Local
City, promotion groups hoping visitors, businesses will Discover Needles
NEEDLES — The partnership between the Needles Economic Development Corporation and Discover Inland Empire, the city’s website and the use of a Facebook page appear to be working to get the word out about Needles and what it has to offer.
The NEDC joined Discover IE to help with marketing and expand their reach in terms of getting a larger range of visitors and possibly attracting new business.
Jan Jernigan, NEDC member, said the nonprofit group is working with Discover IE’s tourism group. All Needles events are listed with Discover IE. Featured venues include Pirate Cove Resort, Jack Smith Park and Needles’ River’s Edge Golf Course, she said.
“This has been an exciting group to join to get Needles out there as a destination for a fun weekend or vacation,” she said.
Additionally, the city’s website is getting a lot of attention. Jernigan said the city’s page is up and going for activities and information about the city.
“Tammy Ellmore is doing a wonderful job maintaining the site,” Jernigan said.
The city also has a Facebook page, which was renamed “Discover Needles, California.” It started out as the city’s page to connect groups and announce events. According to reported numbers, it’s grown to much more than that.
The page administration reported the goal of the page is to introduce visitors to the Needles that can’t be seen from Interstate 40 or passing through the city. Ultimately, the idea is to “rediscover” Needles and to help inform Facebook users of the potential for business, housing, activities and to share some history of the city.
As of Nov. 1, 2012, the Discover page had 287 “likes” and as of April 2 that number grew to 836. The more “likes” the merrier on Facebook.
When a Facebook user likes a page, that user will get updates and see what events are coming up. A user also has access to seeing what other users are talking about on the page.
“Visit California,” the major marketing engine for the state, has picked up two photos from “Discover Needles, California.” The last photo registered almost 24,000 people viewing it. Discover IE has also shared one of the photos from the Needles Facebook page.
Reportedly the best post on the city’s page recorded almost 4,000 views.
The page has likes from people in more than 20 countries.
The Facebook page administration is engaged with other sites also. The Discover Needles page posts information on other pages such as Route 66 based pages. The site is also getting exposure on Desert Magazine and Mohave Desert Net.
An event phone number has also been created. That number is 760-326-2344 and has a list of all the local events.
The phone will be answered 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and there is also an answering machine available.
The number is listed with all the Facebook page’s links.
For more information about Discover IE visit www.discoverie.com.