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Seven Ways Social Media and Your Website

Can Work Together

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Outline

1. Introduction

2. The research: How our prospects and site selectors are using social media, and how they aren’t

3. How our organizations and interactions should evolve in an era of social media

4. Seven ways our websites and social media can work together

5. Wrap up

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Your Hosts

Ben WrightCEO, Atlas Advertising

benw@atlas-advertising.comwww.twitter.com/atlasad

Guillermo MazierBusiness Development, Atlas Advertising

guillermom@atlas-advertising.com

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About Atlas

Atlas Advertising helps economic developers reach national and international prospect and site selection audiences. We deliver branding, website development, GIS mapping, research, social media, and creative services professionally and with a staff experienced in economic development. Unlike firms with little or no economic development experience, Atlas Advertising uses a proven mix of economic development marketing tactics that generate interest from site selection audiences.

Atlas Advertising is led by a former economic development practitioner and has worked with 50+ different economic development clients in 30 states. Our approach and experience means that our campaigns generate an average of three to ten times the response of other campaigns.

Featured clients:– State of Ohio– Indy Partnership– City of San Francisco– Greater Phoenix Economic Council – Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership

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Atlas Agency Services• Website Design

Services• GIS Websites• Brand Development• Search Engine

Marketing• Social Media

Marketing• Website Hosting

• Marketing, Media and Lead Generation

• Content Services• Research Services • Training Services

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Atlas Technology and Data Products• Content

Management Software – Robust Media Center – Calendar– Data Cart/Brochure

Generator – Mobile friendly websites– Blog or Microsite

Software

• Project Tracking Software

• Email Marketing Software

• Data Products– Demographic Data– Business Lists– Enhanced Prospect Lists

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) ― Commercial Property

databases― Business databases― Data Search (Data Tab)― Other Data

Management (Map Overlays)

― Community Data Management

― GIS System Analytics― GIS Data Reporting― Data Widgets

• Website Analytics

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Cool stuff to do/download

• Download our “Compete Smarter” webinars at our Slidespace, http://www.slideshare.net/wright0405

• Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AtlasAd

• Read more at our Blog, “Latitude”: http://blog.atlas-advertising.com

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To view this presentation:

We look forward to having you!

Visit our slide share site: www.slideshare.net/wright0405 :

And, join our LinkedIn Group: Next Gen Economic Development

Marketers(Once you sign up, you will need to be approved)

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The research: How our prospects and site selectors are using Social Media, and how they aren’t

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Who we interviewed

• Estate Inc., New Mexico• Mike Barnes Group, Inc., Texas• Colliers Location Agency &

Incentives Practice, Indiana• McCallum Sweeney Consulting,

South Carolina• Koll Development Company,

Texas• CB Richard Ellis, Washington• Studley Inc., Pennsylvania• Greenfield Development

Company, North Carolina• CB Richard Ellis, Arizona• The RSH Group, California

• Moran, Stahl & Boyer LLC, Florida• Sherwin-Williams Co., Georgia• Trione & Gordon/ONCOR Intl.,

Texas• Colliers International,  Toronto

CANADA• Little & Associates Architects,

North Carolina• Palm Inc – Sunnyvale, California• Visa – San Francisco, California• Foote Consulting Group –

Glendale, Arizona

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What type of projects do you most frequently work with?

63% represent:1. Back office2. Manufactur

ing3. Office/ HQ

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What is the typical size of your location deals in number of employees?

63% typically represent deals between 50 and 499 employees

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What new media advancements have you seen that you think are valuable to your profession?Though respondents mentioned many advancements, online meetings and LinkedIn topped the list.

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What social networks or tools, if any, do you use?

71 % use LinkedIn, and just over 50% use facebook.

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How frequently do you use each?

72 % use some form of Social Media at least weekly.

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What is the applicability of LinkedIn to your profession?

52.6% say LinkedIn has good application to the site selection profession.

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What is the applicability of LinkedIn to your profession?“I have used it along with Hoovers to check who is LinkedIn and contact people for business meetings.”

“I think it has good application. I have gotten proposals through this tool.”

“Pretty low rated.”

“It’s okay.”

“I already have the contacts I need in my email – how is this different?”

“Not much”“Good for seeking independent information.”

“Good for finding contacts, and to keep in touch with peers.”

“More of a business site”

Useful networking toolDon’t know yet.

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The future, according to one site selector “Young companies are all about social media. Their whole concept is open source everything. They rely on an online community. They’re building enthusiasts for their product online. I have a current client in the auto manufacturing space that loves social media. These guys are choosing their locations based on what their online community says they want.

“If you can find companies on social media, you can reach them. Big corporations not using it this way, but small guys are for sure.

“As people who live in the community find these great companies, they could connect ED with companies. Blog with your citizens about what they like and what they know about. Tips are good. Fear is how do you know you have the good information in these channels? I am just learning myself.”

-A Site Selector, early October 2009

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How to sum this up?

Think of your website and social media tools as one platform. A platform you use to publish, communicate, organize, and serve your many varied customers and prospects.

Today, there is very little in economic development that can’t be facilitated or made more efficient by treating your website and social media tools as a single platform.

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How our organizations and interactions should evolve in an era of social media

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A quick quiz:

1. How many phone calls from investors, customers, prospects, or other community members does your organization get per day? 10, 20, 30?

2. How many emails to you get from the same groups as above per day? 10, 20, 30?

3. Add that number together and multiply by 20 (to get to a monthly total) If 20 of each, organization wide, that would be 40x20, or 800 per month.

4. For small communities, website traffic averages 1000 unique visits per month.

5. For large communities, website traffic can average over 20,000 unique visits per month.

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How roles at each level can change in today’s world: CEORole

descriptionRole in a Web

1.0 World: 1995-2009

Role in a Social World:

2009-?•Face of the organization•Lead visionary•Manages all staff•Recruits investors/ manages stakeholders•Makes prospect pitches•Closes deals

•Approves website funding and look and feel as the face of the organization•Directs staff to create and update content•Directs investors and stakeholders to reference the website for up to date information•Directs staff to put appropriate content on the website for prospects

•Returns as the face of the organization and lead visionary, by blogging weekly on the website•Directs each staff person to have a role in publishing to the website•Uses website and online tools to recruit and recognize investors and stakeholders•Uses online tools to serve prospects and increase engagement

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How roles at each level can change in today’s world: Business Development

Role description

Role in a Web 1.0 World: 1995-2009

Role in a Social World:

2009-?•Works all recruitment deals•Manages retention program•Liaison with entrepreneurship and tech transfer functions•Out in the community, attending meetings•Attends trade shows/missions•Liaison with investors/ stakeholders•Assembles prospect pitches•Works to set up deals

•Has a voice in the design and content online for recruitment and retention•Feeds content ideas to marketing staff•Does online research to identify and make prospect, entrepreneur, and tech transfer contacts•Email communications with investors and stakeholders•Attends meetings•Assembles prospect pitches

•Actively works leads through Linked In and other social media tools•Listens in on local business issues using Twitter and facebook•Recruits for and conducts online meetings with prospects and site selectors•Posts relevant announcements to website and social media outlets directly•Delivers prospect pitches in secure online project rooms

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How roles at each level can change in today’s world: Marketing

Role description

Role in a Web 1.0 World: 1995-2009

Role in a Social World:

2009-?•Responsible for community brand•Develops all written communications•Coordinates all organization events•Coordinates media and outreach efforts•Supports proposal development

•Sole or primary content publisher on website•Manages organizational email or printed newsletter•Manages media outreach •Manages any outside advertising, online or traditional •Manages social media publishing of blogs, twitter, and facebook

•Primary developer of online content•Manager of asset libraries (video, audio, etc.) •Trafficker of all content assignments•Coach and trainer for all staff members that are involved in information dissemination•Quality control on communications•Manager of metrics, chief searcher for information, and tracker of comments

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How roles at each level can change in today’s world: Research

Role description

Role in a Web 1.0 World: 1995-2009

Role in a Social World:

2009-?•Responsible for maintenance of all community data •Develops written reports and analysis •Authoritative speaker and commentator on economic status in the community•Responds to RFP requests

•Quarterly or annual updates on the website •Preparation of Excel spreadsheets for upload onto website •Create monthly email analysis •Regular public speaker in the community•Responds to RFP requests

•Second in command developer of online content•Manager of data libraries (workforce data, etc.) •Maintenance of GIS property, business, and demographic databases•Releases data or analysis weekly by authoring a blog post or web page•Submits relevant data to prospects via an online prospect room

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Trends in ED websites

1. Content is becoming ever more important

2. Content types are also diversifying, including:– Pages– Property data– Demographic data– Business data– Downloads– Social media posts– Video

3. Social media is making all of what we do more transparent

4. The conversation is moving from back rooms and private meetings to be online

5. As a result, everyone in the organization who is involved in working with customers should be contributing to online content.

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What a recent Atlas client has said

“I truly feel that we now have a website, and more importantly, a platform, that is one of the best in the country.

- Tim Mroz, VP of Marketing and Communications, The Right Place (Western Michigan)

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Seven Ways Social Media and Your Website Can Work Together

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Seven Ways Social Media and Your Website can work together. 1. Treat content development as an organization – wide

imperative. Assign members across the organization to post, track, and comment on what you post.

2. Recruit Site Selectors and prospects to online fam tours and meetings using your website and LinkedIn.

3. Develop Links between your website and your LinkedIn company profile page and your staff profiles.

4. Develop a LinkedIn Group for your organization, its investors, and site selectors.

5. Break news on facebook and Twitter, driving readership back to your website.

6. Integrate content sharing into your website, so that your content is more widely distributed.

7. What’s coming: Integrating place based social media like foursquare into your website’s GIS systems.

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1. Your CEO should be out in front – your visionary and leader. His or her commentary and opinion should be visible on the website/blog.

2. Your business development team should all have Linked In profiles, be updating status, and prospecting.

3. Your marketing staff should be the quarterback – making assignments, training, motivating, and filling in gaps.

4. Your researcher should be active publishers of data, news, and opinion about the economy.

Treat content development as an organization – wide imperative.

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1. Fam tours consistently rank as the best communication tool you have.

2. Using standard tools such as GoTo Meeting, which is that are free or <$50 per month, you can have 5-10 prospects with you virtually.

3. Conduct one per month, and set a content schedule

4. Recruit using email and Linked In

5. Make the content “inside” information

6. Offer an incentive for Site Selectors to attend.

7. Post your content on your website

Recruiting site selectors and prospects to online meetings

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Develop linkages between your website and your profile

• Put links from your customer facing staffs to their profiles

• Put links from your website to your LinkedIn company profile

• Keeping an active Twitter account

• If blogging, link to personal blog

• If Tweeting, link to follow on Twitter

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1. You as the curator of the group

2. Forum to make announcements and discuss issues of community importance

3. Place for you to connect your stakeholders to you and one another

4. Use the group membership as a way to add to your, and your business development team’s connections

Develop a Linked In group to collaborate with stakeholders

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• Twitter is used by influencers, and while at work.

• It, as well as a facebook fan page, are outstanding tools for breaking news, and your community partners, investors, and other stakeholders will follow you.

• Judge the success by a few factors:• How many followers you have• How often you Tweet• How frequently you are Re-

Tweeted• Traffic you get to your site from

Twitter posts. • Use an insider, “edgy” tone to

your posts.

Use Twitter and facebook to break news, and to share information about your community

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A note on tone for social media post writing1. Your own content

– think relevant, timely, different

2. RT – choose your what you do and don’t do wisely

3. Comment on other tweets – use personal, informal language

4. Tweet from actual events – makes relationship more personal

http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx

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Integrate Social Media and sharing into your website1. Update the

content on your website or blog more than weekly

2. Integrate “Add this” or “ShareIt” features into your site

3. Introduce LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter icons on your site

http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx

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What’s coming: Integrating place based social media1. Simple description: “Life as a game.”

2. Foursquare launched a year ago SXSW, and now has half a million users

3. It is a mobile social network that ties social networks to place.

4. Users “Check in” at places around the community and get the following benefits:– Earn badges, become “mayor”– Get tips from others who have left tips

in places– Distribute your location through Twitter

or facebook networks– In the future, will be used by locations

to reward loyalty with discounts– Generates a tremendous amount of

geotargeted data• In the future, can be used by economic

developers to serve content attached to place to prospects.

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Seven Ways Social Media and Your Website can work together 1. Treat content development as an organization – wide

imperative. Assign members across the organization to post, track, and comment on what you post.

2. Recruit Site Selectors and prospects to online fam tours and meetings using your website and LinkedIn.

3. Develop Links between your website and your LinkedIn company profile page and your staff profiles.

4. Develop a LinkedIn Group for your organization, its investors, and site selectors.

5. Break news on facebook and Twitter, driving readership back to your website.

6. Integrate content sharing into your website, so that your content is more widely distributed.

7. What’s coming: Integrating place based social media like foursquare into your website’s GIS systems.

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Q+A

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Looking for a jumpstart to your social media efforts? Try our social media services.

• Initial Review • Strategy Development• Training Sessions• Atlas Assistance in Implementation

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Contact Atlas

Contact information:

2601 Blake Street, Suite 301Denver, CO 80205

Contact: Ben Wrightt: 303.292.3300 x 210

benw@Atlas-Advertising.comwww.Atlas-Advertising.com

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