1/31/2011
1/30/2011
1/29/2011
Social Marketing
Social Marketing
Social Marketing is a low cost and effective way to market your organization, business or yourself. There are many different ways to use the internet and social marketing to promote your business and organization. The following is one way.
First create your Blog. For blogging I prefer blogger.com, but there are numerous free and low cost services. You can get up and blogging in a few minutes, although it will take some time to learn the tricks.
Then write the Entry on a Blog - My Examples
Start slow and easy - the blog below a simple one entry blog.
http://socialmarketing201.blogspot.com/
You try to make your blog interesting to your intended reader. You can just have entries originated by you, but it will probably be more interesting if you add content from other similar web sites. It takes a little time to figure how to do it, but essentially you are linking other similar web sites, blogs, twitter, facebook, linkedin and other sites to your blog. As they write new content it appears on your site. My example below:
You can write many blogs if you wish. You may wish to have one that is just your resume or or brochure that does not change very often. My example is:
The address of the blog is a little long. You can purchase a .com address to make the address easier to remember, and have it automatically forward to your blog. My example below:
After you have your blog up and running you will want to join other social networks which will compliment your blog. There are many different social networks. These are the ones I use.
Use the same or very similar name for all the systems. If you are marketing a company or yourself, use the name of the company or your name.
After you have your pages running, write a short blast on Twitter, Facebook,
and Linkedin, directing people to the blog. Update them each time you write a new entry.
You will want to reach out and find others in your group and link with them. You want to let them know what you are doing without becoming obnoxious about it.
You will want to reach out and find others in your group and link with them. You want to let them know what you are doing without becoming obnoxious about it.
Use the blog as the main focus - Put information on the blog that your target audience will find interesting. I use the other services to point people to the blog.
My Examples - And I am older then dirt.
If I can do it - you can.
http://www.facebook.com/craighullinger
Pictures are worth a 1,000 words. If you are marketing yourself, a photo of yourself can be used. If you look like me, a distant fuzzy shot is best. I am a city planner, hence the map.
You can also use direct email to your contacts. I usually just send a link to my blog to my contacts so if they are interested they can go to the blog, or if not, just delete the email. You should send the email to anundisclosed@list.com with the actual addresses to a bcc address - that way spammers won't pick up the addresses and harass your email contacts.
It is your choice whether you use a simple email format or one with an attractive photo or letterhead - the attractive letter head looks nice but takes longer to open and will not work on everyone's computer.
Social marketing is evolving rapidly, but you can get underway quickly with no cost and a little effort. It takes a reasonably computer savvy person a couple of hours to get all this up and running, and then some time to develop a little skill.
309 634 5557
1/28/2011
 Mission Blue: Return to the Gulf of Mexico National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle recently lead a Mission Blue expedition to the Gulf of Mexico to take a deeper look at how the region is recovering from the five million gallons of oil released from the BP Deep Horizon Oil Spill last year. Read updates from the science team, including photos taken from a Deepworker submarine, on the National Geographic News Watch blog here. |
Brownfield Association
The National Brownfield Association, headquartered in Chicago, is the leading non-profit, member-based organization dedicated to promoting the sustainable development of brownfields. The NBA encourages the use of green design and construction practices, clean energy and green transportation in brownfield redevelopment projects. The NBA represents the wide range of public and private sector professionals involved with brownfield redevelopment, including, property owners, developers, investors, service professionals, government representatives and elected officials. Its mission is carried out through three primary conduits: information, education and events. NBA is the go-to organization for information on the brownfield market, keeping its members up to date on market trends, redevelopment opportunities, and changes in policy and legislation.
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1/27/2011
Income Inequality
But it is very hard on our unskilled workers in the United States. There are not enough good jobs for them in this country. The United States is still a manufacturing giant. But we are doing it with far fewer workers, especially unskilled workers. We have to figure out how to correct this problem.
Great Housing Reset
Good article by Richard Florida about the "Great Housing Reset". Graphs show the gain and then loss in value in housing.
Very tough if you bought a home near the top of the market. But if you bought a home earlier, and you mentally draw a trend line to the current value, you would see that your home has nicely appreciated. And it is now most likely a good time to purchase a home.
All depends on your time scale and outlook. The glass is either 1/2 full or 1/2 empty.
Very tough if you bought a home near the top of the market. But if you bought a home earlier, and you mentally draw a trend line to the current value, you would see that your home has nicely appreciated. And it is now most likely a good time to purchase a home.
All depends on your time scale and outlook. The glass is either 1/2 full or 1/2 empty.
1/26/2011
Energy Park
1/25/2011
Rent or Buy?
This program tells you whether it is better to rent or buy in each of America's 50 largest cities.
City Economic Development
The book is interactive and has a place for you to add content. Please let us know what you think.
http://cityeconomicdevelopment.blogspot.com/
1/24/2011
Economic Development
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/what-government-can-do/?smid=tw-nytimeseconomix.
Silver Flying Fish
Lets have no more talk of Asian Carp. That name is no good.
What we have is the excellent tasting
Free Range Silver Flying Fish of Peoria
Read in the Peoria Journal Star
Asian carp: 'If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em'
Metro Income
1/23/2011
Go Bears
Getting beat by the Packers, but our third string quarterback has closed the score to 21 to 14. Here is hoping.
Go Bears!!
Too Bad, So sad. Wait till next Year. Go Bulls!
Strategic Plan for Economic Development
Los Angeles County has developed an interesting Strategic Plan for Economic Development. It is an excellent plan that is well presented.
It is interesting that they publish their performance measures, since they currently look so bad. But then the rest of the country looks bad now, and that is no reflection on Los Angeles.
1/22/2011
Economic Development
Post-Recession Economic Development
All those interviewed acknowledged that communities cannot rely totally on federal, state or local economic development stimulus programs to replace lost jobs. They are concerned about the disinvestment now being experienced in their communities.
We also identified that leaders in every community believe an effective economic development program is now vital. They told us that future programs must address the new and different post-recessionary local economy which is developing “right before their eyes.”
Aggressive practitioners are responding to the challenge of this new economic environment. They are working with local and regional leaders on reviewing past economic development efforts. They are developing ways to transform local and regional economic development organizations and programs in response to the vision of their post-recession local economy.
They are actively retooling their economic development strategies, adapting the best traditional “tools” and identifying new economic practices. They hope to “fast-track” growth of their local economy.
Post-Recession Economic Development Principles
Based on these conversations, we concluded that there are 10 economic development principles guiding the preparation of post-recession economic development strategies:
- Small businesses will increase jobs more quickly than larger businesses.
- It is easier to expand jobs at existing companies than to locate new ones.
- Entrepreneurial startup businesses develop a “locally connected” job base.
- Lack of financing sources limits startup and second-stage business growth.
- Regional collaboration is needed for business recruitment efforts.
- Partnering with others increases funds for advertising and promotion.
- Supply chain business recruitment is superior to “shotgun” recruitment attempts.
- Targeted business recruitment will evolve as new post-recession business linkages form.
- Community preparedness with existing sites, buildings and workforce is critical.
- Pre-approved and simple-to-understand incentives increase chances for success.
Post-Recession Economic Development Strategy Emphasis
We learned from our investigations that local economic development programs must evolve quickly in response to the anticipated post-recessionary economy. This transformation will place greater emphasis on:
- Retention and expansion of existing businesses.
- Intensified new business location marketing outreach efforts, partnering with other economic development organizations to increase funding for advertisements in site selection publications, plus sponsorship of business/site selector visitations and similar events.
- More effective area-wide branding to increase global and national identity of economic advantages of select geographic areas, especially those with unique natural resources, transportation logistics, educational and worker training capacities or concentrations of specialty skilled labor force.
- Better use of websites, electronic newsletters and social marketing to increase the reach and frequency of communications with prospective new businesses.
- Greater attention to supplier/vendor recruitment programs.
- A re-examination of “cluster” target business recruitment strategies updating specific targeted businesses in anticipation of newer post-recession business linkages.
- Pre-packaging of economic development incentives including financing for businesses meeting established community economic development criteria.
- Obtaining “shovel-ready” site/building approvals for economic development projects, in advance of need.
- Increased funding of economic development incentive programs tied to workforce utilization and training.
- Greater emphasis on small business and entrepreneur development programs, especially commercialization of university and private research.
Chuck Eckenstahler
http://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckeckenstahler
Craig Hullinger
http://craighullinger.com