As a lifelong Spartanburg native, I've seen our city change and evolve over the years. I recall seeing the Carolina Panthers first practicing on Wofford's campus. I remember the excitement of watching the construction of a modern and beautiful downtown hotel. And as a an outdoor enthusiast and biker, I was stoked when we came together to establish our city's B-Cycle bike-sharing program.
Businesses, universities, restaurants and community groups have recognized our town's potential, too. Main Street has almost never been as vibrant. Roads, trails and parks are being revitalized. University and colleges continue to recruit more and more students. And several international corporations are now proud to call the city home.
Countless programs, opportunities and improvements have graced our city over the years, but almost nothing has excited me more than the progress we've shared over the past few.
While our city has transformed over the last handful of years, the landscape of marketing and interactive strategy has as well. In this same time, smartphones have become ubiquitous; everyone (and their mothers) have joined Facebook; websites have moved from serving as static brochures to engaging and compelling platforms for communicating.
In fact, recent research from Forrester indicates that 25% of all marketing budgets will be spent on interactive strategies in 2014. That's a big chunk of change and it should have huge implications for a beloved hometown. If our local establishments want to continue to thrive and grow, they're going to have to consider how the internet –from their online digital storefront, to their blog posts and latest tweets, can attract the right visitors and close sales once they're there.
For organizations to grow and succeed in this newly charted digital landscape, they need to evaluate their current online presences, establish interactive plans, and devote the resources of both time and money to becoming and remaining relevant online, not just today but also in the future.
Ready to see what investing in interactive marketing can improve your bottom line and our city's future as well? Send us a message and let's chat – at a local restaurant, of course!
A-LINE loves our city's boutiques, eateries, retail establishments, banks, non profits, and universities. And as a local marketing agency, we can't wait to help even more of them thrive.
