Discover Southwest Iowa
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Discover Southwest Iowa *
Where Community, Meets Adventure
Are You Ready to Experience the Heartbeat of Southwest Iowa?
Imagine exploring hidden gems, savoring local flavors, and uncovering small-town charm right here in our community. Our brand-new YouTube series is your invitation to discover the vibrant tourism scene of Southwest Iowa like never before.
The Challenge:
Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities but often lack resources for essential video marketing. Without visibility, they miss potential visitors and revenue.
The Opportunity:
Every episode brings together two passionate local business owners who guide viewers on intimate, behind-the-scenes tours of their establishments. From iconic orchards such as Ditmars Orchard in Council Bluffs to welcoming family farms and delightful boutiques, each story is designed to captivate, inform, and inspire community pride.
Our Solution:
We bridge this gap through community investment, harnessing grant funding, local business sponsorships, and viewer support to produce impactful storytelling. With an initial investment of around $50,000 per year, we aim to rapidly grow our channel, amplifying the visibility of local businesses and driving tourism to Southwest Iowa.
Additionally, sponsoring businesses will receive:
Social Media Recognition: Your business will be tagged in posts related to episodes you sponsor.
Short-Form Content: Customized shorter videos highlighting your commitment to the community, perfect for sharing on your own social media channels. Each piece will also encourage your audience to become part of our growing community.
We are actively seeking a Title Sponsor from the business community. Title Sponsors will receive premier recognition across all series content, ensuring maximum visibility.
All grant-awarding organizations or contributors will also receive clear attribution in our content, highlighting their critical role in bringing this project to life.
Our Strategy:
We believe collaboration is key to growing tourism and business success throughout Southwest Iowa. Our approach includes:
Media Looping: Episodes may strategically bounce between our YouTube channel and channels managed by local tourism groups, chambers of commerce, and business associations. This cross-promotion helps everyone involved gain followers and reach new audiences.
Collaborative Promotion: Partnering closely with tourism organizations and chambers across the region to ensure our content amplifies existing efforts, creating cohesive, mutually beneficial marketing opportunities.
Community Building: By actively promoting engagement and interaction across multiple social and digital platforms, we create a dynamic and interconnected local tourism ecosystem.
Cross-Channel Growth: By leveraging media looping, we encourage viewers to subscribe and engage with multiple YouTube channels and platforms, creating a cohesive digital network that fosters community-wide collaboration and audience growth.
Sustainable Growth:
Our forward-thinking vision leverages ongoing business sponsorships and YouTube AdSense revenue to ensure the longevity of the series. By partnering with us today, you become part of a sustainable model that continually reinvests in local businesses, tourism, and our community's growth.
Why YouTube
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Why YouTube *
84% of urban adults and 74% of rural adults use YouTube
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, after Google
70% of YouTube viewers say the platform helps them learn more about a brand or product before buying, which is crucial for local service discovery
YouTube subscribers tend to be more engaged and loyal, regularly returning to watch new content. Unlike Facebook or Instagram followers, who often appear and disappear
88% of YouTube travel searches focus on specific destinations
Almost half of all travelers (about 50%) use online video in some form before deciding on a travel destination
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, after Google
Kids aged 2–11 watched three times more YouTube content than Disney+
Storytelling Examples
It’s hard to find an exact example, because we don’t have this in our community, but I can show you some amazing storytellers who have inspired this idea.
Story Telling By Locals.
Hear from real people in a longer format about why they love living in their community. This is where we pair up a business owner to be the host of the show and guide us through our local community. Imagine Blake Hunter taking us on a tour through Ditmar’s Orchard with his family.
Short Form Content.
There is still a great need to post on the other social platforms and create shareable content for various locations. Imagine this for Hitchcock, Botna Bend, or Pony Creek.
Feature The Entire Town
Budget needs may dictate how many videos are needed, but we can cover an entire town with just one video. We can cover business, history, and pique the interest of many.
Educational Components.
Why wouldn’t we take the opportunity to hear from our museums, teachers, and keepers of local history?
Kyle Ranney
Kyle Ranney
Todd Studer
Todd Studer
Matthew O'Brien
Matthew O'Brien
Who We Are:
This initiative is proudly crafted by a talented collective of local creators, including web designers, videographers, photographers, YouTubers, content creators, and other marketing agencies, all passionately dedicated to showcasing Southwest Iowa.
Ready Take Action?
Join us in celebrating and promoting the best of Southwest Iowa.
Businesses: Gain unmatched exposure and community connection.
Sponsors: Invest in meaningful stories that directly uplift our region.
Viewers: Discover new local adventures and support your neighbors.
Together, let's write the next chapter for Southwest Iowa—one vibrant story at a time.