Grant from Iowa Tourism Office to elevate digital marketing for Manning – Carroll Daily Times Herald

In the hope to strengthen tourism, the City of Manning recently received a statewide grant amounting to $9,100.

Earlier this month, the Iowa Tourism Office announced awarding $398,800 in Iowa Tourism Grants to 45 organizations throughout the state.

The program aims to fund tourism-related marketing initiatives, meetings and events that benefit both local economies and the state’s economy.

The City of Manning was one of the recipients of the grants for a project focused on digital marketing. 

According to a news release, the Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, working closely with community partners, attractions and events, to promote the state’s scenery and history.

Shelly Greving, a member of the Hotel/Motel tax committee for Manning, said the group is involved with the Iowa Tourism organization, attending their regional and statewide meetings, webinars and conferences.

After applications for the grant became available in August, Greving said it closed in September. It wasn’t until Nov. 20 when the committee learned about receiving the money.

There are multiple facets to the project, Greving said. For starters, she said they will be developing a digital marketing plan outlining all of the digital marketing efforts deployed from the city’s tourism organizations.

One of these components includes an e-newsletter for Manning, which is known as “Manning Minute.” The newsletter, which comes out every other month, highlights current happenings and upcoming events in the Manning area.

With this funding, Greving said the committee will be expanding to an electronic version and distribution of the newsletter. 

Another part of the project is an online platform called Localhood, which is developed by CrowdRiff that helps connect content creators with travel destinations. 

In terms of enhancing Manning, Greving said they’re using the platform to create searchable reels through Google highlighting spots and activities in the city. 

Ever since the pandemic, Greving said people’s travel habits have changed, often looking for affordable family vacations, authentic experiences and memorable moments.

“We believe we have all of that right here in Manning, so using digital marketing helps us to reach more people who may not have even heard about our community and hopefully entice them to come visit,” 

For a small town like Manning, Greving said digital marketing is important. Through this avenue, Greving said it levels the playing field when competing with bigger communities or attractions.

“We believe we have all of that right here in Manning, so using digital marketing helps us to reach more people who may not have even heard about our community and hopefully entice them to come visit,” Greving said. 

As a few examples of bringing tourists to Manning, Greving mentioned the local family restaurant Cliff’s Place, which won best tenderloin from the Iowa Pork Producers, the Manning Hausbarn Heritage Park, the Charters of Freedom display and the local businesses which won ‘Best of Carroll County’ accolades. 

“This effort will bridge the gap in reaching people who are unfamiliar with Manning and help them to see opportunity to visit, and possibly even stay a day, a week, or a lifetime,” Greving said. 

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