If Kansas Can, Dakota Can!

A few days ago, the issue of marketing rural communities was brought to the table. Many South Dakota communities are diminishing because they are losing people, jobs, and businesses all together. However, it is not just South Dakota communities that are suffering. Other states have the same problem.

Kansas is a great example. Not too long ago, Kansas was having the exact same problem that we are having here in South Dakota. Small towns did not have the resources to market themselves properly and they were slowly but surely dying down. That’s when the Kansas Sampler Foundation stepped in.

According to kansassampler.org, the Kansas Sampler Foundation is a public, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization who’s mission is to preserve, sustain, and grow rural culture by educating Kansans about Kansas and by networking and supporting rural communities. The group provides everything from educational classes to personal consultations. They have a festival every year that lets entrepreneurs sell their own Kansas made products, home-grown entertainers perform, and the history of many communities is shared.

A branch off of the KSF is the We Kan! The We Kan! network is for people working to keep their communities vibrant. Also, a list of contacts for each rural community is being established. The group is primarily made up of 17-35 year olds who are interested in making their communities better places. They are called “rural voice contacts.” The KSF will use the list of names to contact each community about improvement efforts, along with special events coming up and the details  for small communities to network with each other.

This small Kansas organization has grown to be a vital part of life in the state. If Kansas can, South Dakota can, too!

Market Your Community!

Why do we always hear of people moving to Sioux Falls, Watertown, or Rapid City? Even if someone has a job in a rural community, they tend to live in a more urban area and commute to their work destination everday. Small towns could be growing at a rapid rate, but instead they are declining.

The University of Nebraska Lincoln recently composed a survey to discover ways to attract new residents to smaller communities. The study is full of interesting observations, as well as some shocking details.

The first major focus of the survey seems to be finding out the influences of recruitment. You might think these would be job opportunities or maybe family. However, one of the highest listed options chosen is a community website. Many people surf the web in hope of finding that perfect little piece of heaven where they can start a family.

“What would influence retention?” When respondents were asked this question, a wide variety of responses were recorded. The most popular response was “individual job and career enhancement.” This isn’t surprising, is it? Everyone wants to move up in the world. It makes sense to move to a community where you can climb your career ladder.

The #2 highest response is particularly interesting.  It states that people want to live in a community with a “clear, positive community vision.” You may be thinking, “Well, my community DOES have a positive vision!!” However, how do out-of-towners see this? This goes back to marketing. If you share your vision of the community with others in a positive, attractive, easily accessible manner, perhaps they will want to take a peak for themselves.

Your small community may not have a big city skyline or thousands of companies to advance in, but it does have the most important tool to attract newcomers. People. If you love where you live, talk to everyone you know about it. A flashy website may not be an option for all neighborhoods, but the residents can make connections.  Think of creative marketing methods. In order to save your little town from dying down, it’s okay to brag! Work as a team and spread the word!

As UNL stated, “The community is a ‘product’ to newcomers. There is a need to sell it or market it.”

~Post by Angela Kjenstad