by Neilia on February 1, 2012 in Best Practices, Economic Development, Marketing, Social Networks
Place marketers often tout their communities as the best place to live, work and play. Sound familiar? In our industry, quality of life may be the most frequently used selling factor. When trying to communicate your area as an “amazing place,” place marketing professionals are increasingly using social media platforms to showcase lifestyle and they’re utilizing the voices and reach of local residents to do so.
Take Jacksonville, Florida for instance. Area leaders noticed a drop in the morale of local residents, which started after the Super Bowl in 2005 and continued through the recession. The perception was that the community had lost its “swagger.”
To help remind locals why living in Northeast Florida is so wonderful, the JAX Chamber created a social media campaign centered on the hashtag #ilovejax. They hoped to encourage the community to talk about what they enjoy the most about the city.
“If our community feels good about the city and region, it will positively impact how others outside of our region feel, which improves our ability to attract businesses, jobs and investment,” said Innovate Northeast Florida Co-Chair Bob Rhodes in a local article.
Just under a month into the program, the hashtag is picking up steam and has been used to promote networking events, weather and local job announcements.
In other areas, digital ambassador programs have allowed cities and states to publicize their lifestyle assets, while at the same time engage with residents and others with an affinity to the area. For instance, Friend of Lou, created in Louisville, Kentucky, is a clever digital ambassador program promoting local pride in the “Possibility City,” while providing updates on company announcements, area events, restaurants, sports and more.
Another tactic communities are using to market quality of life is simply joining existing social media conversations. Case in point, the Iceland Wants to Be Your Friend campaign was launched by the Icelandic Tourist Board to promote tourism opportunities and how Iceland is the “hot spot” to be. With endearing and comical exchanges, along with the use of creative videos, the initiative generated over 80,000 Twitter followers and 11,000 Facebook friends in just two years. In a recent conversation on Facebook, they seized an opportunity to promote education through a blog written by an exchange student who studied in the country. Check out the conversation:
Bottom line, every community has quality of life advantages. Rather than turning to traditional marketing methods to get those messages out, harness the power of social media platforms and those who can serve as ambassadors for your community.
Check out the examples from Jacksonville and Iceland below:
