Written by Jalen Maki
tomahawk reader editor
Lincoln County – Lincoln County will allocate American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to targeted digital marketing services.
At a meeting Tuesday, March 19, at the Lincoln County Service Center in Merrill, the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors announced the use of $120,000 in ARPA funds for marketing services provided by Wausau-based Midwest Communications Inc. expressed support for the resolution approving the multimedia company.
Cameo Almli of Midwest Communications provided a presentation to the board about the company's services.
Almuri explained that through digital marketing, the company can promote the county's natural resources and recreational opportunities. The company uses data from mobile phones, computers and other digital means to identify individuals who are interested in activities offered in Lincoln County and to serve advertisements to those individuals based on their expressed interests. can.
As an example, Almuri said someone considering canoeing in Chicago might see an ad highlighting such an opportunity in Lincoln County.
Almuri said the company can use 15-second videos to run targeted ads through “non-traditional cable services” such as Charter Communications, Roku and Hulu, as well as through social media.
The company can also run targeted advertisements in specific areas for a specified period of time. Almuri explained that if a canoeing event is held in another community, Midwest Communications can promote Lincoln County canoeing opportunities to individuals in that area for 30 days.
Midwest Communications can provide reports and analytical data showing the effectiveness of advertising.
Almuri said that because Midwest Communications is a local company and she is a resident of the area, she and her team of about 80 people have an advantage in understanding what the county is looking for when it comes to promotions. I said that.
Midwest Communications is currently working with the City of Merrill.
“It's incredible what we can do,” Almuri said. “It's really great in that it's very narrow and allows us to target exactly the people we want. There are limits to what we can do.”
After a short discussion, the Board approved the resolution.
The board originally gave approval last year to use ARPA dollars for county promotions. In April 2023, the board gave the green light to a vision statement and branding aimed at promoting tourism. The following month, the board voted to allocate $500,000 in ARPA funds to county marketing.
ARPA funds are also used to improve campgrounds, parks, and county roads.
