Archive for the 'Investment Attraction' Category

Finding Keyword Intelligence For Investment Attraction Promotion

Published
by
Ian Smith
on March 3, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence and Investment Attraction
. 0 Comments

Selecting the right keywords for a search engine optimization strategy partly calls for examining websites that are related to investment attraction.  As a part of the assessment process, individuals must conduct some competitive intelligence research that does not call for an extensive web search with tools such as Google, Bing or Yahoo.

As an economic development professional concerned about how your site for investment attraction is being found by site selectors via search engines, you are interested to know what keywords competing regions or countries are utilizing for their search engine optimization strategies.

Here is a quick tip to do so in five easy steps.

Step 1: Visit the website

Select the website that you wish to extract the keywords from. Keywords are embedded in websites in which visitors may have access to within a few mouse clicks.  For the purpose of this post, the Invest In Scotland website by Scottish Development International was taken as an example.

Step 2: Right click on the page

With your mouse, right click on the index page of a website to open the option menu and select the option, “View Page Source” (if you are using FireFox) or “View Source Code” (if you are using Internet Explorer).   Figure 1 demonstrates this procedure using FireFox.


Figure 1: Accessing The “View Page Source” Option For Invest in Scotland

Step 3: Click on View Page Source or View Source Code

Once the option is clicked upon, you will open a text file which the .html source code as seen in Figure 2.

Figure 2: HTML Source Code For Invest In Scotland Website’s Index Page
(Click On Image To Enlarge)

Step 4: Find The Keywords

With the file open, conduct a search with the “Find” function using the search string, ” “keywords” “.  Include the quotation marks as seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Performing Search To Find Keywords
(Click On Image To Enlarge)

Step 5: Extract The Keywords

The search conducted in Step 4 will take you to the portion of file that contains the keywords. (See the text that follows the word highlighted in green.) With your mouse, highlight, copy and paste the list of keywords in an MS-Excel document.  In the first cell, enter the name of the site along with the address of the site and the keywords in the second and third cells respectively.   In the case of Invest In Scotland, the following keywords can be extracted:

  • “foreign investment, trade, corporate relocation, quality business locations, invest in Scotland, new markets, inward investment, internationalization, internationalisation, invest in europe”

To learn more competitive intelligence practices for economic development and investment attraction initiatives, attend Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.

Why Use SlideShare As A Part Of Your Economic Development 2.0 Strategy?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on February 24, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

You have decided to implement a marketing strategy for your region for investment attraction purposes.  As a part of  the strategy, you have selected to use social media marketing applications. After concluding a benchmark of sites that are using Web 2.0 tools, you have created a list of the following applications that should be used in the strategy.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Flickr
  • RSS Feeds

The list seems to be pretty complete however; there is an application that does not come to mind when discussing social media marketing tools.  The application is SlideShare.

SlideShare is a tool that allows individuals to place documents in various file formats (i.e, .ppt, .doc, .pdf) on web.

The use of SlideShare in a marketing context is very practical.   Here are the advantages

1 - Avoid reinventing the wheel

There is a good chance that you may have promotional material in .pdf and or PowerPoint already in your agency that can be easily placed online.  Instead of spending a portion of your budget on new promotional content, use what you have and upload it to SlideShare.

2 - Reinforce Your Search Engine Optimatization Strategy

Having a presence on various Web 2.0 applications will enhance and reinforce your search engine optimization strategy for your website.  SlideShare is an efficient tool to accomplish this goal,  Each word of the document on the application is indexed and allows it to appear on Google’s result page quickly and within the first couple of pages. (if you are creating a new document to be place on SlideShare, keep in mind the keywords that investors are most likely to used to find information regarding investment attraction along with the name of the city, region, province / state or country.  Good examples of keywords would be: “Invest in”, “Investing in”, “Incentive” or “Doing Business In”.

3 - Be Visual

Using Slideshare to publish Microsoft Powerpoint presentation is a very powerful strategy.  The medium allows agencies to communicate facts about their region visually.  Figure 1 is a page from the Chesterfield Economic Development (Chesterfield, Virgina) presentation on SlideShare.

Figure 1: Chesterfield SlideShare Powerpoint Presentation

This particular slide is effective to help sell the region as a location of  growth in terms of the value of new commercial construction by using the ascending set of bars in the chart.

Some may consider SlideShare as the poorman’s YouTube when it comes to delivering content visually however; it can be efficient tool to aid in obtaining your marketing goals for economic development initiatives.

SlideShare is available at www.slideshare.net

Thinking about creating your Economic Development 2.0 strategy?  Attend Intelegia’s seminar,  “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“

Using YouTube To Promote Your Region and Economic Development Agency

Published
by
Ian Smith
on February 5, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Social Media Marketing
. 0 Comments

Below is a best practice example of how to use a social media marketing tool such as YouTube, to promote two items at one time.

In the video, “Michigan Gives You the Upper Hand”, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is able to market: 1) the state as THE place for investment opportunities and 2) themselves as facilitators in getting companies to invest.

Using testimonials by CEOs, MEDC drives home the message that they are will equipped with the incentive tools,  services and skills to address investors’ key location factors inquiries.

Does your economic development agency have a video or channel on YouTube for investment attraction purposes? Is it effective? Let us know and we will mention you and the video or the channel in a future blog post.  Please email the link to Ian at ian@intelegia.com.

Intelligence “R” US: Innovative Economic Development Practices in Mauricie, Québec

Published
by
Isabelle Poirier
on February 1, 2010
in Author-Isabelle Poirier, Economic Development, Economic Intelligence, Investment Attraction and Social Media Marketing
. 2 Comments

New economic development practices in a region is not the result of a sole leader. Changing the economic landscape of a region will be the work of individuals who collectively engage into innovative economic development practices.

Last week, I had the opportunity with my colleague Aicha Habiby to conduct the seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.  Sixteen participants representing different sub-regions in the Mauricie Region gathered in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Canada.

It was a busy day :-) Needless to say that because this course was computer based and we were more than happy to provide this training as a team. All participants agreed to start slowly but surely embraced social media tools to improve their regional investment attraction strategy and place their region on the radar of investors and site selectors. The process included achieving the following goals:

  • Establishing their “web identity” on social networks
  • Putting into place an information monitoring system
  • Improving their web researching skills by learning advanced research techniques using web 1.0 tools and sources, social media applications and real-time search engines
  • Generating “Intelligence” using specific analysis frameworks for investment attraction
  • Nurturing their virtual and real life communities by sharing information and knowledge
  • Being aware of key success factors and best practices for their future communication strategy

For quite awhile,  investment attraction techniques have included taking advantage of the web 1.0 however; it was just the beginning.  By tapping into the new applications on the internet,  the participants can now efficiently benchmark their region, target leads and promote their region.

If you want to know more about economic development opportunities in Mauricie, you can get in touch “within a click” with the following professionals:

At the end of the day, interesting opportunities are just one click or one phone call away from you… It’s yours to discover :-)

The Use Of Testimonials In YouTube Clips For Investment Attraction

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 27, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

What makes a good YouTube clip for investment attraction purposes?

1. A concise message with all the key locational factors that site selectors and or investors are primarily concerned about?

2. Footage of the existing land opportunities and transportation infrastructure in the region?

3. Testimonials from existing investors about the positive aspects of investing in the region?

All three elements are needed however; testimonials can go a long way in regards of putting a region on the map for investment attraction.

The following clip is from the Niagara Economic Development Corporation, the agency responsible for activities to advance the economic prosperity of the Niagara (Ontario) community.

The key elements of the video are:

  1. The various companies from an array of sectors that has selected Niagara to do business.
  2. How companies have built links within the business community and universities in the region.
  3. The level of government assistance offered to investing companies.

Through the use of testimonials to promote Niagara, the YouTube clip can effectively grab the attention of potential investors and site selectors.

Are seeking to improve your region’s investment retention or attraction strategy?  Attend Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.

What Is Available On YouTube For Site Selectors? A Month Later

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 18, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 2 Comments

To see how dynamic the search results are on YouTube for videos aimed at promoting a region for  investment attraction, we repeated the exercise performed for the post, “What Is Available On YouTube For Site Selectors?“  Here are some of the videos that were worth mentioning found on December 16th, 2009.

“Invest In”

Invest In South Africa

This clip is in the form of a traditional television commercial.  It promotes the country of South Africa as a location for possibilities when it comes to investing in a variety of sectors.

“Economic Development”

Pearland, Texas

Located on the southeast coast of Texas, Pearland presents a very clear message in terms of economic development and business attraction.  The video highlights the main locational factors that the town has to offer and as well a brief look at its competitive incentive programs.

The difference between the results obtained on November 18th, 2009 and December 16th, 2009 should not be a big surprise.  Online marketers should always keep in mind that search results are dynamic and SEO strategies must be considered to maintain or improve their search engine ranking position.

Are you thinking about implementing a social media marketing campaign for investment attraction purposes for your region?  Consider taking Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.

Web 2.0 And Business Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index : Update

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 9, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Social Media Marketing
. 2 Comments

In September 2009, E&B DATA, Intelegia’s parent company, published “Web 2.0 And Business Attraction: Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index“, a study that measured how well Canadian cities economic development agencies are marketing their regions to potential investors via the web.  Specifically, the use of social media marketing tools and the availability of relevant information for site selection purposes were assessed.  The top four ranked cities were:

  • Halifax
  • London
  • Hamilton
  • Ottawa

To see if any of the top Canadian Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSA) has adopted additional Web 2.0 applications as apart of their marketing strategy for investment attraction, Intelegia visited the websites of the economic development agencies of the CMSAs on December 3rd, 2009.

The following agencies have integrated some social media marketing tools over the past few months:

  • Vancouver Economic Development Commission
  • Hamilton Economic Development
  • Montreal International
  • Greater Victoria Economic Development Agency

Vancouver Economic Development Commission

Since October 23rd, 2009, the Vancouver Economic Development Commission has been micro-blogging via its Twitter page, vaneconomic. Figure 1 presents a look at the vaneconomic page.

Figure 1: vaneconomic Twitter page

This page provides information in the form of announcements regarding award winners to the latest news about the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Hamilton Economic Development

Hamilton Economic Development offers videocasts via investinhamilton TV.

Figure 2: investinhamilton TV on The Hamilton Development Website

The videocast offers news regarding companies that are investing in the city of Hamilton.

Montreal International

Montreal International recently revamped their website to include a videocast on the front page.  Figure 3 shows what the index page of the website.

Figure 3: Index Page Of Montreal International’s Website

Besides the content of the videocast that promotes Montreal as the best place to invest, the website has four navigational tabs that enable individuals to locate information easier.  By clicking on the “INVEST” tab, individuals can now access contact information for the person who is responsible for fielding inquiries about investment opportunities in the Greater Montreal area.  This piece of information was not available on past versions of the website.

Greater Victoria Economic Development Agency

The Greater Victoria Economic Development Agency has an online presence on LinkedIn and Facebook.

The LinkedIN group page was created in October 2009.  Figure 4 is a screen shot of the LinkedIN page.

Figure 4: Greater Victoria Development Agency LinkedIn Group Page

As of December 3rd, 2009, there has not been any activity on the page.   The agency’s Facebook group, started September 26th, 2009, offers the following elements to members:

  • Wall posts
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Links

Figure 5 is an image of the Greater Victoria Development Agency’s Facebook group.

Figure 5: The Greater Victoria Development Agency’s Facebook Group

According, Economic Development Marketing in Canada (2009), a survey commissioned by the Economic Developer Association of Canada (EDAC), 70% of respondents identified that social media or blogging will be new marketing initiatives in 2010 for their organizations.  Based on the benchmark conducted in September 2009 and visits to the four sites listed above, it seems that some cities are slowly realizing the power of using Web 2.0 applications.

Has your organization started to use social media marketing tools for economic development 2.0 initiatives? If so, tell us and we will happy to make it the subject of a future blog post.

SEO For Your Investment Attraction YouTube Videos

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 2, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

If your economic development organization has a YouTube video or a channel, have you attempted to find it via the tool’s search engine using keywords?  Any luck finding it?  Is it on the first page of results?  Second page? Third page?  Can’t find it.

You have just experienced something that site selectors and potential investors may have to deal with in the very near future.

According to ComScore, YouTube was ranked second amongst the leading search engines on the web behind Google and in front of Yahoo in October 2009.  The implications of YouTube being used as a normal search engine are important.  It is plain and simple.  If site selectors and their advisers can find your promotional content then you run the risk of not being seen.

A solution to the case described above is to improve your ranking on YouTube through search engine optimization strategies.   Below is a series of blog posts / articles in which you can read up on some handy tips:

YouTube: Nova Scotia On The Map For Investment Attraction

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 30, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 3 Comments

Here is another indication that the use of YouTube as a part of an economic development 2.0 strategy is being adopted by different organizations around the world.

Nova Scotia Business Inc. is a private sector-led business development agency for the maritime province located on the east coast of Canada. Along with a Twitter feed and a Facebook Fan Page, the agency has a YouTube channel with the following powerful video titled, “Nova Scotia Gets It!!”

There are four main themes that Nova Scotia Business Inc. highlights during the video:

  • Access to talented and available labour in the province
  • Competitive operating costs for companies which are located in the province
  • Providing a gateway to the North American continent
  • Quality of life in the province of Nova Scotia

For each theme, the agency provides a testimonial from representatives of companies that have invested in Nova Scotia and words from Stephen Lund, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc.

From a creative standpoint, the video uses headlines from news publications to show that companies are investing in Nova Scotia from different sectors.

Have you began using YouTube for your business attraction efforts for your province, state or country? Have you seen any returns as of yet? Tell us!!!

Investment Attraction Via YouTube: Greater Rochester, NY

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 25, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

Thanks to the post, “What Is Available On YouTube For Site Selectors?“, a reader pointed us to the following YouTube clip for the Greater Rochester, New York Area.  The promotional clip is specifically dedicated for investment attraction purposes.

In this 2 minutes and 10 seconds clip, Greater Rochester Enterprise does an excellent and efficient job at selling its territory to companies looking to expand their operations in the northeastern part of the United States.  The key selling point that is communicated throughout the clip is that investors can find all of the main locational factors (used in deciding where to invest) in one place, in Greater Rochester.  The following factors are highlighted in video:

  • Selecting Rochester as a place to live
  • The region breaking ground in green technology
  • Training opportunities thanks to 18 colleges and universities
  • The quality of life in the region
  • The city’s Intellectual Density Quotient
  • The ability to export from the region

The clip shown above should serve as a model for economic development agencies seeking to produce a YouTube video clip as a part of their economic development 2.0 strategy.  Not only is the clip short and concise but it is visually effective by keeping the viewer’s attention on the key points of Greater Rochester Enterprise’s argument.