Check the back door of your chamber, because online social networking may have snuck in to your organization while you weren't paying attention.

Online social networking, sometimes called Web 2.0, is creeping quickly into our world. Where most web sites are like a one way conversation, online social media are like a conference of thousands. Social Networking in Plain English Our members and customers are using LinkedIn, Twitter (huh?), YouTube, FaceBook and MySpace to get connected.

Here's where membership organizations need to pay attention: Getting businesses connected is one of your core functions. If a business person can use social media to connect with others in a comparable way, then chambers are less relevant because of it.

The Rundown

LinkedIn is the leading Web 2.0 resource for business. It started out as an online resume service, but now there are discussion areas where you can ask experts, or demonstrate that you are one. Start here, set up a profile, and load a picture. I'll even be your first friend, www.linkedin.com/in/KyleSexton. I'm sure Kate King, Drew Graham, and Frank Kenny will accept your connections, as well.

Twitter is a fascinating if not annoying web version of text messaging. You can poke your nose into the life or conversations of any participating Twit. (They aren't really called Twits, but I think it's funny, so it stays.) You can Tweet (really) your followers, and interact with the Tweets of those you follow. I follow thought leaders in other industries for insights. See just how annoying this technology can be at www.twitter.com/KyleSexton

We've all dismissed MySpace as "just for kids," and now these kids are expanding into FaceBook. I have members with profiles on both of these. My advice is to evaluate whether or not you have an audience here. Youth programs, workforce development programs in high schools, or partnerships with your local colleges and universities are all reasons to consider these two.

The Alternatives

So you want to dip your toe before you jump in? Blogger is a great free service for your chamber to start blogging. Link it to your web site in a prominent place. Schedule your blogging. This blog will also become an article in two different publications with different audiences, so I'm not taking extra time by blogging, I'm saving time by blogging. Read that last part again.

Let's get this right out in the open: I'm 35, and a techie. I'm not a programmer; I am a humble marketer. Chamber-industry service-providers frequently ask me to review their latest technology before releasing it to other chambers, and the question I'm always asking is, "Can chambers get this for free somewhere else?" (Did I mention that I'm frugal?) If the answer is yes, I'm especially critical.

Two companies have emerged to provide online social media services to chambers of commerce. ConnectionsPlace.com and ChamberInteractive.com offer to bring your chamber into the second generation of web technology, just in time for the third generation to begin.

In researching chambers interested in implementing this technology, there are two primary concerns: Staff time, and staff time. Cost came in a distant third. Many of you, it appears, are interested in investing in this technology if it means that the "free" solution doesn't take up your valuable staff time. I would have lost money on that bet.

Still, other chambers are reverting to interns for this. After all, college students are professionals at this, but before you hand over your project, keep the guidelines clear. First, find your members on these social networks, then invite them to your group before releasing the group to your general membership.

The Consequences

One chamber in a larger city decided not have a formal presence on LinkedIn, even after fielding several member requests. Can you guess what happened next? Yep, the members created their own online professional networking group for their region, and left the chamber out in the cold, a missed opportunity.

Some of you will read this article and do nothing. Many of you won't even get so far into the issue as this sentence. In my best God-voice, here this. Get on LinkedIn. Start a group for your Chamber, so your members can connect to you. Create public discussions on the issues relating to your community. Become comfortable with Web 2.0 before the next generation of Twits join your chamber.