What's the point? Article 3: Promote Industry and Public Awareness about Technical Communications

In this third entry in the "What's the Point?" series, we'll look at article 3 of the STC Australia Chapter's charter:

"to promote industry and public awareness about technical communications and technical communicators within Australia"

This charter item requires some obvious questions be answered.  

Which industry should we be trying to reach? The industries that employ us? Those that don't, but could?

As for making the public more aware us us, why? I'll focus on industry awareness, because that is where I can see the upside.
I don't know about you, but I'd like more money. Awareness raising is a by-line for more money, in my experience. Not exactly the same thing, but an important part of the story.

It is the combination of  industry awareness, professional competence, and employer respect, that leads to bigger paychecks. The STC Australia Chapter, in giving ourselves a role in awareness-raising, takes improving the capacity of our membership to make money as one of our responsibilities.

Where can we be most affective in this regard? Improving the standing of our members in the industries that already employ us? Or helping our members break into new fields by making companies who don't know how badly they need us aware that we exist?  I don't mean that as a rhetorical question, but I don't know the answer.

In either case, here are 5 ways that I think the STC Australia Chapter can help.

1. Image is important. In all of our communications with the world outside the chapter, we should be courteous and professional.
2. Our website should be smart-looking, easy to navigate, and answer industry and public questions.
3. We should do stuff. Not just online, virtual stuff, but actual, physical stuff in the real world. Nothing raises awareness like happenings. Lunches, talks, conferences, networking events, anything that associates our logo with activity raises our profile. 
4. We should work with other groups to extend our reach and pool resources. Collaboration shows maturity, and working in a team to accomplish an outcome shows competence. 
5. We need to find ways to interact with the broader world. Responding to requests for input from governments, putting out press releases when changes to legislation affect us, anything that helps establish a voice for technical communicators in the public discourse. 

Without a doubt, all of those things require time and effort.  Equally without a doubt, all of them are worth doing.

We could, as a chapter, do some of them. Only participation is required.