Iit’s no secret that many rural communities on the High Plains are losing population. But, as The Rural Blog reported this week, part of the problem may be one of marketing. Rural towns often don’t have websites, and the sites that do exist are usually poorly maintained. Sometimes there’s simply not enough information available for people who might want to move to a given town.
To combat this problem, a new extension program has been established in Nebraska. The initiative, known as "Marketing Hometown America," was tested in 2014 by seven communities in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. The program trains local residents to lead small discussions among community members. The citizens talk about what strengths their community has and how they could better highlight those. Then they figure out how to act—often by building a website or a series of videos showcasing the town’s strengths.