The document discusses the Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD) and its use of social media. The ICDD is a self-supported metropolitan improvement district that supports businesses in downtown Iowa City. It uses social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to market events, share business news, gain feedback and recognition, and direct people to its website. Downtown businesses also use social media for free marketing, sales, building relationships and gaining customer reach. The document outlines the goals and challenges of using social media for both the ICDD and local businesses.

1. THE ICDD & SOCIAL
MEDIA
Presented to Social Media Boot Camp
04.2.2014
By Betsy Potter, Director of Operations

2. IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
 Self-Supported Metropolitan Improvement District (SSMID)
 Iowa City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport & others
 Business Improvement District (BID)
 1,000 + BIDs and spreading internationally
 Self-imposed and self-governing

3. ICDD ROLE
 Support a geography stay competitive in a dynamic
marketplace (nexus)
 Policy, planning, the built environment, marketing,
programming, business attraction & retention
 Non-profit 501c(6)
 Started in 2012 for a 4 year term, reauthorize by 2016
 Tax rate of $2 / $1,000 of taxable value of the property
 Budget = $550,000 of which $280,000 is from the SSMID tax

4. WHAT DOES THE ICDD DO?
 A private, not for profit, downtown management organization
 Represents all property and business owners within the ICDD
boundaries
 Undertakes programs to:
 Improve downtown’s image
 Strengthen its economic base
 Increase its attractiveness
 Support business owners interests
 Be a constant advocate all of downtown
 Assure that it’s clean, safe and accessible

5. ICDD Facts
 Geographic Boundary
 2 Neighborhoods
 Approximately 335
Businesses / Orgs
 145 Property Owners
 Over 1.8 million sf of
commercial space
 NORTHSIDE
MARKETPLACE
 DOWNTOWN
 UI CAMPUS
 IOWA RIVER

9. DOWNTOWN PROGRAMS
 Security
 Parking
 Promotional Special Events
 Community Gallery Art Program
 Marketing and Communications

10. ICDD MISSION &
GOALS
To champion the Iowa City Downtown
District as a progressive, healthy, and
culturally vibrant urban center of the region.

11. ICDD’S SOCIAL MEDIA
@ICDowntown
/Iowa City Downtown District
downtowniowacity
/ICDD

12. GOALS OF ICDD’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Use the advantages of constant connectivity of social
media to:
 Educate the public and our business members
about Downtown issues
 Create a buzz about upcoming special events
 Get to know our demographics
 Spread our successes
 Gain feedback
 Support our business members

13. POLICIES ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA
 Create strategic partnerships
 Integration
 Create content that is worth seeing
 Use consistent handles, emails etc.
 Be human
 Stay open to messaging & feedback
 Do not use social media as a constant sales catalog

14. DIFFERENT PURPOSE FOR
EACH NETWORK
@ICDowntown
/Iowa City Downtown District
downtowniowacity
/ICDD

15. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
TO SUPPORT OUR
BUSINESSES
 Sharing
 Tagging
 Linking

16. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
TO MARKET & SELL

17. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
TO GAIN BRAND
RECOGNITION

18. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
TO LEARN ABOUT
OUR AUDIENCE

19. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
GAGE WHAT IS
WORKING

20. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
AND WHAT IS NOT

21. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
TO RECOGNIZE
SUPPORTERS,
SPONSORS
AND PARTNERS

22. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
TO MAKE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 CLOSURES
 DEADLINES
 PRESS RELEASES
 NOTICES

23. ICDD USES SOCIAL MEDIA
TO DIRECT THEM
TO OTHER
INFORMATION
SOURCES
 Website
 Events Calendar
 Newsletter

24. HOW DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES
USE SOCIAL MEDIA

25. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
TO DIRECT
CUSTOMERS TO
THEIR WEBSITES

26. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
INSTEAD OF A WEBSITE

27. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
FOR FREE
MARKETING &
ANNOUNCEMENTS

28. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
AS A CATALOG OF
INVENTORY

29. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH CUSTOMERS

30. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
FOR SALES

31. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
TO GAIN A
LARGER, FUR
THER
REACHING
CUSTOMER
BASE

32. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
TO CREATE A BUZZ
 Show behind the scenes
 Give insider information
 Host contests

33. BUSINESSES USE SOCIAL MEDIA
FOR FEEDBACK

34. CHALLENGES TO BUSINESS
SOCIAL MEDIA
 Facebook business pages are much different
 Gaining followers
 Turning social media interest into sales
 Creating constant relative content

35. THANK YOU!