Is Your Business Ready for the 100 Day Challenge? (City of Sun Prairie Office of Economic Development)

Project 365 Announces the 100 Day Challenge

There are only 100 days remaining on Project 365.  To commemorate this milestone, I am issuing the following challenge to area businesses:

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, includes the following...

• Issuing at least one press release worthy of being posted on this blog for each of the months of October, November, and December. (Extra credit for any story that makes the Star or other media outlet.)
• Utilizing Facebook and/or Twitter to post at least one of each of the following: 1) a promotional story of a specific marketing effort you are undertaking, 2) at least one customer thank you or other recognition, and 3) a response to a customer service issue. (Extra credit if you aren't on either of these media and you start an account on one or both.  Also extra credit if there are links to or feeds from your social media accounts on your website.)
• Claiming and updating your Google Places page (free)
• Creating and emailing a brief written description of your social media strategy for 2012.  Doesn't have to be long, but it should address the big four questions--What is your message? Who is your audience? What media will best deliver that message to your audience?  And lastly, how do you measure if it was effective?  (Extra credit if you can explain how social media efforts are to be coordinated with the rest of your marketing strategies.)

Think you're up for it?  Want to try it but you're not sure if you can do it or not?  Maybe you would just like to ask some questions about social media? Contact Neil Stechschulte at 608-825-0894 or nstechschulte[at]cityofsunprairie.com with any questions.

Watch for special events during the rest of 2011 to help interested businesses meet these goals.

I ask companies and businesses that would like to participate in the 100 day challenge to sign up by e-mailing me at the address above by Friday September 30th.

Successful businesses completing all four tasks will be featured on the blog for all of 2012, and will receive a special recognition from the City of Sun Prairie, and will be invited to participate in a photo shoot and press release in January 2012. An overall winner will be selected in January as Project 365's Business of the Year.  (I might even throw in donuts for a day at your place of work if you really knock this out of the park.)

Good luck!

Project 365 Continues to Expand its Reach and Influence (City of Sun Prairie Office of Economic Development)

Project 365 Now on Facebook and Twitter

In response to a growing interest in social media from local residents and businesses, Sun Prairie's Economic Development News Blog and Project 365 will now be accessible via Twitter and Facebook. Links to daily blog posts will be published on both social media sites. This will allow for even wider and faster access to news posts, including updates to the 151-Main St. Interchange construction project. These can be accessed at:

City of Sun Prairie's Project 365 on Facebook





Project 365 SP on Twitter (@SunPrairie365)





Other Sources for Project 365

The Project 365 blog feed is now carried by the following social media outlets:

The Star on Facebook
Sun Prairie Star Twitter
Ken Harwood's Wisconsin Development News
Neil Stechschulte's Profile on LinkedIn.com (for connections only)
Neil Stechschulte's Profile on LoopNet.com

National and Local Interest

Economic Development Director Neil Stechschulte has presented on Project 365 in two national webinars with Frontier Communications and GIS Planning (click here for the presentation). The Wisconsin State Journal featured Stechschulte and Project 365 as a part of their Executive Q&A. He has also spoken to multiple local businesses and organizations about the project and how they can participate. Project 365 is regularly being discussed and cited by economic development professionals around the country as a model application of blogging for economic development. Examples: See Strengthening Brand America's article titled "Make up Your Own Mind on the Role of Social Media," and the Economic Development Professionals group on LinkedIn: "How Important is it for an EDO to Have a Blog?"

Project 365 Approaches Half Way Point

Watch for an update of blog traffic statistics from Google Analytics on or around July 1st. It is also anticipated that July will feature stories and profiles on business park companies and other major employers.

Follow Sun Prairie Resident Trying to Buy a New Car Using Just Social Media (SocialPoser.com)

I’m Buying a 2011 Ford Explorer in Madison, WI. Who Wants my Business?

Link to the Full Blog Post: http://socialposer.com/im-buying-a-2011-ford-explorer-in-madison-wi-who-wants-my-business/

Blogger's Notes: Sun Prairie resident Collin Kromke is in the market for a new car. He already knows what he wants. He also knows how he wants to get it. Collin is using Twitter and Facebook to see what Ford dealers in the Madison area are actually using these social media to serve their customers. If they want the deal, its going to have to be made online using social media to negotiate it. Why? Because Collin takes his social media pretty seriously, as he is the Social Media Administrator and Marketer for American Family Insurance. And I think he just wanted to see what would happen.

He's had mixed but interesting results, including his first contact back being from a Ford dealer in Canada! Follow Collin's online adventures on any of the following media to see how this turns out:

Social Poser (Collin Kromke's blog): http://socialposer.com/
Twitter: @collin_k
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collin.kromke/posts/10150284810717349

Frontier Offers June 8 Webinar on How Companies Can Build a Successful Prescence on Facebook (Sun Prairie Star)

Frontier Offers June 8 Webinar

Link to Full Article: http://www.sunprairiestar.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=50&ArticleID=7587&TM=77162.98

Click here for more information or to register.

Putting Facebook to Work (Frontier Communications)

Putting Facebook to Work - Using Facebook to Build Your Business

A complimentary Webinar taking place on Wednesday, June 8 at 10 a.m. CDT.

Link to full event information and registration: http://frontiercentral.net/social/facebook/index.html