Digital Media and the Branding of Downtowns: Strategies for New Business Development Using Paid, Owned and Earned Media November, 2013 | Page 16

can be quickly deleted, it may live on in another place you don’t even know. Be authentic and think
twice about what you say before you say it. Reading it out loud is also a good idea.
Atmosphere
Digital media certainly isn’t the lone reason for Raleigh and Durham’s recent successes, but it has a
significant role to play in both attracting and retaining new business, especially those led by
entrepreneurs. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook create “chatter” about an area that
can be a deciding factor for businesses who are considering a move.
James Goodmon, the media visionary who is a catalyst in downtown Durham’s success, says the online
atmosphere created by paid, owned and earned media is attractive to management, future employees
and the all-important trailing spouses. Because of the synergy created by these media, prospects can
find you and learn about your downtown’s strengths by following social media interactions (earned
media).
“You need to convince the companies that this is a place they would really want to live, that this is a
thriving area that is going to grow and that they would like to raise their kids here,” Goodmon said.
“Education is key. They want to know about schools, arts, infrastructure and quality of life. Will they be
happy here, and will their families be happy here?
You may have zero control over the arts, infrastructure and quality of life in your community, but you
can certainly talk about it. Has your local high school won an award lately? Do you have a new greenway
or park under construction in the area? Has the community recently earned any accolades for being a
great place to live or work? Use digital media to tell that message, and ask influential followers to help
spread the word. Remember, social media can be accessed anywhere.
“It’s important to understand the brand of your community,” said Adam Klein of the American
Underground. “If you have a downtown that has a really heavy arts component to it, you should have
really rich social media. You should have really rich photo and video content. Things like that that are
going to play to a beautiful sort of aesthetic.”
Recruit Help to Amplify the Message
David Diaz of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance says strategic communication outside of your organization
can go a long way toward influencing potential newcomers: “A CEO is going to get a certain kind of
attention. Let’s enlist them to send out tweets,” he said. “There are many of us who get paid to do this,
but I think a best practice is getting others outside the economic developers to embrace Downtown
Raleigh’s business development brand and say, ‘Downtown Raleigh is such an amenity-rich
environment. You should locate here.’”
Again, using paid, owned and earned media isn’t always sufficient on its own, but it strengthens
traditional economic development efforts and paints a positive picture of the area.

Page 16