INVESTMENT PROMOTION Websites and social media 7-Investment...KEY TO RELEVANT WEBSITE CONTENT 1....

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INVESTMENT PROMOTION

Websites and social media

Workshop on Promotion and Facilitation of Foreign Direct Investment for

Sustainable Development in Uzbekistan,

Tashkent, 20-21 December 2017

Investment promotion tools: websites and

social media

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

WHERE INVESTORS (CLIENTS) MEET

GOVERNMENTS (IPAS): INVESTMENT PROMOTION

• Information & Sales Packs

• Investment plans

• Policies and incentives

• Procedures and

requirements

• Progress and achievements

• Create awareness

Image Building

•Advertizing and PR

• Information & Marketing

•Missions & Events

• Company targeting

• Company visits

• Follow-up

Lead Generation and Targeting • Information provision

•Assistance with contacts

•One-stop-shop services

•Assessment of manpower,,

Infrastructure service needs

• Follow-up

Investor Servicing

• Continued “account

executive attention”

• “Ombudsman” role and

trouble-shooting function

• Follow-up on manpower,

infrastructure, service needs

Aftercare and Policy Advocacy

Phase 1

Implementation

Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5

Strategic AssessmentLocation Screening,

modeling & benchmarkingCost comparison Site Evaluations

Site visits

Journals

Newspapers

Brochures

Trade shows

1990 LOCATION SELECTION PROCESS

SIX MONTHS

2013 LOCATION SELECTION PROCESS

– ARE YOU BEING FOUND?

85% of initial search = Internet

EIGHT WEEKS

Detailed info

Services

� The main purpose of a website is to:

– Educate and inform – providing key information that investors need

– Market – promote your location and the services you offer to potential investors

– Support function - deal with investor requests via email, phone and feedback

– Support business - providing support information for an Investor application or business process

– Community - building a forum or community that Investors use to share ideas, experiences, issues, etc

WEBSITE USE AND PURPOSE

� In general, IPAs have found that excessively elaborate materials are

less effective than updated and accurate information

� It is more important for investors to have good information than

good graphics

� Given the very attractive cost element, most IPAs are now focusing

attention much more on multimedia CD ROMs and websites

� One element that is often overlooked in promotion materials, and

one that is critical for investors, is operating cost comparisons.

Accurate information on cost comparisons must be included in all

promotional materials

EFFECTIVE PROMOTION MATERIALS

1. Authenticity of place branding and messaging

2. Clarity of navigation

3. User friendly

4. Depth and quality of content

5. User segmentation

6. Use of search marketing approaches

7. Use of email marketing and news sections

8. Frequent performance tracking

9. Use of maps and GIS technology

10. Use of new media

NINE COMPONENTS OF A WORLD-

CLASS IPA WEBSITE

� Communicating a true and unique positioning of the region (USP)

� Utilizing recognizable national elements

� Capturing users’ attention to inspire them to use the site

AUTHENTICITY IN PLACE BRANDING IS…

SUMMARIZING 10 REASONS TO

INVEST IN CHILE

1. Dynamic economy, with good performance and great capacity for growth

2. Highly competitive. Chile is ranked 30 among 139 countries for 2010-2011

3. Global integration. 20 economic agreements with 57 countries in the world

4. Institutional and financial strength and the lowest risk country in Latin America

5. Friendly tax economy, one of the lowest in the world

6. High levels of transparency; ranks first in Latin America

7. Good business environment and economic freedom; first place in Latin America

8. Excellent quality of life

9. Highly trained and competitive human resources

10. Transport infrastructure and modern connectivity integrated into the world

� Use a simple top bar and/or side menus

� A prospect-specific section placed prominently

� Straightforward Navigation – from users perspective

� Providing the top ten most requested pages

� Keeping all valuable content three clicks or less from the homepage

CLARITY OF NAVIGATION IN WEBSITES IS. . .

� Using a content

management system

that enables publishing

of pages,

downloadable

documents, and data

� Weekly updates on

news items and events

� Offering video content

� Direct – one click –

access to Investment

Guides

GREAT CONTENT IS…

� Information that is relevant for investors (e.g. operating costs, site

and location advantages, incentives, business environment: taxes

and regulations etc.)

� Sector specific information (manufacturing, services)

� Information that can be used for benchmarking and site selection

� Factsheets

� Include investment opportunities

� Categorize information

� Use multiple metrics and currencies for international investors

� If aimed at foreign investors it must be in English and language of

other major investor home countries

PROVIDE ONLY RELEVANT INFORMATION

KEY TO RELEVANT WEBSITE CONTENT

1. Understand your users. This is the key to developing

meaningful and comprehensive content

2. Segment your audience and prioritize your users (investors,

site selection advisors, media, researchers, etc.).

3. Focus on helping each user type achieve its goals when

visiting your website

4. Start with the content you have and evaluate it for

relevance, quality, and comprehensiveness

5. Use reliable sources of content

6. Then, fill in the gaps

IPA WEBSITES – WHAT CORPORATE

INVESTORS AND SITE SELECTORS NEED

What they (really) need:

� Contact information

� Incentive programmes

� Tax rates and cost info

� Recent announcements

� Testimonials

� Industry-targeted info

� Map of your territory

� Largest employers

� Area colleges and universities

What they don’t (really) need:

� General labour statistics

� Secondary source wage

information

� General rankings

� Distance to other major

cities

� General climate and

weather conditions

EXAMPLE – INVEST IN SPAIN

Invest in Spain is

considered a best

practice example

- Headlines

- Regions

- Key Sectors

- Business indicators

- Success story

- News items

� Use easy to read fonts, medium-sized (e.g. Verdana, Arial)

� Use graphics appropriately

� Easy of downloads of PDF documents

USER FRIENDLY

USER SEGMENTATION

� Search engines connect those who are already looking to you

� Clicks can be free (large list in main column), but ranking is harder to get

� Clicks can also be paid (ads at right), and be at the top of the list on the same day.

SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING

EFFECTIVE USE OF SEARCH

MARKETING IS…

� Ranking #1 when

searching for “(your

location’s) economic

development”

� Ranking #1 for “your

organization’s name”

� Utilizing paid search

(pay-per-click or PPC)

to drive additional

traffic

TOP 9 SEARCH TERMS THAT DRIVE

TRAFFIC TO IPA WEBSITES

1. Your organization’s name

2. Your city/region/province name “economic development”

3. Incentive type offered in your region (depends on

community)

4. Resident company name (i.e. Boeing)

5. Region name (if different from city)

6. Organizational URL (without .com /.net .org)

7. Campaign name (initiative or fundraising)

8. City/region name “maps”

9. City/region name “industries”

� Monthly email

newsletter to

investors, prospects

� Tracking

performance of

those newsletters

� Posting newsletters

and news items to

your website

weekly or monthly

EFFECTIVE USE OF EMAIL AND

NEWS IS…

Invest Cayman Islands

STAY UP TO DATE – IF NOT IT WILL

BECOME COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

� Receiving a performance report (of the region and of the IPA) once per month

� Not using “hits” (i.e. no. of searches by search engine for the website) – bad indicator

� Tracking unique investor visits (resulting in follow-up), web references (by search engine) and no. of downloads

� Integrated tracking of advertising, web and PR effectiveness

EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE

TRACKING IS…

� Using maps with various layers (transportation, education, etc.)

� Using integrated real estate searches/GIS mapping software

� Generating dynamic demographic and business reports

EFFECTIVE USE OF MAPS AND GIS

TECHNOLOGY IS…

� Integrated with your IPA website

� Provide more transactional and analytical information than normal web pages

� Include the following:

– Available infrastructure, companies and properties

– Existing FDI companies

– Community assets such as international schools, business parks, ports, and airports

� Utilize maps such as Google or Bing

� Are updateable without programming

� Are available in versions for mobile devices

� Should be translated into multiple languages

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

OVERVIEW

THE BENEFITS OF GIS FOR INVESTORS

� Comprehensive data investors

demand, delivered online

� FDI property database that

highlights trophy properties in a

location

� Database of successful

companies doing business in a

location

� The location’s assets on an

accessible, updateable map

� Locational data comparing its

competitiveness to that of other

locations nearby

� Contain a rich

experience of your

geography

� Can be static images,

dynamic flash maps, or

database driven

� Can use commercially

available photography

from sources like

Google

VIRTUAL FAMILIARIZATION TOURS

� Providing links between your website and your LinkedIn profile

� Keeping an active Twitter account

� Having a blog and updating it four times per month

� Incorporating “share” features on your site

EFFECTIVE USE OF NEW MEDIA IS…

Key web 2.0 tactics

for investment promotion:

Social media and other modalities

MOST RELEVANT SOCIAL MEDIA

SOURCES

New media that are valuable for site selection and investment promotion

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA/NETWORKS ARE SITE

SELECTORS USING?

� By far, LinkedIn was the most

used source for information

� Facebook, RSS Feeds and Twitter

are increasingly becoming more

popular

� Blogs are less frequently used

(hard to verify trustworthiness)Source: ICA Research 2012

� Shareslide (www.shareslide.net), owned by LinkedIn:

– Access to many slide and PDF presentations: great way to market the IPA message visually

� Soundcloud: (www.soundcloud.com):

– Distributes the IPA message by voice through podcasts, smartphone and iTunes

� Youtube: (www.youtube.com):

– Distributes the IPA messages online by video (visual and sound)

� Twitter: (www.twitter.com)

– Social networking and microblogging

– The SMS of the Internet

� Web-blogs and webinars

OTHER ONLINE MEDIA TO REPURPOSE

YOUR MESSAGE

EXAMPLES OF TWITTER AND YOUTUBE –

INVEST IN INDIA

� Advantages:

– In-depth content

– Authority

– Search Engine

Optimization

� Disadvantages

– Time consuming

– Requires continuous

blogging, otherwise

limited public

SUMMARY: PAST & PRESENT OF INVESTMENT

PROMOTION STRATEGIES

Without web 2.0 tactics With web 2.0 tactics

� Branding and Image

building

� Cold calling

� Phone book

� Surveys, data requests

� Face to face meetings

� Site visits

� Blogs, LinkedIn, You Tube

and websites

� Google search engine

� GIS and websites

� Online webinars

� Virtual familiarization tours

� Online tracking of

performance

RECOMMENDATIONS: INVESTMENT

PROMOTION 2.0

� The rules of the game of location selection and investment

promotion have changed

� Key Web 2.0 tactics for today’s investment promotion can

facilitate your work

� Your website is considered your “shop window”: if it looks

appealing and offers up to date information you significantly

increase the chance of attracting more investment

� Various web 2.0 tools can support all your IPA activities

� However, the implementation and maintenance of all tools

require discipline, continuous updating, hard work,

dedicated research and an innovative mindset

� How do you generally consider the quality of your IPA or investment promotion website? Is there more than one website?

� Could the contents and lay-out of the website be improved? Does the website of the national level IPA differ from those of local IPAs?

� Have you undertaken any evaluation of the use of the website and other investment promotion tools? What do investors think of your website and quality of other used tools?

� Does your IPA engage in reactive or pro-active investment promotion? Considering all your investment promotion efforts, are they focused and cost-effective?

� Do you make active use of social media? What is your experience with this?

DISCUSSION ISSUES

� ESCAP – Handbook on Policies, Promotion and

Facilitation of FDI for Sustainable Development

(2017)

� UNCTAD iGuides and eRegulations:

– http://www.theiguides.org/public-

docs/guides/bhutan

– https://bhutan.eregulations.org/

Some resources

UNITED NATIONS BUILDING

RAJDAMNERN NOK

BANGKOK 10200, THAILAND

TEL: +662-2881234

FAX: +662-2881000

http://www.unescap.org

HANDBOOK ON POLICIES, PROMOTION

AND FACILITATION OF FDI FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

http://www.unescap.org/resources/handbook-policies-

promotion-and-facilitation-foreign-direct-investment-sustainable-0

CONTACT DETAILS UNESCAP

Presentation available at:

http://www.unescap.org/events/training-workshop-promotion-and-facilitation-foreign-direct-investment-uzbekistan

Your questions please?

INVESTMENT PROMOTION Websites and social media 7-Investment...KEY TO RELEVANT WEBSITE CONTENT 1....

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