Elected officials and city administrators strive to create an environment of economic development and growth. Communicate your successes using a professional public relations and communications professional, knowledgeable in different media platforms. (Shutterstock.com)

by TROY KIDDER | TROY … Pure Blue Creative LLC

One definition of a municipality is “a center for the exchanging of goods and services.” In other words, it’s people and money. Chances are you’re already doing a great job serving the people. You keep the roads repaired and clean, provide safe water to drink and use … not to mention oversee safety services such as police and fire prevention. The list goes on and on.

All of these contribute to a foundation that fosters an environment of economic development and growth. Th at ought to be enough; however, there’s more to do: communications and public relations.

Not only do newsletters, websites and videos, done in excellence, improve your image and function within the community, they contribute greatly to the economic development of your municipality.

First, communication creates a “buzz” by making folks aware of all the great services provided by you and your team. Hey, if you don’t toot your own proverbial horn, how will they know? And it’s bigger than that: When people feel safe and the town is running smoothly, it will certainly blossom economically.

In today’s world good communication and marketing must be continual and take place through several diff erent mediums in order to keep the economic fires burning. The great thing about the digital world is that it not only can benefit you locally, but internationally as well. On the Web, anyone can visit your town or city at any time.

Once again, it’s important to note that the medium is the message. Not all websites or videos are helpful. Websites must be well-written, well-edited and easy to navigate. There should be clear, crisp photos of community members enjoying your safe and friendly town.

Videos should be no more than three minutes in length and skip the voiceovers. That’s where it can really help to hire a professional firm that offers turnkey services, so you can stay on task with the literally hundreds of other things you need to do.

Not only do high-quality newsletters, websites and videos improve a city’s image and function,
they also contribute greatly to its economic development. Create a “buzz” by making
folks aware of all the great services provided by you and your team. (Shutterstock.com)

The value of this will pay continual dividends. Remember, enterprising people are constantly looking for safe towns and safe schools to raise their kids, find good jobs and build businesses: places that have a flair for the future with a foundational understanding of everyday goodness. A wel-lproduced website with a professional video can articulate this.

Regarding safety, you may want to add staff training for crisis prevention and crisis management: alertness should be a part of the program. Companies such as Kidder Crisis Communications can offer training as well as a 24/7 direct hotline for any incidents or crises that may occur. It’s appropriate to communicate these programs and training events through your marketing and communication channels discussed earlier. Folks want to know that you are proactive — it’s great strategy and great PR.

Social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, can help as well; however, they also require caution. These types of media simply cannot be done haphazardly if you have a high expectation of positive feedback. There is a professional art to social media and it should only be done as a small portion of the communication and marketing plan.

Social media can produce even more trouble than it’s worth in some cases, including legal issues for towns, cities and schools, if not addressed properly.There are an awful lot of nonprofits, schools, municipalities and the like out there that think by just having a presence on social media they are in tune with the times. Chances are they are doing more damage than good.

Great municipalities don’t just happen; they are planned. The same is true of communications and marketing. So as you continue to do an admirable job of serving your municipality, creating a safe environment for people to live and prosper, please keep in mind that communications must be ongoing. It must be done in excellence in several mediums, especially in today’s digital world, or growth will be hindered and economic opportunity lost. All in all, the digital world offers great opportunity to promote your excellent community.

Troy Kidder is a former assistant town manager, former school teacher and a communications and marketing professional. He serves communities across the country with communications and public relations solutions. His websites are purebluecreative.com and kiddercrisiscommunications.com or contact him by email at troy@purebluecreative.com.