RPN Today - S1E7 - First Impressions Online

Russell Shaffer Author

04/17/2023 Added

12 Plays

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There’s an old saying that you don’t know your own backyard. Referring to tourist attractions, the adage conveys a common belief that New Yorkers never go to Times Square, and Arizonans never visit the Grand Canyon. Whether that’s true or not, hometowns often feel so familiar that residents don’t consider what impressions they give to outsiders. First Impressions Online, Rural Prosperity Nebraska’s newest community development program, gives people a view of their own backyard.

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[00:00:00.068](upbeat music)
[00:00:15.720]It's easy to think of our hometowns
[00:00:17.220]as nothing special.
[00:00:18.870]The tree line neighborhoods and quaint main streets
[00:00:20.910]become so commonplace and we often forget
[00:00:23.400]our communities actually have a unique culture to share.
[00:00:27.180]But First Impressions Online,
[00:00:29.040]Rural Prosperity Nebraska's
[00:00:30.510]newest community development program,
[00:00:32.880]helps remind Nebraskans what makes their towns stand out.
[00:00:36.420]We go through and we look at a community online.
[00:00:40.050]And we go through a survey.
[00:00:41.310]There's a lot of questions that you go through.
[00:00:43.260]We have one person do it on the phone
[00:00:44.700]and one person do it on the computer.
[00:00:46.440]The results are different between a phone and a computer.
[00:00:49.740]So we go through this questionnaire, get the results,
[00:00:52.860]and then give those results back to the community.
[00:00:55.290]Because search engine algorithms change
[00:00:57.360]depending on search history,
[00:00:59.310]it matters that the survey is conducted
[00:01:01.110]by people who don't live in town.
[00:01:03.900]The survey guides researchers
[00:01:05.400]through your community online to see what comes up.
[00:01:08.550]York recently met with Rural Prosperity Nebraska
[00:01:11.130]extension educator, Maria Cantu Hines,
[00:01:14.130]to review the results
[00:01:15.240]of their First Impressions Online report.
[00:01:17.550]It was very enlightening
[00:01:18.960]and we learned some very specific first steps to take.
[00:01:26.610]So we got some impressions,
[00:01:28.470]and then there were very specific conversations
[00:01:32.156]right after the results that we could pick up
[00:01:35.580]and talk about some good next steps to take.
[00:01:38.910]The First Impressions Online in-person meeting
[00:01:41.550]is not an accountability session
[00:01:43.560]for how good or bad a community looks online.
[00:01:46.830]It's simply a snapshot of search results.
[00:01:49.560]I thought it was very eye-opening.
[00:01:52.230]We definitely noticed we were surprised
[00:01:54.930]on the lack of the chambers presence through those searches.
[00:01:59.760]It gave us a lot of work to do.
[00:02:01.950]Also gave us some good outside information
[00:02:05.490]that we can use as we work with our businesses
[00:02:08.460]to strengthen their presence online and in the community.
[00:02:12.810]Establishing a strong online presence
[00:02:15.000]isn't just about getting hits,
[00:02:17.010]it's about portraying Nebraska communities
[00:02:19.320]in an accurate way that showcases their unique qualities,
[00:02:23.340]proving that while the state may not be for everyone,
[00:02:26.250]there is at least something for everyone here.
[00:02:29.280]First Impressions Online is the first step in doing that.
[00:02:32.310]We have some great groundwork
[00:02:35.460]for some lunch and learn opportunities
[00:02:37.470]for our shared memberships.
[00:02:40.050]Coming up in May,
[00:02:41.040]a small business week in economic development week,
[00:02:43.170]and we think that this would be a great launchpad for that.
[00:02:47.550]I feel more energized
[00:02:48.690]in fact that I think we are doing well,
[00:02:51.090]but we can always do better.
[00:02:52.260]So it just gives us that energy
[00:02:53.760]and a little more direction to focus that energy.
[00:02:57.210]I would recommend the process,
[00:02:58.860]and I would recommend that the business community
[00:03:03.900]be a part of the conversation as well.
[00:03:06.600]So it would be very interesting to think about
[00:03:09.420]how to incorporate them more in the learning process.
[00:03:13.440]I think we will now do that as our next step.
[00:03:16.351](upbeat music continues)

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RPN Today - S1E7 - First Impressions Online

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