City Website Gets New Look

City of Columbia staff and colleagues from Monroe County participated last month in an economic development marketing workshop sponsored by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). A major theme of that workshop was the importance of marketing communities via websites and social media; as a consequence, the City's website will be getting a facelift over the next few weeks.

According to Bob Ady of Ady International Company, 62% of corporate leaders now use community websites as their primary source for evaluation of potential sites for new locations. This is a big change from even a few years ago--a change that corresponds with the rise of site selection consultants who have multiple clients and little time. Ady observes:

If a community doesn’t have a website, the website cannot easily be found or it doesn’t have the right type of information, the consultant moves on to other communities that have the information he or she needs.

Columbia's website will be undergoing reorganization and redesign as part of the facelift. Expect to find information more easily--and find more of it--and expect more graphics, links and features.

Put the World in Your Palm May 13th

If Facebook were a country, it would be the the eighth largest in the world. Large-scale adoption of social media and the use of other new technology is impacting your small business, whether you choose to participate or not. With the current economic downturn, can you afford not to keep an open mind about the chance to receive more visibility, more referrals, and a new avenue for sales?

Gain a business perspective on new technologies and learn how to leverage one of the most powerful marketing opportunities ever invented—all for free. Technology 101: New Strategies to Market Your Business will be held May 13th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Monroe County YMCA - HTC Center. The Monroe County Economic Development Council, in partnership with HTC - Harrisonville Telephone Company, will be hosting this workshop as part of the Think Monroe County First! campaign.

Whether you are proficient in current technologies or just want an entry level introduction to technology, this workshop is for you! Any business with a physical location in Monroe County is invited to attend with participation limited to two (2) individuals. There is no cost to attend and light refreshments will be served. In order to attend, you must RSVP by May 8th to Nora Feuquay, U of I Extension - Monroe County Community and Economic Development Educator, at 618-939-3434.

Main Street Twitters Over Streetscape Project

Columbia's Civic Progress Committee has set up a up a feed on Twitter.com to keep members of the community abreast of progress in planning, funding, constructing and promoting the Main Street streetscape project. This electronic "bulletin board"--the first of its kind in the nation for a streetscape project--is part of a larger outreach effort that is launching this month.

Twitter is a website where a sender can broadcast very short messages--140 characters, maximum--to anyone who’s signed up to receive them. It’s like a cross between a blog and a chat room. Twitter feeds can be accessed from a variety of platforms--in other words, followers can receive its short messages from a website, via email, even over their cell phone or Blackberry device. Local governments across the country are experimenting with Twitter as a means to inform the public about hearings, impending legislation, events, and other public doings. This is the first time that any group has deployed Twitter for informing followers about a streetscape project--what the feed refers to (in Twittereze) as "tweets from the street".

Public outreach on the project will continue to rely on existing venues like the City's website and traffic from a recently-launched Facebook page, as well as more traditional activities like door-to-door canvassing of business and property owners along Main Street. The Columbia Chamber will host an informational briefing about the project at their luncheon next Wednesday, March 18th, at Bully's Smokehouse.

Report from Chicago

City of Columbia staff joined more than 1600 other economic development professionals this week in participating in the 2009 National Main Street Conference at the historic Palmer House hotel in Chicago. This year's event focused on the emerging role of social media in supporting revitalization efforts across the country.

One highlight of the event was a rousing address by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who affirmed the vital role that Main Street programs play in stimulating his state's economy. Other highlights included:

• A "nuts and bolts" presentation on how best to plan, fund, facilitate and evaluate a successful streetscape project, offered by Donna Dow, manager for the Main Street program in Durant, Oklahoma;
• Advice from Tom McGilloway, a landscape architect, on how to make the best use of open spaces like parks and trails;
• A new approach to facade renovation that restores whole blocks at one time, presented by Randy Wilson, director of design services for the Mississippi Main Street Association;
• "Every Business Has a Billboard," a session led by Main Street Arkansas Small Business Consultant Mark Miller, that tied signage and advertising, and social media into a strategic bundle;
• Great new ideas for promoting restaurants, boutiques and antique shops presented by Blagica Bottigliero, a social media consultant.

Columbia's Civic Progress Committee will enjoy an overview of these presentations and more at their next meeting.

In the Company of Bloggers

This weekend, Columbia's Director of Community & Economic Development, Paul Ellis, will be travelling to Chicago for the 2009 National Main Street Conference, where he'll be part of a group presentation entitled: "Blogging, Multi-media & Bunnies: Three Things You Need Not Fear."

His co-presenters are Rob Voigt, author of Civic Blogger, and Cac Kamak, a planner with the City of Oak Harbor. The National Main Street Center is making a big push this year to demonstrate the value of social media as marketing and communications venues for revitalization efforts in smaller communities. As the practitioner in the group (although Columbia's Main Street program is only Introductory as yet), Paul will relate experience with blogging in Tacoma, Washington and, subsequently, deploying three blogs in Columbia.

This is not his first experience covering this ground at a national conference. In 2007, Paul presented at the annual conference for the International Downtown Association (IDA). That group is where the larger metropolitan districts get together to compare notes, while the current conference is the national gathering for smaller cities, towns and villages.

One very cool element of this conference is the live conference blog that Rob and Cac have set up. Main Street participants from around the country can catch the conference via this venue from the comfort of their storefronts--even their homes!

Putting Our Best Facebook Forward

To many, technology is the clearest path to an open government. Cities across North America are deploying venues like blogs, Twitter, and Facebook as means to more effectively communicate with the public.

Cities are interested in this technology for the same reason that corporations are--it offers valuable user data. Elected officials can survey the concerns of their constituency and agencies can identify problems in neighborhoods, while citizens can enjoy greater access to their leaders and help government pursue greater transparency.

To those ends, a page for Columbia, Illinois has been posted on Facebook; it allows users of that social medium to post pictures, discuss topics and become "fans" of the city.