Social Media & Economic Development

Abbi Siler

alt.Consulting

abbi.siler@altconsulting.org

Becoming An Online Resource

o Share content & information on your social media platforms that provide an answer to the question the citizens or future citizens of your community need an answer to.

o Share relative content. Listen to what your local community is talking about via social media.

o Provide statistics, demographics, and fun facts via status updates, using keywords like your city and state, and the name of your organization.

Wikipediao Wikipedia has over 15 million articleso It is said to be as accurate as the Encyclopedia

Britannica.o What does it say about your town?o As economic developers, you can upload your statistics

and information to Wikipedia, so ensure that what’s there is accurate, and engaging.

o Why is this important? If someone from out of town is trying to decided to move to your town or another, they will search for you. You want to know for certain that what they find will engage them, and encourage them to move to the area. Same goes for starting businesses etc.

Facebook Community Pageso The newest addition to Pages on Facebook that

helps local business are Community Pages!o Use your keywords: If you are are talking about

services or events in your community, type the name of your town & city!

o Facebook uses keywords: Jonesboro, Arkansas and creates a central hub that collects any status, event or news article submitted on Facebook about ‘Jonesboro, Arkansas.’

o As Economic Developers– Use your city, and state in status updates on Facebook, & Events updates!

o Another reason why submitting Content & Official Website to Wikipedia—to optimize your FREE Business Community Page!

Listening To Your City & Townso Hootsuite: A Great Way to follow the Online

Conversation.o Setup Streams Using Keywords: city, state, City

News, Local Searcho You can also schedule tweets, updates on

Facebook, and feeds on LinkedIn in one area, so that you can work the rest of the week.

o Engage in your community—RT local businesses, follow local businesses, support local citizens.

o Post Your Events On Facebook & Twitter!

Facebook Events

o Promote Your BIG Event on Facebook!

o Use your Facebook Page to create, share and invite people from your community to your event!

o Let’s Create An Event Together!

How Influential Are You?o On Twitter:

o Klout: Klout gives you a clear understanding of who is following you, who is listening to you, who you are influencing, and its FREE.

o Sign Up your Twitter account, and it will give you a score, charts, and analysis of how well you are engaging your Twitter Followers.

o Not Pleased With Your Score? Take some time to really focus on what people are saying about your community online, and then tap into the conversation, provide them links, fact, and answers. (Support locals, and ReTweet their information, too)

How Influential Are You?o On Facebook:

o Let’s take a look at Facebook Insights.

o Look For Number of Page Views per Day.

o Increasing Fan Base (it can be gradual).

o Post Quality—this is based on the number of clicks, video plays, and photo views, combined with your status updates feedback.

o Mentions: When other Pages, People, Or Fans mention your Facebook page in their status updates! (very cool)

o Interactions Per Post—how many people ‘Like’ your status, photos, events, and videos.

The Community Blogo Create a Community Blog: a page on your Website that your local

community can come and read about news, ribbon cuttings, and upcoming events.

o Incorporate Your Community Calendars with this Blog, and invite local businesses, Young Professionals, or City Officials be guest writers.

o This will increase your website views, and mark you as the resource in your community.

o Plus it gives back to the area if you can incorporate Local Business Spotlights once a week, showcasing some of your loyal Chamber Members etc.

o People want to feel like they are apart of something, contributing, and sharing with people who share the same hometown. Give your community the opportunity to connect with you, your members, and your goals in economic growth.

o Wouldn’t You Want to Move or Participate in a Community that Cares?

Link To Local Business Websites

o Reach out to your members by linking their websites, Facebook Pages, and Twitter Accounts.

o Create A Twitter List for your Members.o Add Your Members to the Favorite Pages on Facebook.o When creating a Blog, spotlight local members, and link

to their websites, events and social media platforms.o In return, ask your members to link back to YOUR

websites, and encourage them to share any important info on their social media platforms, websites and more.

o Don’t be afraid to ask, Communities thrive by working together!

Just Don’t Forget!

HAVE FUN!

Presented by Abbi Siler, Social Media Consultant

abbi.siler@altconsulting.orgalt.Consulting