Build A Local Hype Team

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Have you thought about putting together a local "hype team" to promote your community on social media, volunteer at events and boost visibility for your local businesses and your Community Card? We saw a great presentation at the Main Street Now Conference in Boston a few weeks ago called "Getting Hyped- Turn District Cheerleaders into Social Influencers!" The presenters were from the city of Macon, GA and they explained how they use a team of community members who are passionate about their downtown to serve as ambassadors on social media and at local events. They work as a united front to welcome visitors, answer questions and encourage people to use #downtownmacon when posting about their positive experience downtown. We love this idea and wanted share it with you in case this is something you'd like to implement! Below are the best practices for building your local hype team and you'll also find a pdf version of the presentation we saw along with other helpful materials by scrolling down to the bottom of this page.   

• Identify your local cheerleaders- Look on social media for community members that are constantly posting about your events and businesses and leaving positive comments on your organization's posts. Ask friends, family and co-workers if they know anyone who would like to be a part of the team. You'll find the Hype Team Member Application, Agreement and Application Rubric the folks in Macon, GA, use to pick their hype team attached. 

• Train your local hype team- Macon uses the attached Hype Team Member Orientation and they also give new Hype Team members an extensive tour of their downtown so that they can be ready to answer questions and recommend local businesses to visitors. 

• Put your Hype Team to work- Have a schedule of what hype team members will be at what events and provide them with images and copy for social media posts. Get creative, like Macon did with their Hype Hounds program. You can recruit new members once a year to build your team of local cheerleaders. 

• Promote your Community Card- Hype Team members can promote your Community Card and do giveaways on social media. They can also tell visitors about it when they're working at local events. Thank your local cheerleaders for their hard work by sending them a Community Card once or twice a year.