Promoting Your Community

Local economic development and promotion go hand in hand. Investment attraction, tourism marketing, and resident attraction are important for a successful economy. In this section you can learn how to promote your community from others who’ve had success .

What to Say to Foster Visitation: Post-Wildfire Marketing Messages and Strategies

What are the best messages to use when marketing your community as a travel destination after a wildfire? What strategies are effective in supporting affected businesses? First we’ll hear the results of recent research from Destination BC that examined what messaging works to encourage leisure travelers to proceed with their trip plans in British Columbia in the midst of a wildfire and what messaging encourages future visitation to the province. Then Dale Wheeldon from the BC Economic Development Association and Debbie Arnott from Community Futures Sun Country will talk about their respective programs supporting businesses and communities recover from wildfires and natural disasters.

Speakers: Kailee Penner, Destination BC, Dale Wheeldon, BC Economic Development Association, Debra Arnott, Community Futures Sun Country

Presentation slides:

• DestinationBC - Disaster Recovery Research (PDF, 5MB)
• BCEDA - Making Resilience and Recovery the New Norm (PDF, 3MB)
• Community Futures - Wildfire Business Transition Project (PPT, 500KB)

Watch the Post-Wildfire Marketing Messages and Strategies webinar originally broadcast on June 6, 2019.

Attract Investment and Promote your Community with BritishColumbia.ca

In this webinar, you’ll learn how you can leverage BritishColumbia.ca to attract investment and promote your community to the world. This session will include an overview of the public facing Community Profiles and Opportunities sections of the site.

We will also cover some of the common challenges faced by local EDOs when promoting your community online, including a demonstration of how you can make your BritishColumbia.ca community profile stand out.

The website is a digital hub that promotes your community to the world by providing an up-to-date, free and customizable online presence. It integrates:

• Customizable community profile pages
• Investment opportunities listings
• Information about key sectors
• Success stories

Attract and Promote your Community Presentation Slides

Watch the BritishColumbia.ca webinar originally broadcast on November 15, 2016

Building Community through Social Media

Social Media can be used in a myriad of ways, but one of its most powerful abilities is building relationships and online communities. Staying in touch and actively engaging with the citizens who live in your physical community is essential to building social licence and trust: critical pieces of the economic development puzzle.

Hear from Neil Judson, community manager for @TranBC who will show you how he has built a community of engaged drivers throughout B.C. He’ll also share wise practices on how to scale your social media efforts to best meet the needs of your community. 

• Presentation Slides (PDF, 30 MB)

Watch the Building Community through Social Media webinar originally broadcast on March 31, 2016