Why Rural Economic Developers Need a Marketing Strategy—And What Happens Without One
17 Feb 2025
News
The Risk of Marketing Without a Plan
Many rural communities struggle to attract business investment, site selectors, and workforce talent–not because they lack opportunity, but because they don’t have a clear economic development marketing strategy.
We’ve seen it happen time and time again. Economic developers in rural America rely on one-off marketing efforts, outdated websites, and word-of-mouth to promote their communities. But site selectors, businesses, and job seekers are making decisions based on what they find online.
Without a proactive economic development strategy, rural communities risk being overlooked for investment, losing workforce talent, and struggling to compete with larger regions.