the iowa city downtown district & social media

THE ICDD & SOCIAL MEDIA

Presented to Social Media Boot Camp 04.2.2014

By Betsy Potter, Director of Operations

IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

Self-Supported Metropolitan Improvement District (SSMID)

Iowa City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport & others

Business Improvement District (BID)

1,000 + BIDs and spreading internationally

Self-imposed and self-governing

ICDD ROLE

Support a geography stay competitive in a dynamic marketplace (nexus)

Policy, planning, the built environment, marketing, programming, business attraction & retention

Non-profit 501c(6)

Started in 2012 for a 4 year term, reauthorize by 2016

Tax rate of $2 / $1,000 of taxable value of the property

Budget = $550,000 of which $280,000 is from the SSMID tax

WHAT DOES THE ICDD DO?

A private, not for profit, downtown management organization

Represents all property and business owners within the ICDD boundaries

Undertakes programs to: Improve downtown’s image Strengthen its economic base Increase its attractiveness Support business owners interests Be a constant advocate all of downtown Assure that it’s clean, safe and accessible

ICDD Facts

Geographic Boundary

2 Neighborhoods

Approximately 335 Businesses / Orgs

145 Property Owners

Over 1.8 million sf of commercial space

NORTHSIDE MARKETPLACE

DOWNTOWN

UI CAMPUS

IOWA RIVER

DOWNTOWN PROGRAMS

Security

Parking

Promotional Special Events

Community Gallery Art Program

Marketing and Communications

ICDD MISSION & GOALS

To champion the Iowa City Downtown District as a progressive, healthy, and culturally vibrant urban center of the region.

ICDD’S SOCIAL MEDIA @ICDowntown

/Iowa City Downtown District

downtowniowacity

/ICDD

GOALS OF ICDD’S SOCIAL MEDIA

Use the advantages of constant connectivity of social media to:

Educate the public and our business members about Downtown issues

Create a buzz about upcoming special events

Get to know our demographics Spread our successes Gain feedback Support our business members

POLICIES ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

Create strategic partnerships

Integration

Create content that is worth seeing

Use consistent handles, emails etc.

Be human

Stay open to messaging & feedback

Do not use social media as a constant sales catalog

DIFFERENT PURPOSE FOR EACH NETWORK

@ICDowntown

/Iowa City Downtown District

downtowniowacity

/ICDD

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA

TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES

Sharing

Tagging

Linking

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA

TO MARKET & SELL

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA

TO GAIN BRAND RECOGNITION

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA

TO LEARN ABOUT OUR AUDIENCE

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIAGAGE WHAT IS WORKING

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA

AND WHAT IS NOT

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIATO RECOGNIZE SUPPORTERS, SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA

TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLOSURES

DEADLINES

PRESS RELEASES

NOTICES

ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA

TO DIRECT THEM TO OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES

Website

Events Calendar

Newsletter

HOW DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

TO DIRECT CUSTOMERS TO THEIR WEBSITES

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

INSTEAD OF A WEBSITE

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

FOR FREE MARKETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

AS A CATALOG OF INVENTORY

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

FOR SALES

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

TO GAIN A LARGER, FURTHER REACHING CUSTOMER BASE

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

TO CREATE A BUZZ

Show behind the scenes

Give insider information

Host contests

BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA

FOR FEEDBACK

CHALLENGES TO BUSINESS SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook business pages are much different

Gaining followers

Turning social media interest into sales

Creating constant relative content

THANK YOU!