Next week (October 22nd – 28th), Maryland will honor Economic Development Week in Maryland. This is Maryland’s 7th annual celebration, and it’s an excellent opportunity for all of us to tell the story of what Economic Development is, why it’s so important, and the value it brings to the state.
If we celebrate life’s novelties like National Coffee Day and National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, why not also highlight the impact economic development has in fueling the economy, employing residents, and helping businesses thrive?
As an economic development professional, this is a beautiful opportunity to tell your story.
Participating in Economic Development Week will allow you to showcase your organization’s effectiveness and the importance of the community’s investment.
As a bonus, showcasing your work in this way can benefit your team when the time comes to justify your budget to elected officials.
What story do you have to tell? Paint the picture of the ways your organization has helped local businesses thrive. How has your organization supported business growth? These are the stories we want to hear!
Here are a few ways to tell your story:
- Utilize your local media and social media outlets. You can do this by identifying the influencers in your community to help tell the story. (i.e., Chambers of Commerce, members of your city council, local reporters, etc.)
- MEDA representatives tell the stories of Economic Development in Western Maryland on the WDVM local news.
- Record a Facebook Live during Economic Development Week or leading up to it.
- Incorporate the hashtag #EconDevWeek and use the tag @MEDAmd in your Tweets.
- Create social media graphics that promote economic development as an investment, the return on that investment for a community, and the impact that economic development makes in transforming lives, creating opportunities, inspiring innovation, and enriching communities.
- Write a letter to the editor and send it to your local newspaper.
- Write an op-ed piece talking about some of your recent successes, pitch a story idea about a new program or a program that has been effective in transforming lives in your community.
The point is not how you choose to tell your story, but that you just do it! Find a creative way to promote yourself and the economic development profession at any point from October 22-October 28.
Contact us or email me, and let me know your ideas for celebrating the power of economic development this week!
‘Til next time,
Sandy
