Digital Media and the Branding of Downtowns: Strategies for New Business Development Using Paid, Owned and Earned Media November, 2013 | Page 11

David Diaz of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance says the website is by far the most important tool in his
organization’s digital media kit. “We have the most complete listing of indoor and outdoor events in
downtown of anybody,” he said. “Our events calendar on our website gets tons of hits. It’s our main
portal for consumers.”
He then uses social media to link back to the website, with careful attention to various audiences: “We
tend to use Twitter for promotions that target young professionals. We tend to do more family-oriented
promotions on Facebook.”
The hub and spoke model works hand in glove with paid, owned and earned media to carry your
message to the consumer then bring them back to your content. The result is a dynamic, synchronous
and even interactive path that carries and amplifies your marketing message.
Some Popular Media Platforms
A quick disclaimer: social media sites are changing constantly, and there’s a good chance that the next
big platform is already under development in a garage or dorm room. The sites on the following list