS is an important vehicle to communicate the top business stories in the region, as well as providing members with information about business education forums, policy discussions and business networking opportunities. Recent issues of FOCUS have highlighted the involvement of our regional business community in the debate over Gov. Snyder’s tax and budget reform package, business profiles, and recognition of award recipients at the chamber’s annual dinner.

The philosophy of FOCUS has been combined with robust multimedia content in the design and functionality of the chamber’s new website, which debuted earlier this spring.  In planning and building the website, LRCC recognized that not only do they need to deliver content that is valued by members, but also understood that the chamber’s website serves as the face of the region for businesses and family members considering locating and living in the tri-county region. The chamber feels that www.lansingchamber.org does an outstanding job of communicating to business and showcasing Greater Lansing in a positive light.

The nature of how we receive news and information has changed dramatically in recent years, which has given business a much greater opportunity to communicate its story and the manner in which it should be told.  Consumers no longer have to depend on the media to feed them news stories when the media decides to do so; they now control what information they will receive, how they want it packaged and when they will read or view that information. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in the explosive growth of social media, which itself has become a dominant force in business marketing, workforce development and economic growth.

LRCC’s growing presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter has become an important tool in its communications playbook. Not only do these social media programs help communicate news about policy positions and chamber events, but has also become a primary means of communicating the business position on issues to the broader community.

An important part of the chamber’s mission is to equip members to help them market their businesses and enhance their organizations’ communications program. Most businesspeople are experts at what they do, but often find marketing and communicating a challenge. This is particularly true when it comes to understanding and utilizing relatively new social media programs in business. LRCC’s business education forums have helped businesspeople understand the communication tools that are available to them. A recent seminar was conducted by noted social media expert, John Hill, director of alumni career services for the Michigan State University Alumni Association.

The good news about business news is that there are more communications platforms that can be effectively utilized to reach the target audience.  Those of us in the business community know we’ve got a great story to tell and now we have powerful tools to enable us to communicate those messages.

The good news is that there are more communications platforms that can be effectively utilized to reach the target audience. Those of us in the business community know we’ve got a great story to tell and now we have powerful tools to enable us to communicate those messages. 

		Tim Daman is president and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.