Everyone loves a good series, including us! We’re back again, but this time we’re going to Alaska, sort of! As we discussed in our previous blog post, “The Social Ranks”, chambers of commerce are valuable resources for many businesses. The goal(s) of any chamber of commerce is to offer assistance and tools for businesses in the area, as well as promote economic development throughout the region.
Before our blog, we had yet to run across any resources that shine light on the hard work of the men and women who serve in any capacity at these chambers. We dedicate this series to highlighting chambers across the U.S. and the work that they do to support locals in their community. Of course we wanted to give a special “shoutout” to our fellow marketing colleagues, highlighting their efforts for their IMPECCABLE social media management skills!
When you think of Alaska what comes to mind? The cold? Bears? Sarah Palin? Me too! But the beautiful state has many great things to offer, and supporting businesses and business owners is top priority. There were so many amazing chambers and associations that I researched before creating this blog post.
The process for this began a little differently, instead of Googling “Alaska Chambers” I began researching the different chambers by Googling “Alaska Chambers Associations & Organizations”. More overwhelmed than I’ve been in a long time, 93 results came back!!! I had to come up with a game plan, and immediately. Repeating a step that I took previously, I opened up a Google sheet and went to work.
I began by typing the names of the chambers, the cities that they are located in, their websites, Instagram handles if they had one, and Facebook accounts. I chose to include Facebook this go around once I realized many of the chambers did not have an Instagram. After creating the spread sheet, I began my rankings based off; one- how esthetically pleasing it was to me, two- how active they were on their platform, and three- how they promoted their upcoming events such as, ribbon cuttings, chamber news, etc.
After spending the first half of my day doing this I was able to narrow down the top 10 Chambers of Commerce in Alaska, according to their social presence, and again, my social media “standards” (: Let’s get into it!
- Homer Chamber of Commerce & Business Center- Homer, AK
- Anchorage Chamber of Commerce- Anchorage, AK
- Palmer Chamber of Commerce- Palmer, AK
- Kodiak Chamber of Commerce- Kodiak, AK
- Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
- Denali Chamber of Commerce- Healy, AK
- Skagway Chamber of Commerce- Skagway, AK
- Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce- Talkeetna , AK
- Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce- Wasilla, AK
- Seward Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce- Seward, AK
Homer Chamber of Commerce & Business Center
Homer’s Chamber of Commerce does an OUTSTANDING job highlighting everything the city has to offer. From the local businesses, to locals themselves, and the scenery, I was stunned, and I want to visit as soon as possible! The overall feed of the Instagram account is easy to digest, and looks amazing, featuring high quality photos. They also do a wonderful job using the story feature as well. It looks like whoever manages the Instagram account really takes their time to ensure they publish great content. The Facebook account is also great, featuring valuable information for members of the community, and travelers as well. You can visit them online at: homeralaska.org
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
Anchorage is breathtaking as well, from the photos I saw featured on the social media platforms. Highlighting members of the chamber, businesses, and community events, Anchorage’s Chamber of Commerce has done an incredible job! The feed was pleasing to the eye, and features content that is valuable to not only those in the community, but to anyone who may visit the profile! Check them out online at: anchoragechamber.org
Palmer Chamber of Commerce
Palmer’s Chamber of Commerce is definitely a fan favorite, and by fan I’m talking about me! The featured photos beautifully display the city of Palmer. The feed includes photos that showcase the city, but also those that live and work in the community as well. Community events are posted frequently, and small reminders to shop local can be found throughout the feeds as well. I couldn’t help but notice their great engagement from their followers as well. “Alaska at its best” is quoted in their bio, and I can see why! You can visit them online at: palmerchamber.org
Kodiak Chamber of Commerce
Brand consistency is what I think of when I look through Kodiak’s social profiles. From the colors, to the fonts, everything is concise, which is very easy and pleasing to the eye! I enjoyed seeing the photos featured, many of them include those in their community. Fun facts, and community events are frequently posted as well, so there’s a great mixture of content! Check them out online at: kodiakchamber.org
Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
Greater Fairbank’s social profiles gave me all of the Louisiana feels! The logo being purple, green, and gold immediately resonated with me and my Louisiana soul, bonus points! There are a lot of great images featured on their feed. From volunteer work to highlighting local companies and initiatives, there looks to be a variety of ways to get involved in the area. After viewing their profiles the word that came to my mind immediately was “community”! I also enjoyed being able to watch previous stories because they chose to highlight them on their Instagram feed. Check it out for yourself: fairbankschamber.org
Denali Chamber of Commerce- Healy, AK
At this point, I’m starting to believe all of Alaska is beautiful. Denali’s chamber does an outstanding job capturing, and featuring the breathtaking scenery around them, and I am grateful! The most mind blowing part is, the images are unedited! Many images of locals in the community are featured, as well as information about their annual Denali Blueberry Festival! Visit them online at: denalichamber.com
Skagway Chamber of Commerce
Skagway’s social is a wonderful reminder to shop local! Many of the featured images and postings are in support of the local businesses in the area. This feed is dedicated to assisting companies in the region thrive, from updated hours of operation to reminders about ‘last shop days.’ It is very apparent that community involvement and support is huge in this city. Check out their website: skagwaychamber.org
Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce
The feed of Talkeetna is also very heavy with community events! From encouraging and reminding locals to shop amongst one another, to featured blog posts being shared, everything about this feed makes sense. Breathtaking photos were beautifully displayed throughout the profiles as well. Visit them online at: talkeentachamber.org
Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce
Greater Wasilla’s Chamber does an amazing job with keeping their feed up to date. From congratulatory posts, to meeting reminders, community events, and frequent updates, the feed is ideal for someone that would like to remain in the loop with what’s going on in the area. There are also sweet small reminders to , “think local, support local business”. Check out there website: wasillachamber.org
Seward Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce
Events! Events! Events! If you are looking for something to do, look no further. Seward Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce has all of the local events going on posted to their social media feed. Featured content includes updated hours of operation, dining at a glance lists, current job listings, photos of those in the community, as well as reminders to, you guessed it! Shop local! Check it out for yourself: www.seward.com
Two things all of these chambers have in common; constantly reminding those in the community to shop local, and highlighting the beauty that surrounds them. Becoming a member of any of these chambers is a sure way to help your business grow. The men and women behind the scenes making all of this happen deserve a huge round of applause, and I’m here to give them their flowers.
All of the chambers in Alaska do an amazing job highlighting community events, chamber news, and offer great benefits to their members. Having the option to choose from so many amazing chambers is a luxury that shouldn’t be taken for granted. You can’t go wrong from joining any one of these organizations! As always, make sure you follow these chambers on their social media accounts and visit their websites for frequent updates, and new opportunities!