Loudoun County Marketing and Business Retention - Awash in Unrealized Opportunity

This week's Loudoun County Marketing and Business Retention Committee meeting (the MBRC is a part of the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development, or DED) was quite interesting, with many discussions revolving around the status of Loudoun's marketing efforts to attract "heads in beds" as well as new business investors.

What was missing, from our perspective as a Loudoun-based professional Internet Marketing firm, was a concrete marketing plan and progress report with measurable performance indicators and objectives, that most businesses typically use to gauge the effectiveness of their integrated online and offline marketing and communications efforts. While the Loudoun County Visitor's Association (LCVA, a non-profit association mostly funded by the DED, as "primary programmatic element of Loudoun's travel and tourism promotion") is doing a fantastic job of creating online web-based marketing material and beginning to leverage social media/Web 2.0 tools (follow @visitloudoun), there's quite literally no similar effort or investment (in our opinion) for doing the same online to promote Loudoun's non-tourism related business community.

Here's the interesting tidbits we learned:

- The MBRC has recommended that the DED fully fund the LCVA for the upcoming fiscal cycle - this is a good thing, and frankly funding should be increased - though making sure that the LCVA capabilities and programs are executed in a way that they can be integrated and reused for other DED programs, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and the Chamber of Commerce.

- The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce 2010 Public Policy Positions paper, regarding Economic Development, was discussed and generally received approving remarks - though we'd suggest the word "Internet" or "Online" be used once or twice. The paper does recommend twice that "measurable performance goals and metrics" should be developed and implemented, and that Loudoun leverage in its marketing the "County's strongest economic assets, including industry sectors where Loudoun possesses a clear competitive advantage". Absolutely correct.

- "Rural Tourism" initiatives should be moved to the LCVA program - this is also a good idea, as LCVA is in name a "whole county initiative".

- Loudoun's got over 4 and 1/2 years worth of vacant buildings, and it evidently costs more to provide residents with Government services than businesses - this "upside down" and otherwise bleak indicator of the economy is actually an marketing opportunity waiting to be leveraged, i.e. Loudoun's competitiveness in the DC region in terms of low-cost, accessible and environmentally-attractive places to work and recruit employees.

- One of the MBRC/DED's biggest priorities is to do a better job recruiting new businesses to the county, overcoming the persistent perception that Loudoun's incredibly difficult to do business with...what was particularly interesting about this discussion, was that despite this perception, there really are very good examples of business investment success, and very real methods and routes to successfully purchasing and operating properties in the County - these examples and information, however, are simply not marketed.

- The initial foray by LCVA into online marketing and social media is well-received and is evidently generating positive economic impact, but can be much more aggressive and infused with professional Internet Marketing and Social Media ROI tracking methodology...for example, there were "0" new subscribers to the Industry eNewsletter in September; sales numbers were significantly down this quarter because (in part) of the absence of a sales person (an online sales campaign can be much more self-propagating); there appeared to be no online paid advertising at all; overall "IT Marketing Economic Impact" was down nearly 10% since last year; and there was "no data" by which to judge economic impact of the social media activity.

- There was discussion regarding the many events recently held or being planned, including a "Teacher's Internship Project", a "Vendor Opportunity Fair", the "Breakfast of Leaders", etc...but these events simply aren't marketing or published effectively using available online tools and outlets (just try to find them using Google; one meeting attendee remarked that the Local and Regional Media outlets simply don't provide as much coverage of Loudoun/DED-related news as they should).

- There was much other discussion about "print-based" marketing and signage associated with existing or planned rest stops (to be re-opened, according to our new Governor!), visitor's centers and other community centers - all good things, but with low ROI compared to online methods.

In all, we'd classify the road ahead for the DED and MBRC as "awash with overwhelming and real opportunities for professionally-managed success, use of Internet New Media, and immediate tactical collaboration with the local business and technology community".

Loudoun Chamber Helps Revive Redskins Marketing Partnership‏

This just in from the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce:

Heeding the Loudoun County Chamber's call to reconsider and ultimately approve a proposed marketing partnership with the Washington Redskins, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors has formed an Ad Hoc Committee to revisit the proposal and resubmit it to the Board in early 2009.

Last month, the Supervisors rejected a plan to partner with the team to market Loudoun for visitor travel and brand the County as the "Home of the Redskins," gaining valuable exposure before a worldwide audience of Redskins and National Football League fans.

In recognition of the Chamber's leadership to revive this proposal, the Supervisors granted the Chamber an advisory seat on the Ad Hoc Committee, joining four Supervisors and representatives of the Loudoun Economic Development Commission and Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association. The Committee held its first meeting on December 30th, where it was clear the Committee is focused on seeing this innovative marketing partnership approved by a majority of Loudoun's Supervisors.

The Redskins Ad Hoc Committee's next meeting is on Wednesday, January 7th, at 1 p.m., in the Purcellville Room at the Loudoun County Government Center. The public is invited to attend.

If you are interested in seeing this marketing partnership adopted, please contact your representative on the Board of Supervisors. (Names and e-mails listed below). You also may speak directly to the Board by attending a bi-monthly Public Input meeting, next scheduled for Monday, January 5th and 19th at 6:30 p.m. in the County Government Center in Leesburg.

• This marketing partnership offers Loudoun County a creative opportunity to leverage the worldwide reach of the Washington Redskins and the National Football League.
  
  
• Promoting Loudoun as home to the most valuable sports franchise in the U.S. will generate significant exposure to attract visitor spending and business investment.
  
  
• The county's investment comes from the restricted funds that must be used to market Loudoun as a visitor destination and are generated from non- residents who stay in local hotels.
  
  
• In this time of declining tax revenues and increased budget deficits, Loudoun needs an aggressive marketing strategy to attract visitors and business investment, to expand the commercial tax base and reduce the burden on businesses and residents.
  

We'll also point out that an "aggressive marketing strategy" won't be complete without significant and unique Loudoun Internet Marketing and Social Media expertise.

Internet Checklist for Starting a Business in Loudoun County

We recently looked through the Loudoun Department of Economic Development’s "Checklist for Starting a Business in Loudoun County". It’s chock full of useful information and guidance, for businesses of many types, large and small.

What was curious, was that the word “Internet” wasn’t used at all.

That said, we offer here our own basic “Internet Checklist for Starting a Business in Loudoun County”:

Company Presence

• Establish a website, with a clear “About Us” page, including your Loudoun address, directions and service hours. Use new photos or even videos of your new business. (Need help with a video? Try Trivision Studios.) Redirect old sites to the new one.
  
  
• Register your business with Google/MSN/Yahoo “Local” services.
  
  
• Include Geospatial Metatags on your website, of your location in Loudoun.
  
  
• Update your YellowPages listings, online and off.
  
  
• Update your business name in DMOZ, and Yahoo Directories.
  
  
• Spellcheck - don't spell it "Loudon"
  
  

Networking and Communication

• Join the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and/or the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce – use their logos on your website, and update your information on their websites.
  
  
• Join smaller Business Networks, like the Dulles South Business Alliance or Loudoun Business Alliance – as applicable - making sure your online information is updated.
  
  
• In your online social media pages (i.e. on your blog, your wiki, your LinkedIn or Facebook pages), include your new Loudoun address and contact information.
  
  
• Update your email footers to include your new location in Loudoun – and send a new broadcast out to your mailing list about it.
  
  
• Establish a new email account(s), specifically for your Loudoun business
  
  
• Update your online business networks – for example at MerchantCircle – invite your new business neighbors!
  

Marketing & Advertising

• List your business on local directories, such as Dulles South Online, Visit Loudoun and/or LoudounPedia (as applicable).
  
  
• Make sure your business is listed in localized “review” sites, like Yelp – encourage reviews among your customers and partners!
  
  
• Send a press release to the Loudoun Papers, for example the Loudoun Times, with an update on your location and services (make sure it's online as well as printed) – or take out a paid advertisement, as your marketing budget allows. Or construct a "Social Media Press Release" (contact KME Internet Marketing about this).
  
  
• Take out an ad in a local magazine, like "Modern Moms of Loudoun County" - the ad should appear on their great website as well.
  
  
• Notify local realtors of your new business, for possible referrals - like Ingrid Myers, Realtor - business partner links very often are included on local real estate/broker websites.
  
  
• Upload photos and/or videos of your new Loudoun business location, along with updated information about your business, to relevant social media sites like "Flickr" – using “Loudoun” in the keywords and tags.
  
  
• Get a “Made in Loudoun” tag!
  
  
• “Capture the Market” in the search engines with respect to your Loudoun business – for example “Loudoun Internet Marketing” – (this will likely require local, professional Loudoun Internet Marketing/SEO/Social Media services).
  

These are the minimum things necessary to solidly establish your business on the Internet as a respected Loudoun business entity.

Contact KME Internet Marketing for assistance with these activities, and provide any other ideas/questions here in the comments!