Marketing community involvement (without tooting your horn)

Marketing community involvement can be a touchy subject - no business wants to look like they're tooting their own horn too much. Corporate social responsibility has to be communicated carefully, and here are my suggestions:

1.  Let your social media community know when you'll be at a certain event.

Subtlety is key - simply promote the community event through your Facebook or Twitter page, letting your audience know that your team will be there, too.

2.  Take pictures - lots of them!

If you don't have a designated staff person to take photos of your hard work, ask for courtesy photos from the event coordinator. Also, avoid the "grip and grin" photos. They are cliché and don't show employees actually doing anything.

3.  Join local chambers of commerce and stay current with community events (and show up to all of them).

There's no better marketing tool than actually showing up and being in the mix. In-person contact is the best way to get the word out about your community involvement. Join local organizations, and get your company involved in their upcoming events. Also, when you say you're going to be there, always be there!