HOW TO ATTRACT MORE PROSPECTS TO YOUR...

www.PlatinumPR.comHow to Attract More Prospects to Your Community: A Free Guide for Economic Development Organizations

HOW TO ATTRACT MORE PROSPECTS TO YOUR COMMUNITY

HOW TO ATTRACT MORE PROSPECTS TO YOUR COMMUNITYA Free Guide for Economic Development OrganizationsA Free Guide for Economic Development Organizations

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WHAT’S THE KEY TO ATTRACTING MORE PROSPECTS TO YOUR COMMUNITY?

WHO AM I AND WHY CAN I HELP YOU?

As the founder and president of Platinum PR, I’ve helped Economic Development Organizations get more prospects for over 20 years—through online and offline methods.

I bring my expertise in communications, social media, marketing, economic development, and tourism to help

clients create & implement customized communications plans right for them.

And in this free guide, I am going to share the strategies I use to help my clients generate more leads.

Perhaps you’re placing ads in regional magazines, but you have no idea if they’re actually generating any results.

You might be attending trade shows, be a part of organizations that are supposed to send you qualified leads, or sending out the occasional e-newsletter.

Then… you wait for the phone to ring.

And you wish the phone were ringing a lot more.

Maybe you wonder if placing an ad in a site selection magazine is a little “old school,” but your team is WAY too swamped to try to figure out another solution.

Here’s the thing: Nowadays, before people commit to buying anything, they do their research online. And this is true whether they’re buying a new car or looking for a community to bring their business.

They’ll read all of the reviews and information online about it, and only then, if it matches up with all their criteria, they’ll pick up the phone to find out more.

So what does this mean for you?

Your organization needs to have a strong online presence.

Now, I know that your organization may be swamped as it is, so in this guide, I’m going to break down high-leverage tips so your online presence can start working for YOU -- 24 hours a day.


Unfortunately, I regularly see websites that aren’t up to date, or are hidden on the community’s website. This makes it appear as though economic development isn’t a priority. And if it isn’t a priority, then why would they want to live there?

Instead of trying to do a major site overhaul every 4-5 years, consider annual enhancements and tweaks to your site. If you take care of your investment, it will continue working for you. If you neglect your site then it will “quickly” become outdated and be very expensive to update (or completely redo).

The good news is: YOU have a lot of control over a prospect’s perception of you. You get to choose what kind of impression you leave with a potential prospect visiting your site.

Let’s start with what to do about one of your biggest concerns:

How to Shift A Less-Than-Ideal Perception of Your Community

What are the objections people may have to bringing their business to your community?

For example, are people concerned that your community is too much of the following?

• Rural• Congested• Expensive• Inexpensive• Far from the airport• Close to the airport

The first key is to know this: You can’t please everyone who is looking for a place to locate their business. And you shouldn’t want to.

There are going to be people who your community is not right for.

On your website, forget about them, and focus on the people who your community IS the best for.

Then, sell the benefits of your community to THOSE people.

For example, if people are concerned that your community is too rural, you can share the benefits of your location, like an available workforce that is currently commuting to a nearby metropolitan area.

In a metropolitan area that might be perceived as “expensive” or “congested,” you should be highlighting a highly training demographic and readily available workforce.

Or, in a more rural setting, you could be highlighting the low cost of land that is easily accessible from the interstate.

It can also help to know your target market’s challenges and needs in great detail, and to make note of that in your messaging. When potential prospects feel like you see, hear, and understand them, they are likely to form an emotional connection and curiosity about what you have to offer.

Use these ideas in the messaging on your website. Share success stories that highlight the benefits of your community for businesses. Have your target market’s greatest needs and wants in mind, and write specifically to that person.

Here are some other ways to upgrade the perception of your community, through the experience you give someone on your website.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE TO CREATE A BETTER PERCEPTION OF YOUR COMMUNITY

One of the biggest mistakes

I see economic development

organizations make is not fully

utilizing their online hub —

their website.


Website Upgrade Checklist

Here’s a checklist of ways you can “upgrade” their experience the moment they land on your website.

n Is your website “stand alone,” or is it an extra page on your local government website?

If your website is lost within a larger county (or city) government site and people can’t find your “Economic Development” page, they’ll assume Economic Development isn’t a priority in your community. Additionally, having your “website” as a drop-down menu option on your county government website also says “not a priority.” And that’s the last impression you want to leave with them!

n Is your website mobile-friendly?

We all know how frustrated we can get when we want to find a phone number and the site isn’t mobile-friendly! It’s the same thing here. Many people are visiting websites via their smart phones. Make it easy for your prospects to look you up (and contact you) by making your site mobile-responsive. That may require some help from a web developer, who can ensure that your site is displayed properly on mobile phones.

n Can a visitor find your contact information in a short amount of time?

If it’s hard for a visitor to find your email address or phone number when they land on your website, guess what -- they’re likely to give up and move on. Have a clear “Contact Us” page which lists the phone number as well as a contact email address.

n Can a visitor find available property details quickly and easily?

You don’t need to have an expensive GIS system with real-time commercial or industrial real estate data (although that’s great). If you have to maintain this information in-house you should, at minimum, have a page on your site that highlights 2-3 properties with picture(s), details of the site, etc.

n Do the technical aspects of your website work properly?

• Is your site easy to navigate?• Do you have any broken links? • Are links opening in a new browser?

One way to find out what pages on your website might not be capturing a visitor’s attention is through using Google analytics. Through this tool, you can see where people are dropping off the site, and can then investigate what changes need to be made.

n Does your website tell engaging stories?

Your website needs to be a balance between providing important data and storytelling. Provide current data, available sites, AND examples and stories from existing business. Through giving a behind-the-scenes look at key members of your community, you can create a powerful emotional connection with your prospect.

n Is the news and content timely and relevant?

If your last blog post was one year ago, a prospect may wonder how up to date your organization really is. It’s important to keep an active, updated site so prospects know what you’re really up to, and get a good first impression of your community.

I recommend having regular “website check-in’s,” and having a trusted member of your staff check on the following:

• Was your last blog post 2 months ago or last week? (Maybe it’s time for a new one!)

• If you have a feed on your page from social media, is it still working and have you posted recently?

• Is your census data current? • What data is updated every year? What data is updated every

three years? For example: population and commuting trends. Be knowledgeable about when your information should be updated and stay on top of it!

• Does your unemployment rate show from last year or the current year? Is it time to update this?

By keeping the information up to date, prospects will be able to make a truly informed decision about reaching out to you. Otherwise, you could be missing out on key opportunities.

And finally, you want to find out:

n Does a visit to the website create the user experience you want them to have?

Do you have original photography? Do you have pictures of people, and interesting buildings in your community? What kind of first impression will someone get from your site? Your website should give a visitor the safe warm and welcoming feel they would receive when visiting in person. That’s how you can start a great relationship with your prospect online.


Get an Outside Eye

If you aren’t sure about any of these items, get an outside eye! You can either ask the opinions of 1-2 people who make up your ideal customer base or target market, or hire a marketing professional.

Give them specific ways to evaluate your website, and walk them through this checklist. This can be very difficult and show some vulnerability, but it will be so worth it in the long run!

How To Capture Leads for Your Email List

If someone visits your site and is interested, but doesn’t contact you… they’re lost forever.

Instead of losing possible warm leads, you want to capture the email address of every potential prospect who visits your website.

For someone to give you their email address, you need to give them something in return, in the form of a free gift. This free gift should give them a way to experience your community. One great way to do that is through a community-centric giveaway, such as:

• Overnight Stay in a Hotel: They could be entered into a drawing for an overnight stay at a hotel in your community that has parted with your organization. Every month, you could do a drawing for an overnight stay in the hotel.

• Hotel and Restaurant Gift Packet: Give them the chance to experience the local cuisine and spend the night in an interesting part of town.

• Annual Drawing For a Helicopter Ride: You could partner with a local transportation company, and do an annual drawing for a helicopter ride so they can experience the entire city. Now that’s a way to WOW a prospect!

Remember… You Can Save Time by Maintaining Your Website Annually!

As you evolve your website, consider working with a web development consultant or marketing consultant and create a website maintenance plan.

You don’t need to do a complete overhaul every 2 years, but you should have a plan for minor tweaks every year so you don’t get caught behind down the road. Remember, your website is like your online store -- and it should be selling your organization 24/7!

HOW TO ATTRACT PROSPECTS WITH VALUABLE CONTENT ONLINE

Whether your prospects are going directly to your website, googling you, or hanging out on social media, a key way to get their attention is through creating valuable content.

Create shareable content specifically for your target market.

Keep your target market in mind as you create your content, and tailor it all to them! With content, remember: it’s not about the information you want to put out there -- it’s about what your prospects want to read!

This won’t always be what’s the easiest thing for you to write about. What are the key questions that your prospects may have regarding finding a new place to locate their business? What are some misconceptions or perceptions that you want to clarify? What type of like-minded businesses would you like to attract to your

community? Handle these topics in creative ways to capture their attention.

Here are some ways you can do that:

• Interview businesses that have recently located or expanded in your community. A Q&A with a new CEO can be beneficial in many ways. The CEO feels important and valued and it serves as a solid testimonial for your community.

• Do industry profiles. For example, you could do a one-pager (or more formal white paper type doc) that highlights the biotechnology industry in your community -- sharing statistics, demographics, workforce data, the type of work that’s being done, and what businesses are currently there.

• Highlight your workforce. You can do this by profiling a professor at the local community college, highlighting a recent graduate, or showcasing a new internship or apprenticeship program in your area.


Repurpose Your Content

Once you’ve created valuable content for your audience, repurpose it!

By putting some thought into repurposing your content, you can spend less time creating more content, and more time getting your best content into the hands of more prospects. Here are five ways to do that:

1. Your Blog

Start by posting your article on your blog, so that prospects can read your content when they visit your website. Make sure your blogs are search engine-optimized so that you can target viewers that are looking to read the information you’ve worked so hard to present. Tagging appropriate keywords can add an extra punch to your efforts.

2. Send a Newsletter

Sending out a newsletter is an opportunity to highlight the interesting things happening in your community, as well as sharing some of your content with them.

For example, you could find out what upcoming courses the Small Business Development Center or local community college are hosting that would be relevant for your target audience (newsletter readers). You can also guide your audience to the new online content you’ve created, like a Q&A with a CEO of a local business, your latest blog post, etc.

How often should you send a newsletter? Start with sending a newsletter once a month and build from there. If you can send a newsletter as much as once a week, that’s great -- as long as you are providing valuable content.

3. Post Your Blog in Industry Groups on LinkedIn.

Don’t just post your blogs on your website… share them on social media networks now and again in the future. For example, on LinkedIn, you can post on your page and in industry groups.

Think of industry groups as tradeshows that are really cost-effective to attend. These groups are an opportunity to share information with others who share a common interest. The group size can range from 10 people to thousands of people.

Start by identifying 4-6 groups where your ideal customer is involved. Start participating in discussions OR simply reading and learning more about their perspective.

Have the goal of always adding value -- that means being educational and sharing content that will help others. (This is NOT the place to post sales-oriented content. In fact, many groups have “group rules” banning that type of interaction, as it can quickly make a group feel “spammy.”)

4. Share Your Content on Facebook and Twitter.

After you’ve posted your blog on your website, you should also post on Facebook and Twitter. Remember to add hashtags so that more people can reach you. Tagging other organizations to encourage retweets is good too.

You can also make multiple social media posts by key phrases or ideas from a recent blog. For example, break down a few key thoughts and create fun visuals in graphic design websites like Canva.

You could also turn your content into an infographic for social media. Presenting information visually and in bite-sized doses can reach a whole new audience that might not read an entire newsletter. Infographics drill down the information into clear, digestible chunks. Instagram and Pinterest are a haven for this type of presentation of your content.

5. Share Your Content in a Video

Whether you do a livestream video using Facebook Live, or simply record a quick video from your webcam, this can be a personal way to share additional information. Take the blog or press release that went out and address one main idea from it in a quick video. Some people are more likely to watch a quick video than read a full blog, so this can be a great way to reach a broader audience.

People won’t always see your post the very first time, or have the time to read it. After spending your time crafting a blog post you want your prospects to read, be persistent in putting it in front of them through repurposing your content!


With every sales-oriented job, it’s important to “close the deal,” but this often doesn’t happen with one single contact. It takes time to cultivate a relationship and ultimately close the sale.

In that “dating period,” you need to have frequent contact to let your “customer” know that you’re still interested in their business.

But what I often see organizations doing is to send one follow-up email after meeting or receiving a request for proposals. Or, they make one phone call. And that’s it. The prospect never hears from you again.

Many people think the prospect will just call you if they need more information, but you actually need to be more aggressive than that. You need to continue following up until you close the sale OR the prospect says that they’ve decided to locate in a different community.

If you DON’T follow up and cultivate the relationship, they’ll move on to the next community… who does want them.

Here are three ways to follow up in a way that feels natural and adds value:

1. Remind them about unique programs your community has.

Need a natural way to get in touch with your prospect? Remind them about special offers going on in your community that they might be interested in.

For example, the offer could be:• A new, customized training program at the local

community college• A new office building that just came on the market• A new training program they might qualify for• A new business park that just had their first new

tenant in place

• High-speed Internet or other infrastructure has just been extended to the business park

• Your community got recognized as being the greatest vacation destination on the East Coast (You’re living somewhere other people pay to go on vacation!)

• A local chef or bed and breakfast has been recognized in a national travel magazine

When you have interesting news to share about your community, pick up the phone and tell them! Don’t assume they are following you. Make them want to care, and make it easy for them to learn and stay informed.

2. Invite them to local events in the community.

A great way for them to feel a part of the community and meet other business owners or managers is to attend a local event in the community.

And a great way for you to follow up is to invite them to one!

Here are some great examples of events you could invite them to:

• An Economic Outlook Conference• A Chamber of Commerce business event• An intimate dinner with a group of people they might

like to meet• An annual banquet like a business awards program

Events can be a great way to form a more meaningful connection beyond an email exchange, while giving them an opportunity to experience the community firsthand!

This can obviously be sensitive (or not possible) if the prospect requires confidentiality and isn’t ready to network with other business owners. Make sure to keep any needs for confidentiality in mind before inviting prospects to local events.

HOW TO FOLLOW UP WITH PROSPECTS (THE RIGHT WAY)


3. Add a thoughtful, personal touch.

Behind every email address is a person… Get to know who that person is, and then find ways to relate to them.

You could look them up on LinkedIn or Google them and see if you have any common ground.

You could send them a handwritten personal note and a gift from the community, like a jar of homemade jelly from your local farmer’s market.

This will help you to stand out to them and create a more meaningful connection!

Also, make sure that your whole team is on board with a follow-up plan!

Without a plan, everyone on your team (in your office) might be doing different things. You want to make sure every prospect is treated equally and you’re maximizing staff time and generating a solid return on your investment (staff time and resources). Right now, you could be missing many prospects every day who could increase your community’s tax base, bring well-paying jobs to your residents, and prove that your organization is making an impact. By being more proactive and creating a plan for getting more prospects, you’ll be on the road to getting better results for your community.

You may think (or know) you have the BEST community in the country. That’s fine, but you need to prove it in many different ways, and creatively share your stories.

The beauty of technology is that we can reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions more people than ever before. Just remember that at the end of the day, decisions are made by people. You need to remain human and provide personal touches. Understand your audience and work to cultivate those relationships.

Your time and financial resources are valuable and you want to to be using them in the most efficient way possible. Whether you’ve implemented a tip noted above or you’ve gotten a fresh spark from this guide, I wish you success in the future. Please stay in touch — I want to hear great things from you and your community! Get in touch at [email protected].

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