The Road to Economic Development Marketing Reinvention

The Road to
Economic
Development
Marketing
Reinvention
presented byHow Digital Methodology is Shaping the Industry
H I G H P E R F O R M A N C E E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

2The Road to Economic Development Marketing Reinvention | © 2016 Atlas Advertising | atlas-advertising.com
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Marketing Then and Now: A Look Back to the Turn of the Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Does Economic Development Marketing Make a Difference? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Role Data Plays in Economic Development Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Building Traction with Economic Development Metrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Purpose of Measuring your EDO & Applying Metrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
High Performance Economic Development Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Interesting Trends.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Winners in Four Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Making the Most of Metrics in a Digital Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Doing Websites Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Leveraging Digital in a Digital Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Leaders in Digital Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
City of Goodyear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Nashville Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Orlando Economic Development Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using Metrics and Digital to Drive Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
About Atlas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
About the Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Lucky number five. This marks the fifth year we’ve produced a white
paper on High Performance Economic Development (and all that
comes along with it), and it’s the same number of years we have
to thank those in the industry for finding value in our work: helping
people like you push the envelope, and discover better ways to
make an impact for your community. We’re immensely proud of
– and grateful for – those in the profession who do great work for
their communities, who understand the crucial role that economic
developers play in the civic landscape, and who never falter in doing
the right thing for the betterment of a community and its people – the
latter being a cornerstone of our agency, and a value we live every
day. Doing the right thing for clients, and helping them write the
history of their communities through influential and inspired marketing.
Our Mission
From now until 2025, we are committed to creating an average of 400
more jobs per week in the communities we work in than would have
otherwise been created—a total of 200,000 in all. This will change the
lives of over one million people for the better.
Introduction

Marketing Then and Now: A Look Back
to the Turn of the Century
Marketing, particularly in the economic development industry, has changed
dramatically since the turn of the century.
»» 2001 The profession was of the
mindset that the more you put on
your website, the more conversations
you’d have. (And while website
content remains a vital component
to community awareness and
differentiation, the types of content
used and the ways in which it’s
presented have seen a major shift.
More on that later.)
»» 2008 Content marketing became a
common expression, and content
development was an everyday action.
»» 2010 We saw the emergence of
mobile as a strong competitor to
desktop, and really as the game
changer in portable information
exchange and consumption.
»» 2011 Conversations led the way
for economic developers, with the
outlook being high touch, high yield
(of qualified prospects, of deals
created, of company relocations, of
capital investment announced).
»» 2012 A surge in marketing properties
led to 50% of conversations, making
way for municipalities, regions, and
states to represent multitudinous data
in map form.
»» 2013 There was a realization that
we could be doing more to capitalize
on the deals that were inevitably out
there, waiting to be had. How would
economic development professionals
find those deals?
If we fast forward to today, our challenge and focus are the same, and they harken back
to 2013 when we wondered how we’d ever capitalize on all of those deals we knew
were out there.
That challenge and focus of present day: Digital. Digital presence. Digital awareness.
Digital initiatives. Digital marketing. But what is digital? How does it work? How
does the economic development industry leverage its power? How will it change the
profession? How do economic developers adopt the approach? As digital continues to
penetrate the economic development market, it seems reasonable the term—and it’s
methodology—be explained, applied, and measured. For that which is measured can be
improved, and that which improves (be it a digital program of work or otherwise) stands
to see greater gains in any marketplace, economic development being no exception.
INNOVATORS EARLY ADOPTERS EARLY MAJORITY LATE MAJORITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS
LAGGARDS
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
LIFECYCLE
ONLY 1/3 OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS
BELIEVE THEY'RE EFFECTIVELY
LEVERAGING DIGITAL TO IMPACT
THEIR OVERALL ECONOMY
1
3

Does Economic Development Marketing
Make a Difference?
The short answer is yes. But it’s not that simple. It depends on a multitude of factors like
type of marketing initiative, target audience identification, marketing channels used, metrics
applied in understanding performance, and strategies implemented for future improvement. In
most instances, however, it does make a difference, and the willingness to adopt digital has
a substantial impact on the difference economic development marketing really does make.
Another factor that plays a role is cost. Is it always the “heavy hitters” or “big spenders” who
see the greatest return on investment? Not always. Accessible budget is advantageous, but the
right strategy is as important. Two examples help explain the impact of economic development
marketing, and it’s important to note that both are digital campaigns executed in 2015 and 2016.
TOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Population: 49,000 Campaign cost: $5,000
Town kicked off their campaign in October 2015. Campaign goals and
results are outlined below, showing performance from start date through
July 2016.
GOAL RESULT
Campaign click-through rate
(CTR): 0.08%
CTR: 0.14%
Meet impressions planned Actual impressions through
July 7, 2016: 10,765,645
Increase overall website
traffic by 20%
Actual increase in website
traffic: 68.15%
Increase time on site by 10% Decreased by 9.52%
Decrease bounce rate to
45-55%
Actual bounce rate for June
2016: 19.81%
COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM CAMPAIGN:
99 Increased inquiries (by a dramatic margin)
-- Enterprise zone
-- Redevelopment opportunities
-- Demographics
-- Heightened site selector interest
99 Increased population, development, and revenue (as seen from
combined digital and traditional marketing efforts)
99 Increased website traffic
CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Population: 73,000 Campaign cost: $2,300/month
City launched their campaign at the beginning of 2016 (March), and it has
been live and in market since. The metrics below were gathered at the end
of June 2016.
GOAL RESULT
CTR: 0.15% YTD (March 1 – June 30)
CTR: 0.22%
Impressions: 8,367,817 YTD impressions: 4,219,580
(on track to surpass goal)
Clicks/website hits: 12,700 YTD clicks/hits: 9,482
Website sessions: 8,500 YTD website sessions: 7,904
COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM CAMPAIGN:
99 Increased brand awareness for the city
99 Exceeded metric goals in multiple categories
99 Received record high website traffic
99 Reached target audiences, able to disseminate
brand message and story
The results of both campaigns show that progress was made, goals were met or exceeded,
and the cost to execute remained low. Economic development marketing – specifically digital
endeavors – continues to be a smart investment that casts a wide net, and reaps commendable
benefits, e.g. more community awareness and engagement, increased inquiries about
community assets, and farther down the funnel, a greater number of companies wanting to plant
roots in a particular place – your place.
*We explore the role digital plays in the industry and profession in much greater detail in the sections ahead.

The Role Data Plays in Economic
Development Marketing
“Data can be used to analyze a
community’s strengths and weaknesses;
plan a comprehensive strategy for both the
community and the economic development
organization; and to design a program to
advance that strategy. Data can be used to
measure the performance of an EDO. Data
can be used to market a community. Data
can be offered to the business community
to assist business decisions.”
(A New Standard: Achieving Data Excellence in Economic Development, IEDC)
Data can be a powerful differentiator, especially in economic development.
And site selectors are driven by data. Their decision models incorporate
client-specific criteria and weighting that produces data-driven location
rankings (Why Site Selectors Hate Your Marketing). According to Will
Cox, senior manager at Biggins Lacy Shapiro and Company, economic
development organizations should leverage data access and partnerships
to present the positive, and show change perception in the negative.
Quality data equates to confident location decisions.
Gathering, analyzing, and disseminating data may feel like an
insurmountable task, but the effort is worth the reward. Data is really
the driver in making decisions about certain communities. The more
available, robust, and up-to-date the data, the more likely it is for
communities to see a better evaluation and higher probability for
business expansions or relocations.
TOP 5 CHANNELS TO REACH
SITE SELECTORS IN 2016
1. WEBSITES
The leading channel through which
site selectors find, consume, and
pass along information about your
community.
2. CITY/REGIONAL/STATE
PARTNERS
Site selectors find information at
various levels, so arming your city,
regional, or state partners with
information about your community
can be advantageous. This data
sharing also allows more detailed
and comparative modeling between
locations and regions.
3. RELATIONSHIPS
(OR THE CONNECTEDNESS OF YOUR EDO
TO 3RD PARTY PROVIDERS)
Site selectors are well connected
in the industry, so you have to
be too. Forming, strengthening,
and maintaining partnerships
with local stakeholders, data
partners (StateBook, SelectUSA,
Pew Charitable Trusts), local
companies and businesses,
educational institutions, the real
estate community, and more, allow
site selectors to discover your
community in a plethora of ways.
4. GIS PLATFORMS
A searchable database of available
buildings and sites provides a real-
time look at your community assets.
5. GOOGLE
With more than 3.5 billion searches
per day, there is no denying that your
community is being explored online,
likely through Google. Establishing
and employing good search engine
optimization (SEO) techniques can
provide visibility for your place as
well as build trust through Google’s
network, and help your community
claim the best possible real estate on
a SERP (search engine results page).

So as an economic developer, how do you know the data that’s most important to provide?
And in what sort of ways should it be presented? Are there specific channels better for
consumption? Since EDO websites are reviewed 100% of the time during the research phase
of a site selection process – according to Cox – it’s safe to assume that a digital environment is
not just suitable but preferred. As for the types of data to include?
»» DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
Provide 3rd party data and independent market analyses
»» INCENTIVE INFORMATION
Offer a comprehensive overview of state and local incentives including program
summaries, eligibility, and potential value
»» KEY INDUSTRIES
Outline what the region does best, and the plan for the future
Include key industry differentiation, i.e. how do you set yourself
apart from other communities?
»» LEADING EMPLOYERS
Show what’s already thriving in your area – existing industries are your best cheerleaders,
and your project closers
»» GIS
Provide information on available sites with a GIS component so site selectors can
visualize where available property falls in an area
It’s important to note that while providing all of this data is essential, it’s equally necessary
to be viewed as a credible data provider – a title EDOs might be subject to squander if not
careful. According to the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), economic
developers should consider adoption of the following measures that can strengthen their
perception as credible data providers:
»» “Presenting data that is as comprehensive as possible (even where unfavorable);
»» Supplementing local data with relevant comparisons/benchmarks;
»» Providing narrative context for data where it is difficult or unclear;
»» Maintaining data that is up-to-date;
»» Listing sources;
»» Highlighting use of objective third-party verification;
»» Explaining methodology, assumptions, and other pertinent decisions; and
»» Supporting and adopting open data initiatives that simultaneously protect client
confidentiality” (A New Standard: Achieving Data Excellence in Economic Development)
The data that site selectors demand is a need that will always be fulfilled by economic
developers. If not, their communities won’t be included in the mix, the competitive set, or
among the group that rises to the top of the stack, so to speak, when resumes are evaluated.
But what about the other data? The data that tells you how you’re doing. Shows your
performance. Proves your efforts. And paves the way for strong, profitable communities.
It’s almost like a set of internal facts and figures that you use to stay the course or change
direction. This set of data – or what we like to call economic development metrics – is integral
to your overall success.
More from our Q&A
with Will Cox
Q&A

Building Traction with Economic
Development Metrics
What do high performing EDOs have in common?
1. They challenge the status quo
2. They build a culture of transparency and accountability
3. They are relentlessly curious
4. They commit
5. They find value in metrics that drive outcomes
65% of economic developers believe just having metrics can increase their performance, and
78% of economic developers believe that a better understanding of metrics would improve
their board relationships (How High Performance Economic Development Creates Exceptional
Communities). Implementing metrics can give your EDO a better focus, a better vision, and the
ability to make better decisions for the future. As the saying goes, if you measure your EDO, it
can improve.
20 years ago, 70% of EDO funding came from public sources and 30% from private sources,
but the opposite is now true. If you’re receiving donations and private funding, the most
important thing you need to do is communicate your initiatives and outcomes to those who
want or need to know “what’s in it for me?” So what methods should your organization employ
to satisfy those endorsing your campaigns?
AWARENESS ENGAGEMENT LIVELIHOOD COMMUNITY VITALITY
»» Use benchmarks to periodically assess your campaign(s)
»» Ask for participation from key stakeholders
»» Analyze and report on metrics post campaign
We believe four simple metrics can say a lot about your organization
and community and its overall health.
THE MEASURE:
THE METRIC:
THE MEASURE:
THE METRIC:
THE MEASURE:
THE METRIC:
THE MEASURE:
THE METRIC:
A WEBSITE VISIT
(AND ITS PURPOSE AND VALUE)
CONVERSATIONS
GENERATED JOBS ANNOUNCED
CAPITAL INVESTMENT
ANNOUNCED
“Revenue provided by economic
development supports, maintains,
and improves local infrastructure,
such as roads, parks, libraries,
and emergency medical services”
(California Association for Local
Economic Development). Municipal
money is used for the betterment of
residents, and raises the economic
tide for the community. Increased
capital means an overall increase in
the standard of living.
“Economic development provides
better wages, benefits, and
opportunities for advancement”
(California Association for Local
Economic Development). It aids
in job development, retention,
and attraction. It allows people to
exercise their strengths, and grow
their skills. It gives people jobs
– that which is central to human
livelihood.
As an organization in the
economic development industry,
conversations are essential. They
can bridge the gap for a prospect
who needs more information
than what's available online,
but who may not be completely
sold your community is the right
one. Personal engagement with
prospects is an integral step in the
business location decision process,
so ensuring your interactions are
meaningful, decisive, and helpful is
mandatory.
To what degree is your community
recognized in the industry? If
you’re a small town, how are
you making yourself known? For
larger organizations, how are you
setting yourself apart from your
competition? For all EDOs, are
those you’re trying to target finding
and consuming your messaging?
Vision
• Values
• Focus
• Target
Approach
• Documented
• Followed by all
Outcomes
• Measureables
• KPIs
Data
• Immersion
• Analysis
Challenge
• Gap analysis
Leadership
• Accountability
• Right people
• Right seats
Your
Community

Purpose of Measuring your EDO
& Applying Metrics
Utilizing metrics can give your organization a better focus, a better vision,
and the ability to make better decisions for the future. Metrics can pave
the way toward high performance in the industry, and getting there isn’t
strenuous, but does take focus and dedication. There are five main steps
in implementing metrics:
1. Discuss your organization’s priorities for marketing, business
recruitment, and business retention, and start with a simple
scorecard. Priorities may include:
Deals Promotions
Retention/
Entrepreneurship Infrastructure
Mission
Jobs and wealth
from outside
Awareness,
inquiry
Jobs and wealth
from inside
Improve the
business
environment
Key
Audience
Site selectors,
prospective
companies
Site selectors,
prospective
companies
Local companies
and entrepreneurs
Local elected
officials,
government
Metrics
Deals closed,
deals in the
pipeline
Awareness,
inquiries/mo.
Meetings, issues
solved, policy
Projects built,
legislation passed
Staffing
1/2 business
developers, 1/2
marketers
2/3 marketers
and information
producers
1/2 business
developers, 1/2
service providers
1/2 lobbyists,
1/2 policy/
infrastructure
Core Skills
Service, person-
to-person
communication,
sales
Content
creation, digital
communications
Service,
consulting
Lobbying, public
affairs
2. Assign metrics to certain staff – this is what helps build your culture
of accountability.
Web Visits
Inquiries/
Conversations Jobs Announced
Capital
Investment
Announced
CEO/
Executive    
Business
Developer   
Marketer
 
Researcher

3. Set a plan for each staff person to influence his/her metric(s) –
understanding and acting upon the activities involved in enhancing
the measureable will lead to better outcomes.
4. Make the metrics plan clear to your stakeholders – this is what helps
build your culture of transparency.
5. Execute, report, and adjust.
“Proven marketing
ROI unlocks budget.
But you have to be
tracking ROI in the
first place, which not
everyone is doing.”
(As read in HubSpot’s State of Inbound 2015.)
THE IDEA IN PRACTICE FROM
A MACRO LEVEL*
SET THE RIGHT GOALS
Expand the scope and metrics of
economic development to reflect a
more foundational and holistic
understanding of how to expand the
economy and opportunity
GROW FROM WITHIN
Prioritize established and emerging firms
and industries; invest in the ecosystems of
innovation, trade, talent, infrastructure, and
governance to support globally competitive
firms, and enable small businesses to grow
in the market
BOOST TRADE
Facilitate export growth and trade with
other markets in the U.S. and abroad
in ways that deepen regional industry
specializations and bring in new income
and investment
INVEST IN PEOPLE AND SKILLS
Incorporate skills development of workers
as a priority for economic development
and employers
*Source: Remaking economic development:
The markets and civics of continuous growth
and prosperity, Brookings

High Performance Economic
Development Winners
So who in the industry is doing metrics well? What EDOs are tracking their numbers,
and using them to see better outcomes? Every year, our High Performance Economic
Development benchmarking survey provides the answers to these very questions,
and it shows us who, in the economic development industry, is a top performer. In
other words, we’re privy to what economic development organizations garnered the
highest numbers in four categories:
1. Website visits received
2. Conversations/inquiries generated
3. Jobs announced
4. Capital investment announced
Not accounting for population, staff size, or budget, we’re excited to
announce this year’s overall winners (for data collected from 2015):
MOST WEBSITE VISITS
Frisco Economic Development Corporation (Frisco, Texas)
MOST CONVERSATIONS OR INQUIRIES
Prince William County Department of Economic Development
(Prince William County, Virginia)
MOST JOBS ANNOUNCED
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (Nashville, Tennessee)
MOST CAPITAL INVESTMENT ANNOUNCED
Frisco Economic Development Corporation (Frisco, Texas)

In 2015, we saw some interesting trends.
»» Average number of website visits was 17,048, compared to 26,889 in 2014
»» Average capital investment dropped from $280 million (in 2014) to
$251 million
»» Number of website visits needed to generate one conversation decreased
from 112 in 2014 to 71 in 2015
There were 107 organizations that participated in the study. And while the
metrics for each varied tremendously (depending on things like population size,
staff size, and available budget), there are statements we can make that are
applicable to the sample size as a whole:
»» Each organization that participated in the survey has the ability to use
these metrics as a baseline to plan, and make adjustments, for the future.
Many organizations are measuring their performance for the first time, and
this data provides the baseline from which to start improving.
»» Each organization can determine the marketing endeavors that led to these
outcomes, e.g. the various tactics and strategies deployed that garnered a
certain number of website visits or allowed staff to have a certain number
of conversations with prospects.
-- For Frisco Economic Development Corporation,
that’s relationship building
-- For Prince William County Department of Economic Development,
that’s targeted industry marketing
-- For Nashville Chamber of Commerce,
that’s workforce attraction
»» Each organization can establish the equation that works best for them, i.e.
figuring out just how to get the right number of website visits that generate
the right number of conversations.
»» Each organization can see how they stack up against their competitors,
and decipher what another community may be doing that might also work
for their own community.
»» Each organization can set forth new goals for the future, whether that’s
staying the course, changing direction, or simply working to augment the
metrics from this year to next.
17,048
$
251
71
million
AVERAGE NUMBER OF
WEBSITE VISITS IN 2015
AVERAGE CAPITAL INVESTMENT
IN 2015
NUMBER OF WEBSITE VISITS
NEEDED TO GENERATE ONE
CONVERSATION IN 2015

Winners in Four Categories
MOST WEBSITE VISITS BASED ON POPULATION
Over 2,500,000 Oklahoma Department of Commerce
1,000,000 to 2,500,000 JAXUSA Partnership
250,001 to 1,000,000 Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership
100,001 to 250,000 Frisco Economic Development Corporation
25,001 to 100,000 Redevelopment Resources
Less than 25,000 Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation
MOST CONVERSATIONS/INQUIRIES GENERATED BASED ON POPULATION
1,000,000 to 2,500,000 Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance
250,001 to 1,000,000 Prince William County Department of Economic Development
100,001 to 250,000 City of Corona
25,001 to 100,000 Airdrie Economic Development
Less than 25,000 City of Waynesboro
MOST JOBS ANNOUNCED BASED ON POPULATION
1,000,000 to 2,500,000 Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
250,001 to 1,000,000 Opportunities New Brunswick
100,001 to 250,000 Richardson Economic Development Partnership
25,001 to 100,000 Tinley Park Economic Development
Less than 25,000 Development Corporation of Richmond
MOST CAPITAL INVESTMENT ANNOUNCED BASED ON POPULATION
1,000,000 to 2,500,000 Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
250,001 to 1,000,000 Loudoun County Department of Economic Development
100,001 to 250,000 Frisco Economic Development Corporation
25,001 to 100,000 Airdrie Economic Development
Less than 25,000 City of Port Lavaca Economic Development

Making the Most of Metrics in
a Digital Environment
As the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance put it,
And they’re not the only ones finding value from metrics. All of the organizations profiled in
the sections to come said that metrics play an important role in continuing the use of certain
marketing methodologies, shifting away from ones that aren’t working, or finding completely
new alternatives like email and content marketing in lieu of mailings and print ads, for example.
Metrics can help organizations plan for their digital futures. But before you set off on charting a
new approach, let’s break down and dissect one of our metrics: website visits. This exploration
will make it easier to see a few things: the value they bring to an EDO, what they’re able to
forecast for the future, and why measuring this variable can lead to more of a good thing – an
increase in our other three metrics.
“Metrics are incredibly important drivers of performance. Today, especially with
digital content, we have a seemingly endless supply of metrics – site traffic,
impressions, click through rates, SEM performance, downloads, hits, visits – to
name just a few examples. The challenge really is turning those metrics into
insights that will help us improve our overall marketing performance.”
In order to see proper function of your marketing funnel; in order to have a transparent view
of time and money resource use; and in order to see an overall impact on your community,
employing metrics is necessary, and fundamental to the success of your place and its people.
THE NUMBER OF WEBSITE VISITS GARNERED IN A GIVEN YEAR CAN
ATTEST TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CERTAIN DIGITAL CAMPAIGNS.
A conversation with a prospect or site selector can lead to a community visit or tour,
and that can lead to a consideration of your community.
Being shortlisted can lead to the eventual decision for a company or business to call your city or state home,
and that leads to the creation of jobs for community members and residents of a particular area.
Jobs, employee production, logistics, exports, and community consumption all lead to
capital investment announced, or the money generated by a community during its fiscal year.
This number is essentially the compilation of everything
that started with that first digital marketing campaign.
The success of an EDO’s reach on Twitter (via paid advertising), or their content marketing yield
(via blogs and e-newsletters), or their search engine marketing gains (via one or more display
ads in market) may be defined by the number of website visits they’re able to acquire.
A website visit can lead into a conversation with a prospect. “You recently downloaded information about
the available buildings in our city. What other information are you looking for regarding our community?”

Doing Websites Well
So who in the profession has mastered the art and science of an industry leading economic
development website? Our Top 5 Economic Development Websites in 2016 list includes
the organizations who we, and others, believe have the best in the biz:
1. STATE OF TENNESSEE (DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT)
WHAT WORKS? Simple, yet powerful messaging. Sleek design. And robust information on incentives and grants.
2. THE RIGHT PLACE
WHAT WORKS? Video feature highlighting capital investment announced and jobs created. A clean, well-
designed homepage. And a plethora of resources for local businesses.
3. PARKER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
WHAT WORKS? A strong call-to-action on the homepage that leads to a beautifully designed digital brochure.
Easy access to EDO staff. And quality data provided on workforce.
4. ORLANDO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
WHAT WORKS? Simplicity that speaks volumes. Just the right amount of gloat. And robust information on
workforce – an initiative driving more company location decisions than ever before.
5. CITY OF RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WHAT WORKS? Video as a tool to get to know the community. Clearly defined calls-to-action. And
a ‘Helpful Tools’ section that provides just that – helpful tools for site selectors and
local businesses.
Your website may very well be world class too, among those listed above. And we’d love to
see your great work. But the question that we get a lot, and that often arises after the creation
of a site is, “What do we do with our website?” “How do we promote this thing?” “What’s the
best way to market our website?” There are a number of ways to get the job done, but here
are the Top 5 Ways to Drive Traffic to Content in 2016.
1. INBOUND MARKETING
Create compelling content about your new website. (What problems does it solve? Why should people spend
their time on your website? In other words, what’s the value proposition?) Include clear and creative calls-to-
action that draw people to your website for all the right reasons.
*According to HubSpot, companies are 3x as likely to see higher ROI on inbound marketing campaigns than on outbound.
2. DIGITAL MARKETING
An email campaign that builds intrigue and piques curiosity can get people to your site. Remember to give
them something of value once they reach a dedicated landing page on your website (yet another digital
marketing tactic that draws dividends).
3. SOCIAL MEDIA
Spread the word via social media, and encourage your community advocates to share the message. Virtual
word-of-mouth can spread like wildfire, so ensure your initial digital memo is one you’d like to see shared a
hundred times.
4. PAID ADVERTISING
This can be a great way to see an increase in visitation, but remember, you want the right clicks, not simply
all the clicks. A captivating text or display ad can entice people to visit your site. As in every case, make the
“virtual trip” worthwhile with some kind of digital payoff.
5. TRADITIONAL PR
This more traditional approach can work in the right situations. Be sure the outreach is directed to specific
industries and regions, and your message is reaching your target audiences. This kind of press can be helpful
too if you’re a new organization, or one that recently experienced change.

Leveraging Digital in a Digital Age
PRESENT AND FUTURE OF DIGITAL
»» In 1990, the first web browser was built by Tim Berners-Lee.
»» Just five years later, the first banner ad appeared on HotWired.
»» We saw the release of Google AdWords in 2000.
»» In 2004, 2005, and 2006, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter came on the
scene, respectively.
»» In 2007, the first iPhone was released.
»» Snapchat made an appearance in 2011.
»» Mobile ad spend surpassed that of desktop in 2015, and in the same year,
one billion people used Facebook on the same day.*
In 2017, digital spend will overtake TV spend. 80% of web traffic will be video
come 2019. One year later, in 2020, Facebook will hit 1.87 billion monthly
users, and 6.1 billion people will own smartphones.*
What this means for you, as a community marketing specialist,
is that you need to take a hard look at digital. Understanding
what it means for your city, region, or state; how digital
might play a role in your organization’s marketing space; and
what an actual program of work looks like could be a huge
game-changer for your community. If you’re considering the
approach, these numbers – and the lightning fast progression
of digital activities – should help guide your decisions.
*Source: Media 2020: The Marketer’s Guide to the Present and Future of the Internet
1990
1995
2000
2004
2005
2006
2007
2015
2011
FIRST WEB BROWSER BUILT
FIRST BANNER AD
GOOGLE ADWORDS LAUNCHES
FACEBOOK LAUNCHES
YOUTUBE LAUNCHES
TWITTER LAUNCHES
FIRST iPHONE
MOBILE AD SPENDING
SURPASSES DESKTOP
SNAPCHAT LAUNCHES

Taken from a recent blog post, Old School vs. New School
Digital Lead Generation, we explore two ways of thinking,
two strategies, and their outcomes. The examples are real,
but for purposes of anonymity, we’re not disclosing the
names of either organization.
Obtaining Opportunities:
The Traditional Way
An economic development organization takes a mission
trip to meet businesses interested in their location. That
mission trip costs $20,000. The EDO meets with 20
companies, and of those 20, they receive, at most, one
or two leads. Those one or two leads are ready to make
business relocation or expansion decisions, but not for
two or three years. The immediate gratification garnered
from the trip? Quality face time with prospective buyers.
The capital yield of the campaign (trip)? Negative, as
thousands were spent to get in front of, speak with, and
pitch to, aforementioned companies.
»» SITUATION
Present community and community assets
to prospects
»» TACTICS
In person business trip for face time and
handshake opportunities
»» RESULTS
Solid relationships to build on for the future
Obtaining Opportunities:
The Digital Way
Another economic development organization crafts
a strategy to generate leads digitally. They produce a
best-in-class website that showcases and highlights
their community's best assets. Most importantly, their
website gets people excited about living, working, and
playing in that particular place. This EDO also engages in
a search engine marketing campaign that targets online
users in various ways - through digital ads, retargeting,
and more. The immediate gratification garnered from
this digital approach? Beautifully designed digital assets
that serve and cater to specific industry audiences. The
capital yield of the campaign? 65,000 impressions (visits
to their website), 456 clicks (or virtual meetings), and 20
conversions (leads). The total cost: $2,000 for one month.
»» SITUATION
Present community and community assets
to prospects
»» TACTICS
Digital marketing campaigns
»» RESULTS
65,000 website visits, 456 actions, 20 leads

DIGITAL LANDSCAPE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The driving forces of digital in the profession are the organizations pushing the
envelope, and adopting methodologies that yield the greatest gains. They’re
the ones taking risks, and putting their faith in digital strategies that generate
awareness and do so at an accelerated pace.
Economic developers are typically not “early adopters” of new technologies,
but that is changing. More EDOs are learning what it takes to compete and
stay ahead of their competitors. They see the value of sending an email over
a printed mailer. They understand that a digital ad will find more engagement
than that of something similar in a printed publication. They know that getting
the word out there via marketing automation is light years ahead of manually
distributing news to partners and targeted industries. They realize that social
media has tremendous power in the sharing of information as compared to in-
person networking events or collateral.
HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN
Old ED Marketing Tactics New ED Marketing Tactics
Direct Mail E-mail
Seminars Webinars
Trade Shows Virtual Tours
Print Ads Display Banner Ads
In-Person Networking Events Social Networking
Business Response Cards Landing Pages
TV Commercials YouTube Videos
Radio Ads Podcasts
Collateral Dynamic Content

As social continues to evolve and grow in importance for
the economic development profession, our Top 5 Social
Platforms for Economic Development in 2016 can help
you determine where you should focus your efforts for
maximum exposure and reach.
1. LINKEDIN
On LinkedIn, you’ll find economic development professionals engaging
in industry chatter – sharing updates and pertinent information. It’s a
channel that site selectors frequent to find intelligence and connect with
other industry authorities, and a place where you can provide important
information or news about your community. In groups is the ideal place to
share information, start a conversation, or ask for resources.
2. TWITTER
Share early, and share often. Twitter is the best place to offer information
about your community, and you’ll do it in short snippets (40 characters or
less to be exact). Use this channel to deliver updates as they happen, and
don’t be afraid to have some fun. Twitter is far less formal than LinkedIn.
3. LINKEDIN AND TWITTER ADS
Generating awareness and creating buzz around your community can
be difficult, from a time and money perspective. Not everyone has the
bandwidth to grow community advocates wholly organically. LinkedIn and/
or Twitter advertising can be a smart investment if you want to be seen
and heard on these networking platforms, but don’t necessary have the
capacity to be successful on your own.
4. FACEBOOK
In 2020, Facebook is slated to reach 1.87 billion monthly users. And while
we realize that your marketing efforts won’t touch the majority of these
folks, it’s hard to argue this channel isn’t effective. Simply put, it’s where
people are, and it’s growing in importance and use for the economic
development profession.
5. YOUTUBE, VIMEO, VINE, INSTAGRAM
Video is the rising star of social media and current marketing for
businesses and industries A to Z. Economic developers can’t afford to
lag behind and not pick up on – and reap the benefits from – this trend.
YouTube, Vimeo, Vine, and Instagram (among others) are the channels to
use for video marketing moving forward.

Digital is happening in economic development not just because agencies
are advocating for it, but because your peers are shouting from the
rooftops that it really does work. Organizations like City of Goodyear,
Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance,
and Orlando Economic Development Commission are paving the way for
others, and showing the industry that they’re increasingly finding better
outcomes through digital means.
There are also those organizations who are pushing the envelope, and not only embracing
digital as the way forward, but who are also engaging in strategies that are relatively new to the
profession. Here are the Top 5 New Marketing Campaigns Communities are Embracing.
1. UTILIZATION OF RFP RESPONSE TEMPLATES
Responding to prospects quickly isn’t anything new – a timely response to any type of
request is almost mandatory with today’s technology. But many economic developers are
now using templates that can easily package community information in less time. These
proposals contain the highest value data, integrate with applications like CRM and GIS
systems, and are presented as an extension of other community marketing materials.
2. WORKFORCE ATTRACTION INITIATIVES
Talent acquisition is a game changer in many communities, and organizations are launching
focused campaigns to lure the right people to their places. Smart, driven, capable people
attract companies, and communities are capitalizing on this trend. Richardson (Texas) is
seeing great results from their campaign, one that positions the city as an ideal place for
young professionals to live, work, and play. The campaign was featured on local news, and
you can watch Jenny Mizutowicz – Director of Marketing for the Richardson Chamber of
Commerce – speak more about it in her interview with Fox News.
3. MARKETING COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAMS
To differentiate your message and strategy is to stand apart, to be unique, to tell a story
unlike any others. In economic development, it means raising your community profile, and
getting noticed as a viable option for companies all over the world. Organizations like Greater
Sacramento, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and Research Triangle Park are all leading
the way in cutting edge, memorable marketing that outperforms competitors.
4. DIGITAL LEAD GENERATION
Digital lead generation efforts allow you to respond to prospects faster and more
accurately. This practice puts the “heavy lifting” of follow up on your website and other
digital assets, and it’s an initiative more in the profession are adopting knowing they can
succeed in driving revenue at a faster rate.
5. GUERRILLA MARKETING
Some in economic development have turned toward a more unconventional marketing
technique, and we see it in action at events like SXSW and Austin City Limits. And while
these may not be low-cost opportunities as is usually the case with guerrilla marketing,
both events allow EDOs substantial exposure in front of varied audiences – the world’s
media and the savviest thinkers being two of them.

Leaders in Digital Economic Development
Communities Doing Digital Right
HOW IS DIGITAL MARKETING DRIVING
THE PROGRESSION OF THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY?
Digital marketing is changing the future of economic
development. Instead of being reactionary, now economic
development departments and organizations can
proactively and cost effectively reach a vast array of target
industry segments in specific regions. With digital, one
can immediately see how messages are performing. This
information can then be used for even more targeted
marketing campaigns. While no single campaign can
ever guarantee business locates, digital is now making
it possible for cities to increase their brand awareness
and message penetration, which ultimately will help
companies in their decision making process of where to
locate.
WHAT TACTICS AND STRATEGIES DOES CITY
OF GOODYEAR EMPLOY FROM A DIGITAL
MARKETING PERSPECTIVE?
Goodyear is currently employing an SEM digital approach
with search and display ads and targeted business and
economic development trade publication digital ads.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON AN EDO IF THEY
DON'T ADOPT A DIGITAL APPROACH?
EDOs that do not adopt a digital approach are limiting
their messaging reach, and reducing their competitive
advantage.
WHAT ABOUT TRADITIONAL MARKETING,
FACE-TO-FACE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING,
AND DIGITAL MARKETING? IS A
COMBINATION THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS
STRATEGY?
There is no substitute for face-to-face relationship
building; however, digital marketing enhances
connections with higher levels of brand awareness and
mind-share. Being top-of-mind in economic development
in the client’s mind presents a significant advantage in
messaging and relationship building when the prospect
is both aware of your city and what your city has to offer.
Digital campaigns help strengthen and supplement efforts
in making this possible.
HOW DOES CITY OF GOODYEAR UTILIZE
METRICS TO ENHANCE EFFORTS IN THE
DIGITAL SPACE?
Goodyear is utilizing metrics to determine where
marketing dollars will be allocated, what markets to
explore, and then adjusting campaigns accordingly for
maximum impact.
City of Goodyear
Ernie Prukner
Marketing Coordinator

WHAT ROLE DO METRICS PLAY IN
FORECASTING NEED OR USE OF
DIGITAL TOOLS?
Metrics play a key role in forecasting. All of the data
collected is broken down to the most granular level. From
geographic data to demographic data to platform data,
the digital campaign is revealing a wealth of information in
regards to who is looking at Goodyear. Today, anecdotal
evidence of where traffic is originating can now be
confirmed, and market message penetration can now be
quantified. This wealth of information provides a new basis
from which to make strategic decisions, and it will open up
Goodyear to new opportunities in the future.
FOR THE CITY OF GOODYEAR, IS DIGITAL
THE IDEAL METHODOLOGY FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Both in the short run and the long run, digital will play a
significant role in Goodyear’s marketing efforts. The impact
of the digital campaign thus far has had dramatic results.
Since the campaign started, monthly averages for website
hits have increased by 105% and sessions by 264%. From
a quarter-to-quarter perspective, hits have increased by
83% and sessions have increased by 208%.
HOW DO YOU THINK SITE SELECTORS OR
LOCATION ADVISORS CONSUME DIGITAL
MARKETING? HOW DOES CITY OF GOODYEAR
PLAN TO CATER TO THIS GROUP?
According to economic development surveys, for
approximately two-thirds of executives, site selectors, and
location advisors, the most effective marketing technique
is digital (internet/websites). This makes a digital strategy
all the more important. By being proactive and targeting
decision makers through digital, it increases the ability of
Goodyear to reach its target audiences, raises the city’s
brand awareness, and makes it easier for decision makers
to find information about the city.
FOR CITY OF GOODYEAR, WHAT DOES A
DIGITAL PROGRAM OF WORK LOOK LIKE IN
ONE YEAR, THREE YEARS, AND FIVE YEARS?
Goodyear’s digital marketing campaign centers on the
goals of increasing the city’s brand awareness and
brand identification and promoting the city nationally.
The campaign’s objectives in year one are to: 1) grow a
digital presence for the city of Goodyear, 2) highlight the
targeted industries of Goodyear via various digital media
channels, and 3) generate interest and drive inquiries and
conversions with the City of Goodyear through media
strategy executions.
In three years, Goodyear’s digital program will continue
to grow and be more and more precision driven based
off of collected metrics for the best possible targeted
approaches. It will also fit into a larger, more seamless
integrated effort standing alongside traditional marketing
efforts with the objective of driving conversations.
In five years, we expect the City of Goodyear’s brand to
be well-recognized among site selectors and location
advisors. With technology continuing to evolve, it is not
only important for Goodyear to be active and aggressive
with a digital program, but for the city to stay informed
of the latest in digital trends, and use new digital tactics
to best communicate its unique selling proposition to
potential prospects.
City of Goodyear (cont.)

The good news is that digital tools enable us to more
effectively target our messaging, increase our marketing
reach, and better track performance.
The bad news is that it takes considerable upfront time
and expense to launch a digital strategy. Once created,
we recognize that our digital platforms help automate our
marketing and can help with the heavy lifting of nurturing
leads through our sales cycle. That’s why we’re willing to
put in the time and resources upfront to build automated
data portals, improve our search engine optimization, and
build out interesting website content.
WHAT TACTICS AND STRATEGIES
DOES LVGEA EMPLOY FROM A DIGITAL
We’re seeing a demand for additional digital content
from clients. In particular, our audiences seem to have an
insatiable appetite for website content, videos, real time
community/economic data, infographics, e-newsletters,
GIS, and social media.
At LVGEA, we’ve embraced a digital approach to
marketing and recognize even more needs to be done.
Over the past year, we’ve put significant resources into
building our digital infrastructure. We’ll be rolling out a
real-time data platform that is among the best in the
country. We’ve upgraded our GIS capabilities, launched
a series of new e-newsletters, extended our social media
reach, and expanded our video production capabilities.
If you don’t adopt a digital strategy, you’re falling behind
the competition.
FACE-TO-FACE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AND
DIGITAL MARKETING? IS A COMBINATION THE
MOST ADVANTAGEOUS STRATEGY?
There still is no substitute for face-to-face interactions.
That said, we view our digital strategy as a complement
to face-to-face relationship building. Through digital,
we’re able to generate more leads and deliver content
and messaging to a massive audience. This helps free up
our business development team to spend more time with
high-value clients.
Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA)
Anthony Ruiz
Director, Marketing Community Partnerships

HOW DOES LVGEA UTILIZE METRICS TO
ENHANCE EFFORTS IN THE DIGITAL SPACE?
Metrics are incredibly important drivers of performance.
The trick is you want to measure productivity rather than
activity. We track many metrics but pay the most attention
to those we believe help us deliver key messages or
attract, convert, and close clients.
FORECASTING NEED OR USE OF DIGITAL
TOOLS?
A few years ago, we were struggling to find data points to
help analyze our marketing performance. Today, especially
with digital content, we have a seemingly endless supply
of metrics – site traffic, impressions, click through rates,
SEM performance, downloads, hits, visits – to name just a
few examples. The challenge really is turning those metrics
into insights that will help us improve our overall marketing
performance.
FOR LVGEA, IS DIGITAL THE IDEAL
METHODOLOGY FOR THE FORESEEABLE
FUTURE? WHY OR WHY NOT?
When you look at areas of growth and trends in marketing,
everything is happening in the digital space. We’re always
going to have a certain amount of direct marketing, but it
is already being phased out. What we are trying to do is
to leverage new forms of media to empower the creativity
and voice of our brand, rather than relying on things like
brochures and print advertisements that are often outdated
by the time our audience can read it.
MARKETING? HOW DOES LVGEA PLAN TO
CATER TO THIS GROUP?
At the end of the day, we want to tell our story to the right
audience, at the right time, in a format that they want.
Digital helps us do that. Site selectors are no different than
community leaders or business owners. They all want
content that can be quickly consumed through a variety of
platforms. The days of sending out hard-copy flyers have
come and gone.
FOR LVGEA, WHAT DOES A DIGITAL
PROGRAM OF WORK LOOK LIKE IN ONE
YEAR, THREE YEARS, AND FIVE YEARS?
The next year should be another growth year for our digital
program of work. We’re going to grow our video content,
launch a new lifestyle marketing campaign, improve social
media, further customize our CRM, and look for additional
automation opportunities.
Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (cont.)

We are certainly seeing a shift toward digital in nearly
every aspect of our daily operations. Eight years ago,
we were still mailing printed invitations and newsletters,
compiling RFI responses in binders, and printing
marketing pieces. While there is still value in certain
pieces being printed, almost all of our traditional
marketing has moved to digital, and we are seeing
less demand for printed pieces. We also know that site
economic market online long before they contact us or
eliminate us from a project.
WHAT TACTICS AND STRATEGIES DOES THE
NASHVILLE CHAMBER EMPLOY FROM A
DIGITAL MARKETING PERSPECTIVE?
This year, we have undertaken a huge project to
completely remake the Nashville Chamber's website.
The new website, which will be launched soon, will be
well-positioned to meet our needs moving forward. It
is optimized for mobile, displays data in an easy-to-
consume format, and the overall structure is more intuitive
and user-friendly.
It has been important to our economic development
work to adopt new digital practices. Two years ago, the
Nashville Chamber team took a trip to San Francisco
to promote the linkages between the technology
communities in our two cities after we landed a new
direct service to the Bay Area. In advance of the trip,
we created a custom website that focused solely on the
unique advantages of doing business in the Nashville
region as a tech company. The digital approach allowed
that site selection consultants with active projects have
increasingly short turnaround times. It's important to have
all basic data and information on your community in a
readily available, user-friendly, digital format or you can
risk being eliminated in the selection process due to the
tight time frame.
FACE-TO-FACE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING,
AND DIGITAL MARKETING? IS A
COMBINATION THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS
STRATEGY?
is most advantageous for us. We use digital marketing
blasts to cast a wide net to increase overall awareness
of Nashville's business advantages, and one-on-one
relationship building for strategic follow-ups in our
target markets. The Nashville Chamber has invested in
a talented in-house graphic designer, making our cost
of production for digital marketing relatively inexpensive
and a quick turnaround. In this business it is also
critical to focus on face-to-face relationship building
and prospecting. Our economic development team and
regional partners take several outbound marketing trips
each year to meet with site consultants and prospects as
well as host “red carpet” events in our region.
Nashville Chamber of Commerce
Courtney Ross

HOW DOES THE NASHVILLE CHAMBER
UTILIZE METRICS TO ENHANCE EFFORTS IN
THE DIGITAL SPACE?
Metrics are important in measuring return on investment
with marketing and technology. Other than measuring
visits to our website, our new website will have contact
analytics which will help us be more focused in our
marketing strategies.
DIGITAL TOOLS?
Understanding audience engagement on your digital
platforms is critical to understanding the types of readily
available information they seek before contacting the
EDO. From basic insights on population demographics
to more intricate details about programs and degrees
offered through our university system, providing an in-
depth look at a growing region provides a compelling
case to keeping Nashville at the forefront of economic
development decisions. Providing this level of content
digitally prompts site selectors and potential companies to
ask more questions, which can lead to a potential relocation
or expansion.
FOR THE NASHVILLE CHAMBER, IS DIGITAL
THE IDEAL METHODOLOGY FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Digital marketing has become one of the strongest tools
and assets that we rely on in economic development.
While it has taken some time for the Nashville Chamber to
determine what works well in a digital marketing strategy,
we feel that this methodology aligns well with the fast-
paced, constantly connected landscape that we work in.
The flexibility allowed with digital is increasingly important
as we work to tailor the “Why Nashville?” message to
many different audiences - from potential job creators in a
variety of industries to the vital workforce that keeps our
economy moving.
MARKETING? HOW DOES THE NASHVILLE
CHAMBER PLAN TO CATER TO THIS GROUP?
We know that site selectors are subject to a constant
onslaught of marketing from communities all over the
country. In recent years, we have moved away from direct
mail newsletters to a semi-annual marketing newsletter
that briefly highlights news in Nashville. With the digital
newsletter, we are able to track open rates and discern
whether the Nashville region’s news is reaching the inbox
of the top site selectors in the country.
FOR THE NASHVILLE CHAMBER, WHAT DOES
A DIGITAL PROGRAM OF WORK LOOK LIKE IN
ONE YEAR, THREE YEARS, AND FIVE YEARS?
Our new Chamber website will go live later this month,
and we will begin to dive in to the analytics of the new
site - what is working and what needs to be improved.
Over the next three to five years, the Chamber will look
to leverage our brand on social media to reach wider
and ever-changing audiences. As we saw with our
technology initiative, WorkIT Nashville, people utilized
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to actively search for open
positions. As we see more jobs being created, it will be
critical to recruiting talent from outside the region to fill
our open positions. In addition to reaching them via social
media, the use of digital communications to colleges and
universities around the region will become paramount to
expanding our reach to entry-level talent.
Nashville Chamber of Commerce (cont.)

Digital is driving all industries, in both the public and
private sectors. The private sector is typically able
to make decisions faster, and therefore, everything’s
digital. In regards to marketing strategies, the economic
development industry tends to be a few years behind
other industries. However, we’re now seeing a big shift
in this trend as EDOs adopt digital practices. CEOs are
now doing almost all of their own research regarding
expansion and relocation through various digital channels,
which was once solely done by site selectors. You used
to speak directly to site selectors, but now we are able
to effectively communicate with corporate executives as
well. This allows the purchase cycle to move faster than it
ever has before.
WHAT TACTICS AND STRATEGIES DOES
TNECD EMPLOY FROM A DIGITAL
We have moved 95% of our media budget to digital
channels, and we maintain a very robust website when
compared to other state EDOs across the country. We
place heavily targeted digital advertising, and stay away
from blanket online display networks due to media waste.
We utilize technologies that allow us to serve different
creative to the same user throughout their online journey
dependent on what actions they took on our site or with
our ads. In addition, we employ custom applications to
make data accessible to our audiences, and therefore,
corporate executives and site selectors are able to do
their own research at their convenience. We also use
social media to communicate with stakeholders, and
we’re proud that our Facebook page is the most liked
page for state EDOs. Our success with social media is
because of our content strategy. We want to position
Tennessee as a lifestyle brand so we are selected as a
place to work AND live. Further, we tell authentic stories
that are here in TN –something that’s very important to us.
You can’t be competitive if you don't adopt a digital
approach, and it’s imperative to have a “digital storefront.”
TNECD continually strives to support our communities
and rural partners. We recently rolled out a pilot program
to 12 economically distressed counties in Tennessee.
By participating in the program, each county will receive
custom marketing materials including a responsive
website, video, custom photography, and a brand
playbook. This is something many of our communities do
not have the resources to support on their own. To our
knowledge, it’s the first program of its kind and allows all
of our communities to compete digitally. The marketing
deliverables will be unveiled in October.
Tennessee Department of Economic and
Community Development (TNECD)
Justin Lane
Marketing Director

You can’t ever get away from face-to-face or word-of-
mouth in terms of recruiting – it will always remain important
in economic development. We’re still producing some
traditional marketing elements such as collateral and white
papers. We also run print ads with one publication because
we own 100% share of voice. Traditional media doesn't
allow transparency to measure ROI, and it’s hard to justify
these methods, which is why we employ digital tactics.
HOW DOES TNECD UTILIZE METRICS TO
ENHANCE EFFORTS IN THE DIGITAL SPACE?
We rely heavily on metrics to see what traffic is doing and
to see what is trending. Our metrics allow us to define our
strategy for next year, and stay on top of what is and is not
working. With metrics, we’re able to try new and different
digital outlets. Metrics allow us to make quick decisions
to change our messaging or placement to make sure it
resonates with our highly targeted audiences.
DIGITAL TOOLS?
We’re running a lot of digital initiatives, and we use
metrics to see what’s happening. We’re shying away
from standard display and focusing on high impact units
and sophisticated technology. We don’t want to serve
traditional display ads to our audiences anymore, as we
learned from our metrics that these weren’t resonating. We
are now investing heavily in new technologies that allow
our digital ad units to dynamically serve creative based on
the user and their actions online. By regularly monitoring
our advertising and website metrics, we can strategically
plan the next six months to a year, and make adjustments
on the fly.
FOR TNECD, IS DIGITAL THE IDEAL
We don’t see digital going away. TNECD is getting more
robust with new technologies. We’re staying on top of new
trends in order to provide more value to our audiences.
With that said, we’re sticking to the digital approach and
always looking for new opportunities and new technologies
that we can utilize. We’re not afraid to try something new
and have found great success is doing so.
MARKETING? HOW DOES TNECD PLAN TO
CATER TO THIS GROUP?
Based on experience, they are consuming digital
marketing at a high volume, and rapidly leveraging online
tools to make decisions. Both site selectors and corporate
decision makers want to stay ahead of the curve and up
to date on information. To help meet their needs, we are
going to launch a statewide directory of available sites
next year. It’ll be a more robust and fluid tool than that of
our competitors, and we hope it will provide tremendous
value to corporate executives and site sectors during the
site selection process.
FOR TNECD, WHAT DOES A DIGITAL
Technology changes so fast in terms of marketing and
data that it’s difficult to see trends in a year much less six
months. We can’t even imagine what the landscape will
look like in five years. The challenge for our team is staying
– and remaining – ahead of our competitors. Our plan is
to always seek new opportunities, test new technologies,
continue to focus on our communities, and ensure our
message is aligned in Tennessee.
Tennessee Department of Economic and
Community Development (cont.)

I don’t think it is CURRENTLY driving the progression
of the ED industry because I don’t think most ED
practitioners have embraced digital marketing yet. I think
once they begin to realize what it CAN do, it will definitely
help drive all ED marketing.
WHAT TACTICS AND STRATEGIES DOES
ORLANDO EDC EMPLOY FROM A DIGITAL
We utilize all aspects of digital marketing at the Orlando
EDC – from paid digital banner and native ads to
sponsored social media posts to inbound marketing
methods including email marketing, calls-to-action, and
and gain increased intelligence into our potential prospects.
Quite simply, they will be missing out on advanced
marketing intelligence that other communities already have
and are implementing. They’ll be behind the curve and will
have some serious catching up to do related to marketing.
Absolutely! No one method works for anything! The best
methods. Nothing beats face-to-face relationship building
except when you know exactly what they are interested in
on your website and can tailor your approach (both online
HOW DOES ORLANDO EDC UTILIZE METRICS
TO ENHANCE EFFORTS IN THE DIGITAL
SPACE?
We have a $1.5 million annual branding campaign where
we receive funding from both the private and public
sector. We have strict guidelines on tracking the results of
our work to show those entities that fund the campaign
the return on investment. For us, digital marketing enables
us to show the best use of funds from an ROI perspective.
DIGITAL TOOLS?
Metrics play a critical role.
Orlando Economic Development Commission
(Orlando EDC)
Vice President, Marketing and Communications

FOR ORLANDO EDC, IS DIGITAL THE IDEAL
I believe the best marketing approach is a combined
approach, but we’ve shifted our strategy more heavily
toward online methods to show the best ROI. Through an
advanced analytics program we utilize, we can show that
our digital efforts have paid off by showing a direct traffic
increase to our website by more than 53%, and we can tell
exactly where they are coming from and what their next
steps are on our site. That information is invaluable.
MARKETING? HOW DOES ORLANDO EDO
PLAN TO CATER TO THIS GROUP?
We know they're consuming digital marketing, and we
have sophisticated marketing systems that let us know the
types of data they consume.
FOR ORLANDO EDC, WHAT DOES A DIGITAL
Our hope is that we as an economic development group
can keep up with the private sector in terms of trends,
aligning our marketing around mobile and social target
customer characterization activities that we will deploy
on a strategic basis. Our marketing will connect with our
strategic goals.
Orlando Economic Development Commission (cont.)

Using Metrics and Digital
to Drive Outcomes
What have we learned? Metrics drive outcomes, and the
best outcomes for economic developers are found using
digital means. Digital is the ideal methodology for the
foreseeable future, and the preferred platform for business
decision makers and site selectors. It’s through this avenue
they’re able to find and consume the information they want
and need. Much of the success we’re seeing from EDOs
stems directly from digital efforts.
To enable your success, here are five steps toward embodying digital and
using metrics to reinforce your strategy:
1. Audit your digital assets, and determine what strategies yield the
greatest gains. Allocate more resources to the ones that are driving your
organization forward.
2. Consider implementation of one of the new marketing strategies that EDOs
are embracing. Digital lead generation isn’t a fad marketing program, but a
set of activities that actually works. Here are 10 reasons moving away from
a traditional marketing approach can help your organization.
3. Allow social media to become part of your larger strategy. Consider this:
96% of B2B organizations use video in some capacity in their marketing
campaigns of which 73% report positive results to their ROI (HubSpot).
4. Keep score. Know what you’re doing, and if it’s working. Transparency
leads to accountability, and accountability leads to staff awareness and
activity. And more activity bears more fruit (whether that’s website visits,
conversations, jobs, or capital investment – or whatever other metrics
you’re tracking).
5. Trust that it works. Metrics drive outcomes, as does a digital program of
work. Leverage both to find the particular strategies that work best for your
organization, and operate under the impression that a digital pursuit finds
greater prosperity when coupled with metrics that matter.

About Atlas
Atlas Advertising is a niche economic development marketing,
strategy, and creative firm whose goal is to connect people to
places and ideas to action. We’ve worked with more than 190
economic development organizations in 48 states and six
countries, helping communities grow their economies, attract
talent, and compete for jobs through technology, strategy, and
digital marketing innovations. Our work and engagements with
economic development organizations help facilitate the creation
of 400 jobs per week in the communities where we work.
Our tried and true values show us as a team that spares no expense in doing
the very best for our clients and each other... all in the name of empowering
community greatness.
OUR VALUES
WE GO ABOVE AND BEYOND
We are customer, colleague, and partner focused problem
solvers, going above and beyond to empower greatness.
WE DO THE RIGHT THING
In empowering greatness in others, we are kind, patient,
and compassionate in knowing that each customer,
colleague, and partner is on their own journey.
WE ARE RELENTLESSLY CURIOUS
As passionate, worldly explorers. We empower greatness
by being open minded about new experiences, and we
are never satisfied that we have learned or taught enough.
WE PUSH THE ENVELOPE
We understand that to empower greatness, it is our
responsibility to innovate and evolve how we do what we
do. To achieve this, we constantly generate and share
new ideas from what we have learned in new, forward
thinking ways.
WE ARE A TRIBE
We are one. We humbly honor our diverse backgrounds,
skills, and personal qualities, but are purposeful about the
customers, colleagues, and partners we collaborate with.

About the
Authors
GUILLERMO MAZIER
Guillermo Mazier is CEO of
Atlas Advertising, a niche digital
marketing, strategy, and creative
firm whose goal as a company is
to connect people to places and
ideas to action. With more than
10 years of public and private
sector marketing experience,
Guillermo understands the intricacies and nuances
involved in marketing places and communities. A
passion for compounding the value of marketing,
business development, and branding has afforded
Guillermo the opportunity to travel the globe, and
view the world through different lenses. Through
his experiences, he’s learned that business is about
doing more with less, and business decisions are
ultimately made based on competing satisfactions.
Guillermo has been with Atlas since 2009, serving
in multiple roles during his tenure at the 15-year-old
advertising agency that specializes in marketing for
the economic development and tourism industries.
WHITNEY DALY
Whitney Daly has worked
in sales and marketing in a
variety of capacities for six
years, and for the last two,
has occupied the Proposal
Writer and Marketing Manager
roles at Atlas. As Marketing
Manager, Whitney is responsible
for writing, implementing, and executing strategic
marketing plans that attract potential customers,
retain existing ones, and facilitate the growth of the
overall business. Her primary roles include annual
marketing planning and project execution, marketing
management of all agency marketing assets
(content, website, SEM, inbound), management of
marketing automation software, and accelerator to
CEO. Having grown up in Colorado, Whitney is one
of the few natives at Atlas, and prides herself on
being an advocate for the Centennial State.
Guillermo Mazier, Director of Strategic Accounts
Guillermo has touched nearly every Agency of Record project Atlas has executed in
the last four years. His insights and unique perspectives have helped Atlas gain the
credibility and reputation it holds today. Guillermo holds a BA in International Business
and Economics, with a minor in Spanish, from Regis University in Denver, CO, along with
an MBA in International Business from Regis University and an International Business
Certificate from the Fundacion Ortega y Gasset in Toledo, Spain. Guillermo Mazier is the
Communications Chair for the Board of Directors for the American Lung Association.
His primary objective as Director of Strategic Accounts at Atlas is to represent and oversee the company’s business
development and strategic marketing activities. Guillermo works with new and prospective Atlas clients to provide
strategic recommendations on how to increase inquiry levels, prospect activity, and stakeholder engagement through
Atlas’ technology suite and service offerings which include Atlas technology products as well as Atlas’ social media,
branding, strategy, and creative services. He has served Atlas for the past four years and his efforts helped grow
Atlas into a leading economic development marketing firm.
Contact Information:
e: guillermom@Atlas-Advertising.com
t: 303.292.3300 x232
Whitney Daly, Writer
Having grown up in Colorado, Whitney is one of the few Colorado natives at Atlas
Advertising, and prides herself on being an advocate for the Centennial State. Although
not having traveled far since childhood, Whitney has journeyed to places far and wide,
making her love of (new unique) places a perfect addition to our team of place
marketing enthusiasts.
Whitney has been working in sales and marketing in a variety of industries for the past six years, with each role
incorporating some type of writing. Over the years, her roles have varied, but the constant has always been the
development of content – content for the web, for print campaigns, for agency and client blogs, social media
campaigns, email marketing campaigns, and much more. With a passion for creating compelling content, acute
attention to detail skills, and a love for engaging people through words, Whitney thrives as a writer for
Atlas Advertising.
Her work as a Proposal Writer has helped our team win multiple website and agency of record accounts from coast
to coast.
Guillermo has touched nearly every Agency of Record
the last four years. His insights and unique perspectives
credibility and reputation it holds today. Guillermo holds
and Economics, with a minor in Spanish, from Regis U
an MBA in International Business from Regis University
Certificate from the Fundacion Ortega y Gasset in Toled
Communications Chair for the Board of Directors for the
His primary objective as Director of Strategic Accounts at Atlas is to represent and
development and strategic marketing activities. Guillermo works with new and pros
strategic recommendations on how to increase inquiry levels, prospect activity, and
Atlas’ technology suite and service offerings which include Atlas technology produ
branding, strategy, and creative services. He has served Atlas for the past four yea
Atlas into a leading economic development marketing firm.
e: guillermom@Atlas-Advertising.com
t: 303.292.3300 x232
Whitney Daly, Writer
Having grown up in Colorado, Whitney is one of the few
Advertising, and prides herself on being an advocate fo
not having traveled far since childhood, Whitney has jou
making her love of (new unique) places a perfect add
marketing enthusiasts.
Whitney has been working in sales and marketing in a variety of industries for the p
incorporating some type of writing. Over the years, her roles have varied, but the c
development of content – content for the web, for print campaigns, for agency an
campaigns, email marketing campaigns, and much more. With a passion for crea
attention to detail skills, and a love for engaging people through words, Whitney th
Atlas Advertising.
Her work as a Proposal Writer has helped our team win multiple website and agen
to coast.
e: whitneyd@Atlas-Advertising.com
45

The Road to Economic Development Marketing Reinvention

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