2009 National Main Streets Conference: Chicago, Illinois Engaging the Community with Social Networking

How ExperienceLA’s Use of Social Networking Promotes the Downtown Art Walk and Other Arts/Cultural Destinations and Events ExperienceLA Overview: Background Process ExperienceLA.com: Internet Marketing Case Study Emerging Use of Mobile Technology Example: Expanded ExperienceLA Downtown WiFi Downtown LA Art Walk, ExperienceLA, and Social Networking Tools Purpose

How ExperienceLA’s Use of Social Networking Promotes the Downtown Art Walk and Other Arts/Cultural Destinations and Events

ExperienceLA Overview:

Background

Process

ExperienceLA.com: Internet Marketing Case Study

Emerging Use of Mobile Technology

Example: Expanded ExperienceLA Downtown WiFi

Downtown LA Art Walk, ExperienceLA, and Social Networking Tools

A free public service Managed by Civic Resource Group, a technology firm focused on the public sector A unique partnership of public and private sponsors and over 2,000 actively contributing arts and cultural organizations Major Sponsors include: Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) Los Angeles County Arts Commission LA, Inc. (The Convention and Visitors Bureau) Metropolitan Transportation Authority Overview

A free public service

Managed by Civic Resource Group, a technology firm focused on the public sector

A unique partnership of public and private sponsors and over 2,000 actively contributing arts and cultural organizations

Major Sponsors include:

Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA)

Los Angeles County Arts Commission

LA, Inc. (The Convention and Visitors Bureau)

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Original ExperienceLA Goals Promote Arts, Culture and Communities Encourage the Use of Public Transit to Explore LA’s Cultural Diversity Stimulate Economic Activity Related to Cultural Tourism, Especially in Underserved Areas Establish the First Ever Official Cultural Calendar for the County of Los Angeles Phase II Goals Web 2.0 Marketing Interactive Mapping Mobile Device Platform Overview

Original ExperienceLA Goals

Promote Arts, Culture and Communities

Encourage the Use of Public Transit to Explore LA’s Cultural Diversity

Stimulate Economic Activity Related to Cultural Tourism, Especially in Underserved Areas

Establish the First Ever Official Cultural Calendar for the County of Los Angeles

Phase II Goals

Web 2.0 Marketing

Interactive Mapping

Mobile Device Platform

Process Public/Community Social Networking Tools Submit Destination Information Submit Event Information

Submit Destination Information

Submit Event Information

ExperienceLA.com: A Case Study E-marketing/Social Networking Weekly Email Newsletter Blogs RSS Feeds Social Networking with Communication, Multimedia, and Collaborative Tools Online Advertising Google Adwords Keyword Optimization and Web Analytics Case Study

ExperienceLA.com: A Case Study

E-marketing/Social Networking

Weekly Email Newsletter

Blogs

RSS Feeds

Social Networking with Communication, Multimedia, and Collaborative Tools

Online Advertising

Google Adwords

Keyword Optimization and Web Analytics

Integrating Print Collateral and Website Content Downtown Los Angeles: Keep It In Your Pocket Mobile Technology Increased use of mobile technology for internet access Example: ExperienceLA WiFi Case Study

Integrating Print Collateral and Website Content

Downtown Los Angeles: Keep It In Your Pocket

Mobile Technology

Increased use of mobile technology for internet access

Example: ExperienceLA WiFi

Weekly Email Newsletter Highlights upcoming events and occasionally destinations Serves to inform and remind people of local events Provides incentives such as Giveaways and Discounts Arts/Cultural Theme, but content is eclectic Leverages Social Networking Tools: “ Flickr Photo of the Week” Blog Highlights Links How to collect email addresses (opt-in) and send email newsletters Newsletter

Weekly Email Newsletter

Highlights upcoming events and occasionally destinations

Serves to inform and remind people of local events

Provides incentives such as Giveaways and Discounts

Arts/Cultural Theme, but content is eclectic

Leverages Social Networking Tools:

“ Flickr Photo of the Week”

Blog Highlights

Links

How to collect email addresses (opt-in) and send email newsletters

Blog Highlights events and destinations Drives people to the main site Provides personal perspective of a location or an event Can serve as an archive of past events May prompt people to attend an ongoing event Labels/Tags Leveraging Social Networking Tools: YouTube Videos Audio Interviews/Podcasts Twitter Feed Flickr Pictures AddThis Feature Blog

Blog

Highlights events and destinations

Drives people to the main site

Provides personal perspective of a location or an event

Can serve as an archive of past events

May prompt people to attend an ongoing event

Labels/Tags

Leveraging Social Networking Tools:

YouTube Videos

Audio Interviews/Podcasts

Twitter Feed

Flickr Pictures

AddThis Feature

RSS Feeds Stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and uses a technology called XML to deliver headlines and summaries to your desktop RSS reader or Web browser. Site features: “ What’s Hot in LA” ready-made feeds Closing Events Upcoming Events partner-specific feeds Organizations have an RSS feed of only their events customized feeds Users can customize the feed by region, event, etc. RSS

RSS Feeds

Stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and uses a technology called XML to deliver headlines and summaries to your desktop RSS reader or Web browser.

Site features:

“ What’s Hot in LA”

ready-made feeds

Closing Events

Upcoming Events

partner-specific feeds

Organizations have an RSS feed of only their events

customized feeds

Users can customize the feed by region, event, etc.

RSS Feeds – A Challenge of Education How to Set up an RSS Feed Tools: Google Reader, Google Desktop, Windows Gadgets, Yahoo Home Page, even Browsers Browsers may prompt for tools you already have in your system Click on RSS Symbol or “RSS” Button will take you to a page of instructions or prompt you for our reader Acts almost like an email, with a brief message and information on where you can read more RSS

RSS Feeds – A Challenge of Education

How to Set up an RSS Feed

Tools: Google Reader, Google Desktop, Windows Gadgets, Yahoo Home Page, even Browsers

Browsers may prompt for tools you already have in your system

Click on RSS Symbol or “RSS” Button will take you to a page of instructions or prompt you for our reader

Acts almost like an email, with a brief message and information on where you can read more

Social Networking Communication Blogging Twitter (microblogging) Communities (Myspace/Facebook/LinkedIn) Establishing and interacting with a network that associates with a brand/entity/organization Media Photos (Flickr) Video (YouTube) Podcasting (iTunes) Use of tags Individual User Searches Search Engines Flickr enables others in your network to tag your photos Using media as a form of marketing: show/share photos, video, audio Analytics Generally Available Social Networking

Social Networking

Communication

Blogging

Twitter (microblogging)

Communities (Myspace/Facebook/LinkedIn)

Establishing and interacting with a network that associates with a brand/entity/organization

Media

Photos (Flickr)

Video (YouTube)

Podcasting (iTunes)

Use of tags

Individual User Searches

Search Engines

Flickr enables others in your network to tag your photos

Using media as a form of marketing: show/share photos, video, audio

Analytics Generally Available

Social Networking (Cont.) Collaborative Opinion Websites (Yelp) Sharing Bookmarks (StumbleUpon, del.icio.us) Create Own Social Network or Tools Example: Google’s Friend Connect, Ning Mobile Phone Social Networking Applications Existing applications are now mobile Location-based applications optimized for mobile devices (ex. Loopt) Social Networking

Social Networking (Cont.)

Collaborative

Opinion Websites (Yelp)

Sharing Bookmarks (StumbleUpon, del.icio.us)

Create Own Social Network or Tools

Example: Google’s Friend Connect, Ning

Mobile Phone Social Networking Applications

Existing applications are now mobile

Location-based applications optimized for mobile devices (ex. Loopt)

Search Engines/Google AdWords Google Adwords Pay for key phrases and be shown as a sponsored link Link Exchanges Increase web presence through link exchanges in blogs, tagged photos, video and audio podcasts all assist in better placement on search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN Analytics Traffic Source/Audience Tracking Google Adword Campaigns and Analytics Tracking LA Live and Late Night Red Line campaigns Analytics

Search Engines/Google AdWords

Google Adwords

Pay for key phrases and be shown as a sponsored link

Link Exchanges

Increase web presence through link exchanges in blogs, tagged photos, video and audio podcasts all assist in better placement on search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN

Analytics

Traffic Source/Audience Tracking

Google Adword Campaigns and Analytics Tracking

LA Live and Late Night Red Line campaigns

Integrating Print Collateral and Website Content Example: Downtown Los Angeles: Keep It In Your Pocket Collaborative relationship between ExperienceLA and Lonely Planet Designed to be a pocket-size/hand-held guide Provides basic information about destinations and annual events in the Downtown Area Each element contains web links for more information Drives traffic back to the website Website content can always be updated content, even as guide information becomes outdated http://www.experiencela.com/guide Print & Web

Integrating Print Collateral and Website Content

Example: Downtown Los Angeles: Keep It In Your Pocket

Collaborative relationship between ExperienceLA and Lonely Planet

Designed to be a pocket-size/hand-held guide

Provides basic information about destinations and annual events in the Downtown Area

Each element contains web links for more information

Drives traffic back to the website

Website content can always be updated content, even as guide information becomes outdated

http://www.experiencela.com/guide

Mobile Technology There’s now increased use of laptops and handheld web-enabled mobile devices (e.g. iPhone) Example: ExperienceLA Wi-Fi Web Portals Originally Pershing Square Currently 16 blocks, expanding to 20+ Analytics shows that many are accessing through a mobile device such as an iPhone or a wifi-enabled iPod touch Need to consider the use of mobile technology in your use of websites and web tools Social Networking on mobile devices is the next big thing Mobile Technology http://wifi.experiencela.com/downtownla/

Mobile Technology

There’s now increased use of laptops and handheld web-enabled mobile devices (e.g. iPhone)

Example: ExperienceLA Wi-Fi Web Portals

Originally Pershing Square

Currently 16 blocks, expanding to 20+

Analytics shows that many are accessing through a mobile device such as an iPhone or a wifi-enabled iPod touch

Need to consider the use of mobile technology in your use of websites and web tools

Social Networking on mobile devices is the next big thing

Art Walk Example Submit Destination Information Submit Event Information Public/Community Downtown LA Bloggers Blogdowntown Angelenic LA Times Blog Laist Curbed LA Social Networking Tools ExperienceLA.com: Website, Calendar, RSS Feeds, Newsletter Destinations, Restaurants, Galleries

Submit Destination Information

Submit Event Information

Downtown LA Bloggers

Blogdowntown

Angelenic

LA Times Blog

Laist

Curbed LA