We were excited when our friends at UNI’s MyEntre.Net, Iowa’s online community for Iowa entrepreneurs and small business, asked us to help design and launch a campaign to give away $1000 a month to an Iowa entrepreneur or small business owner to help grow their business in Iowa.
The contest site can be found at www.DreamBigGrowHere.com. Participants can submit a video, photos and description of their business idea or how they would like to grow their business. Better yet, participants can promote their own ideas to friends, family and co-workers to encourage them to visit the site and vote! Every month, the Dream Big idea with the most votes wins the $1000! Already in July, nearly 2000 people have voted for their favorite business idea.
The site also includes blog posts from successful Iowa entrepreneurs offering business advice and insights, archives of past winners and content is easy to share via social media platforms. Visitors to DreamBigGrowHere.com are also encouraged to visit MyEntre.net, a community of nearly 6,800 Iowa entrepreneurs, small business owners and service providers who grow, learn and share online. At MyEntre.net, you will find info on loans and grants, expert advice through blogs, chat and webinars as well as an entire resource library of business tools. You can also follow MyEntre.net on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Much of the success of this campaign is a result of using both social media as well as traditional media to reach business owners and entrepreneurs where and how they want to be reached. Contest participants are spreading the Dream Big Grow Here love by tweeting, facebooking, and emailing their contacts encouraging them to vote. Radio, direct mail as well as various public relations tactics are helping to spread the word among business associations, chamber offices and economic development groups.
Take some time and check out MyEntre.net as well as the $1000 Dream Big contest. Share with your friends and cohorts and others who can benefit from the support MyEntre.net is providing businesses in Iowa!
Author: Jess Held
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