Isabelle Poirier's portion of "Audience Driven Economic Development Web Strategies" session at the 2012 International Economic Development Council annual conference in Houston, Texas. This presentation focuses on the importance of a blog in a digital marketing campaign for economic development. A best practice review of the Blogue Mauricie initiative was highlighted in the presentation.

1. Audience Driven
Economic Development
Web Strategies
International Economic
Development Council
Houston, Texas
October 2nd, 2012

2. About Intelegia
Intelegia is a boutique consulting firm that understands the need to be innovative and
strategic in a business and economic landscape that is evolving at an incredible pace.
The firm’s expertise in the use of social
media allows clients to benefit from:
• Training to improve information
gathering and analysing techniques
• Consulting on how to use the social
web in business-to-business and
economic development context
• Executing content strategies to
leverage branding initiatives
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3. A Social Region?
3 © Intelegia 2012

4. Where Is Mauricie?
Source: Google map
4 © Intelegia 2012

5. The Shifting Landscape
Source : http://bilan.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/pages/photos/8918.html
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6. We’ve
THE changed.
Have you read
QUEST the news?
6 © Intelegia 2012

7. Let’s Connect With Our Audience!!! #FAIL
Then
Source: istockphoto.com
7 © Intelegia 2012

8. How Can A Region Become Known
In A Digital Era?
Invest in ______________
8 © Intelegia 2012

9. In 2012, It’s All About Engagement….
Now
9 © Intelegia 2012

10. Let’s Go Back To 2009….
All across North America, economic
development agencies were competing to
attract investment and talent. They had
two options in front of them.
Continued as is with their Reached out and collaborated
website. offline and online to engage
Published facts and news stakeholders on a regional basis
communicating the value of the to promote the business and
region. social climate.
10 © Intelegia 2012

11. A New Opportunity Is Like A Warm Place In
A Cold Snow Storm
11 © Intelegia 2012

12. It Was And It Is Still A Bumpy Road
Source: http://www.liekearends.com/tech/5-ways-how-to-write-your-blogpost-or-not
12 © Intelegia 2012

13. Human Being Are Social Being
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14. Build It Around The Blog
Sharing
insights
regarding the
business and
social
environment
in Mauricie.
14 © Intelegia 2012

15. Getting Blog Rolling In 2010
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16. What Is Happening Now?
• Doubled the number
of visits
• Growth of number of
bloggers
• Increased level of
engagement
• Online hub to
regional EDOs and
other stakeholders’
websites
16 © Intelegia 2012

17. Seeing Real Benefits
17 © Intelegia 2012

18. The Spin-Off Effects Since 2010
Education Businesses
Culture EDOs
Regional Stakeholders
Regional
Stakeholders
Financial Municipal
Services Gov’t
Media
18 © Intelegia 2012

19. Food For Thought
• Interesting Numbers
• Blogs are cited by 39 %
of B2B marketers as
their most valuable
content asset
• 55 % of B2B
professionals reporting
they turn to blogs in
order to gather business
information.
Source: Eloqua
Source : emarketer, SEO, Social and Content Marketing in Top Demand, September 24, 2012,
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009368#fSPUsqGFg60DRzbc.99
19 © Intelegia 2012

20. Why A Blog? Because A Blog Is Not A
Website, It’s A News Site
A blog is a social media site where
bloggers aim to engage with readers using
current and unique content..
Findings : 18 of 40 agencies in the largest
North America cities had a blog, however;
but 11 agencies are using the tool to
publish current and unique news content.
20 © Intelegia 2012

21. Intelligence From Google Trends – Web Search
Source: Google Trends
21 © Intelegia 2012

22. Intelligence From Google Trends – News Search
Source: Google Trends
22 © Intelegia 2012

23. Best Practices - Greater Halifax Partnership
Source: www.smartcityblog.greaterhalifax.com/
23 © Intelegia 2012

24. Best Practices - New York City Economic
Development Corporation
Source: http://www.nycedc.com/blog
24 © Intelegia 2012

25. EDOs ARE Game Changers In This Brand New World
25 © Intelegia 2012

26. About Isabelle Poirier
With over 15 years in economic development, Isabelle advises organisations
on investment attraction and migration strategies, marketing intelligence
gathering and social media marketing plans. Isabelle is a frequent speaker
and trainer in North America on issues regarding the use of social media for
economic development, tourism and private organisations.
Since July 2010, she has been a guest lecturer on the subject of improving
economic development practices through strategic intelligence and web tools
at the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute in Atlanta, GA. In May
2011, she was a guest lecturer on the subject of social media applied to
economic development at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, ON,
Canada. In March 2012, she was invited to McGill University , in Montreal,
QC, to speak on the topic of social media applied to public relation strategies .
In 2009, she piloted one of the largest Facebook Pages for economic
development in Canada. She also co-authored, “Web 2.0 and Business
Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index©”, the first benchmark
study regarding how Canadian cities economic development agencies are
marketing their regions to potential investors. The fourth edition will be
published in Fall 2012.
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27. Connect With Us!
www.linkedin.com/company/intelegia
www.twitter.com/intelegia
www.facebook.com/isabelle.poirierintelegia
https://plus.google.com/s/intelegia
www.intelegia.com/en
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