Overview of Community Systems' first ever 13 course training on digital economic development, including websites, CRM systems, search engine marketing, Linkedin for economic development, and more.

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Smarter Software for Communities
February 24, 2015
ORIENTATION: DIGITAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT UNIVERSITY
HOW LEADING ECONOMIC
DEVELOPERS ARE
ENGAGING PROSPECTS,
INSPIRING THEIR
COMMUNITIES, AND
COLLABORATING WITH
THEIR TEAM IN NEW WAYS

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Agenda for the Orientation Session
1. Trends Affecting Digital Economic
Development Today
2. Who are Digital Economic Developers?
3. Why Take This Course?
4. You’ll be Building as You Learn
5. About Community Systems’ Digital
Economic Development University
6. About Community System’s Faculty
7. What will happen if you don’t take this
course?
8. What are your alternatives?
9. Types of Certifications
10. Cost for Certification
11. Course Schedule
12. How to Sign up
13. Awarding Scholarships

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Smarter Software for Communities
Our World View the Last 10 Years:

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The internet is accessed from a
computer (desktop or laptop)
90+%
OF LOCATION
DECISIONS
START ONLINE

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Key Trend 1: The Way People Are
Accessing The Internet Is Not Just
Through Websites Anymore

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When the internet started, people
thought of it like this, and organizational
websites were the rule

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Mobile is just the beginning of a larger
trend: Over the next decade, websites
will be one part of the internet of things

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Smarter Software for Communities
Key Trend 2: The Next Most Important
Market For ED Has Grown Up With
Mobile And Social As The Norm

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Further, Millennials will dominate
markets over the next 10 years, and
consume content in this paradigm

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Key Trend 3: The United States Will
Not Be The World’s Biggest Economy
For Much Longer (<5 Years)

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And, the United States will not be the
world’s largest market in 2020

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Key Trend 4: The Internet Has Been
Colonized By Large, Well Capitalized
Portals Who Are Changing the Game

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With 5 million unique visits a month and the largest
database of properties, LoopNet dominates CRE listings.
In the last 10 years, vertical specific
portals have “carved out” large swaths
of content
With the worlds largest database of hotels, attractions
and third party reviews, Trip Advisor dominates tourism
online.
With 67 million local businesses in Yelp, and 86,000
active “claimed” accounts, Yelp connects people with
local businesses such as restaurants, bars, and more.
With 300+ million professional users, LinkedIn is the de-
facto portal for professional, B2B connections.
With 1 billion+ individual users, Facebook is quickly
becoming the personal identity management engine for
the internet.

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Because LoopNet will not share data with us, perhaps
we can share data with them, as a marketing strategy.
We learned with Location Link not to compete with
LoopNet.
Opportunity: EDOs can leverage and
partner with these portals through APIs
A tourism website without Trip Advisor review and listings
integration can’t compete. Our tourism products must
feature Trip Advisor integration.
Yelp can provide lots of local context for visitors and
location decision makers. We should consume and map
their listings and ratings.
LinkedIn is a key lead generation tool for location
decision makers and can provide great context for
companies.
Within tourism, Facebook and Instagram are essential
marketing tools to reach potential tourists.

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Smarter Software for Communities
Who are Digital Economic Developers?

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What do Digital Economic
Developers Have in Common?
1. Want to lead social/professional change (Innovators)
2. The willingness to see the future (Visionaries)
3. Limited budgets (Pragmatists)

17. 17CEO/Executive
Name:
Wendi Nafziger
Organization:
Longmont EDC
Digital Systems Managed:
• Longmont EDC Website
• Longmont CRM System
• Longmont Property Database
• Longmont Email
• Longmont Social Media
Digital Interactions in
September:
• 627 Website Visits
• 142 Properties
• 38 Contacts
• 35 Property Searches
Website
Total Interactions:
665
Daily Average:
33
Number of Staff:
3
September 2014
Email
Marketing
Social
Media

18. 18Business Developer
Name:
Sam Bailey
Organization:
Colorado Office of Economic
Development and Int. Trade
Digital Systems Managed:
• State of Colorado Online Property
Database, containing 18,600
available properties
• State of Colorado Prospect
Response System, used to
manage and 200 + partners
Digital Interactions in
September:
• 1,900+ property searches
• 2-3 projects entered
• 600+ partner communications
Total Interactions:
2,500
Daily Average:
200+
Number of Staff:
5+
September 2014
GIS
System
CRM
System
Digital
Proposals

19. 19Marketer
Name:
Irene Alvarez
Organization:
Columbus 2020
Digital Systems Managed:
• Columbus 2020 Website
• Columbus 2020 Email
• Columbus 2020 Social Media
Digital Interactions in
September:
• 15,000+ Website Visits
• 30+ Email Signups
• 600+ Files Downloaded
• 4873 Twitter Followers
Total Interactions:
20,000
Daily Average:
1,000
Number of Staff:
19
September 2014
Website
Email
Marketing
Social
Media

20. 20Researcher
Name:
Neil Hamilton
Organization:
Metro Orlando EDC
Digital Systems Managed:
• Metro Orlando EDC Website
• Metro Orlando EDC Data Collection,
Storage, Analysis, and Reporting)
• Metro Orlando EDC Property
Database of 300+ properties
Digital Interactions in
September:
• 4,000+ website visits
• 300+ report downloads
• 1,000 property searches
Total Interactions:
5,000+
Daily Average:
250
September 2014
Number of Staff:
26
Website
National
Data
Websites
GIS
Systems

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Why Take this Course?
Every day, 90+% of site selection decisions, even in your own community, start
online. As economic development budgets and staff time is stretched even
thinner, EDOs face the prospect of not being able to service companies that
are considering their area right now, or watch as companies in their area
decide to move elsewhere without them even knowing.
The solution to these challenges is to develop a High Performing Economic
Development Website and related digital tools.
But how is this
accomplished cost
effectively?

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You’ll be Building as You Learn
All participants in the certification track will receive a reduced cost website,
content management system, GIS property database, and CRM system to
use during the course, and keep after being certified. Further, all current
users/customers will be able to attend the sessions to build on their current
systems at no cost, and license new software at the same reduced rate. It
is the lowest cost way to get all three systems, period.
Content Management System Web Analytics Prospect Response System
Business Retention
Portal
Geographic Information Systems

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About Community Systems’ Digital Economic
Development University
Community Systems Digital Economic Development University is the first
of its kind: A program specially designed to put the skills economic
developers need to compete in today’s digital age in the hands of
economic developers at the lowest cost possible. The courses consist of
13 90-minute webinars, delivered online and recorded for future use, that
are only open to participating communities.
All communities that participate gain access to the courses, as well as the
recordings. Communities that commit to the certification track also work
during the courses to create their own website, guided by our instructors,
for as little as the course fees plus a $1,000 fee.
There is simply no other way to gain access to the skills and tools
available than in these trainings.

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About Community Systems’ Digital Economic
Development University Faculty
Community Systems’ instructors are senior staff of Atlas Advertising and
Community Systems, and have achieved some of the economic
development industry’s highest ratings while teaching for the International
Economic Development Council, Georgia Tech Innovation Institute,
Economic Development Association of Canada, and dozens of state
association conferences.
Faculty will be joined by expert speakers in each of the key subject areas
as needed.
Ben Wright
CEO,
Community Systems
Atlas Advertising
benw@communitysys.com
www.twitter.com/communitys
ys
Guillermo Mazier
Director, Strategic Accounts
Atlas Advertising
guillermo@atlas-advertising.com

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What are your alternatives to taking this course?
1. Pay costly consultants to do this work for you
2. Spend as much as the entire course (and tools) in traveling to take
specialized training courses from the same instructors teaching the
courses here
3. Take additional staff time to work through what we have learned in 20+
years in the digital economic development industry
4. Wing it and hope that no one in your community holds you accountable
for doing so.

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Types of Certifications
1. Certified Digital EDO: Given to an entire EDO, this certification signifies that
your entire organization has the skills to compete in the digital world, including
marketing, business development, research, and more.
2. Certified Digital Marketer: Given to an individual, this certification signifies
that you have the core skills to market, generate leads, and increase digital
engagement with your community using a wide range of digital tools.
3. Certified Digital Business Developer: Given to an individual, this
certification signifies that you have the core skills to recruit and retain
companies, convert leads, and advance deals in your community using a
wide range of digital tools.
4. Certified Digital Researcher: Given to an individual, this certification
signifies that you have the core skills to generate relevant property,
demographic, and business data, along with the analytics and leads data to
help the organization drive results, engage prospects, and more, using a wide
range of digital tools

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Requirements for Certification
1. Certified Digital EDO: Given to an entire EDO. To become a Certified Digital
Community, have one of your organization’s members attend all 13 sessions,
and complete your economic development website, GIS system, and CRM
system by the conclusion of the courses in the fall of 2015
2. Certified Digital Marketer: Complete four or more of the digital marketing
courses offered in 2015
3. Certified Digital Business Developer: Complete four or more of the digital
business development courses offered in 2015
4. Certified Digital Researcher: Complete four or more of the digital researcher
courses offered in 2015

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Costs for Certification
1. Certified Digital EDO: Attending all courses: $1,200
– All Certified Digital EDOs get their own license of Community Systems’
Atlas One Software Suite
– For use during the courses: $0
– To launch the website after it is complete: $1,000, one-time launch fee
– Discounted software, hosting, and data fees depend on community size:
1. $100 per month for communities smaller than 100,000
2. $250 per month for communities between 100,000 and 1,000,000
3. $500 per month for communities over 1,000,000
2. Certified Digital Marketer: Attending four courses: $400
3. Certified Digital Business Developer: Attending four courses: $400
4. Certified Digital Researcher: Attending four courses: $400

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Course Schedule

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How to Sign Up
http://communitysys.com/Webinar/Digital-ED-University-Registration.aspx

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What You Will Get: Skills and Tools that Drive the
World’s Best Economic Development Websites,
Supported by Your Entire Organization
Website
Analytics
CRM, Prospect
Responses
GIS and Data
Management
Business
Retention

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Q+A

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Smarter Software for Communities
All Current Atlas Advertising and
Community Systems Customers attend
Free of Charge

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Smarter Software for Communities
Awarding Scholarships for Small
Communities (4)

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Ben Wright
720.420.3800 x210
benw@communitysys.com
929 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
www.communitysys.com
Thank you and stay in touch!
Smarter Software for Communities