Social Media to Market Your City, Organization, or Yourself

Your Info On Line

You can publish your information on line for free. Social Marketing is a low cost and effective way to market your organization, business or yourself. You can:

1. Publicize your business
2. Promote your organization
3. Write your family history
4. Publish the great American novel
5. Tell the world about anything you would like to tell.

        All for FREE!! Such a Deal!!

There are many different ways to use the internet and social marketing to promote your business and organization. The following is one way.

You try to make your blog interesting to your intended reader. You can just have entries originated by you, but it will probably be more interesting if you add content from other similar web sites. It takes a little time to figure how to do it, but essentially you are linking other similar web sites, blogs, twitter, facebook, linkedin and other sites to your blog. As they write new content it appears on your site. My examples below:

Simple One Page Blog:


More Complex Blogs: 




First step? Create your Blog. For blogging I prefer blogger.com which is free and part of google, but there are numerous other free and low cost services. You can get up and blogging in a few minutes, although it will take some time to learn the tricks. Click on:


Start slow and easy - the blog below is my simple one entry blog.


You can write many blogs if you wish. You may wish to have one that is just your resume or brochure that does not change very often.  My example is:


The address of the blog is a little long. You can purchase a .com address to make the address easier to remember, and have it automatically forward to your blog. This costs about $75 for ten years from GoDaddy or Google or other sources. Examples below:




These are the addresses that I use for myself.





craighullinger@gmail.com


pinterest.com/Cityplanning



pinterest.com/hullingerc
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Façade Improvement Programs


Façade Improvement Programs:
Getting the Private Sector Involved in Downtown Revitalization

Authors: Craig Hullinger AICP and Diane Gormely-Barnes AICP

A Facade Improvement Program can be a cost effective method of encouraging private sector reinvestment in older commercial areas. A program will usually provide partial funding for appropriate facade improvements that both enhance the appearance of the building and contribute to the overall character of an historic commercial area or central business district (CBD), most often as part of a larger improvement program.

The Village of Tinley Park, Illinois undertook a transit-oriented development (TOD) plan in 1998 that was sponsored by the Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois (RTA). The RTA’s Regional Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) provided matching funds for the development of the plan. The TOD plan was essentially a downtown improvement plan, focusing on enhancements to the train station area within the historic commercial core of the community. The community planning process, led by the Chicago-based planning firm of Camiros, Ltd., resulted in recommendations to enhance the appearance and viability of the “Old Town” area along Oak Park Avenue, adjacent to the Metra station.

Train stations were the focus of many communities when rail transport was king. The CBD of Tinley Park developed around the train station, a stop on the famous Rock Island Line. Most businesses and homes were within easy walking distance of the train station. As the town grew and the auto became dominant, wider modern roads diverted traffic away from the historic commercial buildings adjacent to the train tracks. The station area declined in importance and became a minor center relative to the large commercial centers developed at the intersections of major roads elsewhere in Tinley Park. The Village became concerned about the deterioration of “Old Town” and also recognized that some of the buildings no longer exhibited a character appropriate for an historic area, due to modern era renovations.

The TOD plan included numerous proposed improvements to Metra facilities, and also many landscaping, streetscaping and marketing enhancements. The Village and Metra have moved aggressively to implement the public sector initiatives of the plan, and a number of improvements have been made or are underway. These include the removal of an unsightly water tower near the tracks, parking lot and sidewalk upgrades, installation of a plaza near the station to serve as a community gathering space and CBD focal point, and the ongoing construction of a new Metra station. A new mixed-use building containing retail space and condominiums is also under construction on a key site in the area.

A very important and effective part of the plan was the development of Façade Improvement Guidelines, and the preparation of several specific facade improvement concepts for high visibility buildings in the area. The Guidelines address three specific development types found in the station area: traditional commercial facades built up to the sidewalk, auto-oriented buildings set back from the street, and older residences that have been converted to business use. Each façade improvement concept included a detailed illustration of the potential future appearance of the façade, juxtaposed with a photograph of the existing condition of the building. The sketches provided an improvement recommendation that each building owner could pursue with an architect or directly with a general contractor, depending upon the scope of the proposed façade changes.

The Village of Tinley Park then developed and marketed a Façade Improvement Program for buildings in the CBD, beginning with building owners for whom the Village had proactively funded improvement concepts. Under the Program, the building owner hires an architect acceptable to the Village to design (or in these cases refine) a façade concept and estimate the cost of the improvements. Drawings are then submitted to the Village. If approved, the Village reimburses 
the building owner for up to 50% of the cost of the façade improvements.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Village staff used the facade improvement concepts in meetings with property owners, the business community, and developers. The sketches were very effective in developing interest in building improvements by the private sector. Several buildings in the immediate area of the train station have been attractively renovated and house thriving restaurants that are highly visible to passing Metra commuters, providing outdoor dining areas and substantial new downtown activity, jobs, and sales tax revenue.

A Facade Improvement Program is a low cost and effective way to attract quality investment to a community. The facade improvement concepts were a very important outgrowth of the TOD plan. They encouraged the active involvement of the private sector in area improvements. The improvements generated by the TOD plan and Facade Improvement Program jump-started a successful effort toward community revitalization.

The authors:

Craig Hullinger, AICP is a city planning consultant. He can be reached at: craighullinger@gmail.com


Diane Gormely-Barnes, AICP, AIA, LEED AP is currently a Principal Planner with HNTB Corporation in Chicago, Illinois. She was formerly a Senior Associate at Camiros, Ltd. She can be reached at dcbarnes@hntb.com.



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Economic Development and Redevelopment


City Economic Development and Redevelopment

Planning and Revitalization
Leave your community better than you found it



.
.      Economic Development is a critical component for any government.  You must seek to improve your community, both through quality new development and in the redevelopment of older or declining portions of your community.

       This on line book is frequently updated and revised. It will help you plan and revitalize your community.

      Read it on line - saving the environment.  It is free which saves you green. It is interactive - you can edit or write new content in the last chapters. Thank you for your review.


CHAPTER 
.
Click on the Chapter to Read
.
Introduction - Why Plan, When You Can React?
The Comprehensive Plan
The Economic Develoment Strategy
Post Recession Economic Development
Future Trends in Economic Development
Redevelopment Agreements
  
Citizen Leaders
Mayor
City Council / Village Board
Chairman Planning Commission / EDC 
Planning Commission / Economic Development Commission 
Citizens
Developers
Staff Leaders
Manager
Attorney
Planner / Economic Development Director
Public Works Director
Leadership
Development Programs

Retention, Expansion, and Attraction
Smart Growth
Sustainable Development
Economic Development Incentives
Facade Improvement Programs
Downtown Development
Akumni Housing
One Page Plans
Green Sculpture Park
OGM - Other Goverments Money
Gift Catalog
Social Marketing

Case Studies and Proposals
.
Tinley Park Convention Center and Hotel
Warehouse District Redevelopment City of Peoria
Tax Increment Financing in Peoria
Transit Oriented Development
Build America Now
Eagle View Industrial Development
References

New Chapters





ABOUT THE AUTHORS
.
Beth Ruyle is a Partner in Ruyle Hullinger and Associates. She was formerly a Financial Advisor with Ehlers and Associates, where she undertook a myriad of projects in fiscal strategic planning, economic development, intergovernmental programs and public finance. She previously served as the Director of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association for over twenty years. She led thirty eight municipalities in this Council of Governments in the development of plans and programs. Ruyle earned her Master Degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia.  Contact her at: 
309 966 1616
bethruyle@gmail.com  
Chuck Eckenstahler (AICP & CED Retired), semi-retired in 2008 from a 35-year career as an active full-time municipal planning, economic development and real estate consultant.  He helped originate and teaches economic development subjects in the Certificate in Economic Development Program offered by the Graduate School of Business at Purdue North Central, Westville, Indiana and also serves on the faculty of the Lowell Stahl Center for Commercial Real Estate Studies at Lewis University, Oakbrook Illinois. Contact him at:
219-861-2077
pctecken@comcast.net
http://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckeckenstahler




Craig Hullinger AICP has 35 years of experience in economic development, city planning, and transportation planning. He is a Partner in the consulting firm of Ruyle Hullinger and Associates. He was formerly the Economic Development Director of Peoria, the Director of Land Use for Will County, and the Village Manager of Olympia Fields, Minooka, and University Park. He is member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a Vietnam Veteran, and is a retired Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. Contact him at:
309 634 5557
Craighullinger@gmail.com
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Happy 4th of July

  1.  


    Independence Day (United States) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(United_States)

    Wikipedia
    Independence Day of the United States, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth in the U.S., is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the ...
    Mon, Jul 4
    The day in 1776 that the ...
    ‎Background · ‎Observance · ‎Customs · ‎Celebration gallery

    July 4th - Holidays - HISTORY.com

    www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th

    History
    On July 4th, the Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, from then on the4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence.





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Politics in America is a Good and Necessary Thing

From Professor Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball in a speech made at Monticello, VA welcoming new citizens.

I realize politics has a terrible reputation. Mention the word, and dark visions of corruption, bribery, and smoke-filled rooms are conjured up. I’ll grant you, the current presidential campaign certainly hasn’t helped the reputation of politics. How I would love to offer you some pointed commentary on that subject and our current candidates, but decorum on this day of unity prevents me. (Maybe at our picnic.)
Here’s a revolutionary thought for your Fourth: Politics in America is a good and necessary thing.
It’s the oil that greases the creaky machinery of government by encouraging responsiveness to public opinion.
It’s the glue that binds together a nation of continental expanse and stunning diversity -- unquestionably, the United States is the most diverse Republic on the face of the planet, as you here today prove, with concentrations on our shores of people from every other country around the globe.
Without liberal application of politics, the centrifugal forces and the discord generated by diversity might rip apart the fabric of our society.
Without skillful use of the political arts, how could we hope to make our system work when power is divided in so many ways, vertically with layers of national, state, and local governments, and horizontally with the separated powers of Congress, President, and Supreme Court?
Politics is simply the means we use to make our nation work, and to make our states and communities better places to live.
Your power as an individual citizen is awesome. You can shake things up by speaking up, starting a petition, organizing your neighbors, backing a candidate for office, or running yourself!
And voting, of course -- always, always voting. The choices may not be ideal from time to time, as the 2016 election demonstrates, but part of a citizen’s duty is to pick the best from a mixed lot. Good luck this November.
And get ready to vote frequently -- and I don’t mean for contestants on American Idol or voting people off the island. You’re going to be called on to vote for serious reasons several times each and every year. Primaries and general elections and special elections galore. Just be glad you’re in Virginia. We have a relatively short ballot. In California they elect so many offices and decide so many issues that voting is a part-time job!
By the way, if you want to quickly maximize your influence, just organize all your family and friends to vote. My late father was a first-generation Italian-American and a distinguished veteran of World War II. After the war he became something of an evangelist for democracy. Not only did he never miss an election, he carted many members of our extended family to the polls -- happily providing those who weren’t fully informed with a list of preferred candidates. The lesson is, you too can become a political boss with your own machine!
Your local registrars for the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle are right here with us. Talk about customer service. Before you leave these beautiful environs, be certain to register to vote.
Truth is, citizenship is hard work. You have to do your homework because mistakes can prove costly. You see our good friends across the pond, who made a decision on the European Union that millions are trying to take back, too late to save the value of the pound or maybe even the integrity of the United Kingdom. Judging by the large number of Brits googling “what is the European Union?” after they voted, it looks likely some electors didn’t know what they were doing, with enormous consequences.
The internet does make any voter’s task easier, though it’s critical to seek out the facts before casting a ballot. You also have to separate good from bad information. Here’s a tip. Ignore the shrill voices. You can safely skip any website or delete any tweet that is written in ALL CAPS.


http://www.centerforpolitics. org/crystalball
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Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it."


"In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is. I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer cottage, a hotel or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canyon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it."

                  Teddy Roosevelt




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Glacier National Park



Just finished driving corner to corner, Florida to Seattle.  Great trip, visited numerous National Parks including Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Glacier, and Banff.

More photos at ruhu12.com


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