Videos for MakerFest (center), Lima Police Department (top left), Bob Evans Farms in Lima (top right), Lima’s arts (bottom right), DeFord in Ottawa (bottom middle) and 1820 BrewWerks in Kalida (bottom left) can be seen in videos created for Allen Economic Development Group, City of Lima, OhioMeansJobs-Allen County and Putnam County Community Improvement Corp.
Photo illustration by David Trinko | The Lima News
LIMA — One video starts with Lima’s mayor looking right into the camera lens, smiling.
“Hello, I’m Mayor Sharetta Smith, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to our vibrant city of Lima, Ohio,” she says in the welcome for the “Lima Video Tour” on the city’s website, limaohio.gov.
In another video, Pat Summers, the president of PERRY proTECH, sings the praises of Allen Economic Development Group in helping it build a new facility along Interstate 75.
“Right around 2019, it became very evident our headquarters location was becoming a little obsolete,” Summers says in the YouTube video. “It was time for us to make a move. We contacted Allen Economic Development Group because we knew that was something they might be able to help us with.”
In its video with OhioMeansJobs-Allen County, Bob Evans Farms gets right to the point about what it wants in potential employees, as footage of jobs inside the plant plays.
“I’m fortunate to lead nearly 400 great people as general manager of this 24/7 operation,” general manager Chris Avery says in the Facebook video. “We’re looking for attendance, attention to food quality, safety and teamwork.”
The people charged with growing the Lima region agree marketing is an important tool. The target and message in those videos vastly varies, though.
Changing perceptions
Economic development officials in Allen and Putnam counties agree that online videos can be a great way of altering long-held opinions.
“What we feel now at Allen Economic Development Group is we need to change local perceptions first,” said Cindy Leis, president and CEO of AEDG. “What our goal is to win that first, then we can go start casting our nets out a little further. We need to spread the word, bringing family and friends back to the area to help take the jobs that are already here.”
Some AEDG videos focus on documenting recent changes, such as the transformation of downtown Lima with the Spring and Main restaurant complex or the tear-down of the former Allen County Home.
Putnam County Community Improvement Corp. often posts short videos with updates of local projects, such as a Facebook video of the signage going up for the DeFord boutique hotel in downtown Ottawa.
“We’re not just trying to get the next person to live here or next business to come here,” said Amy Sealts, the director of economic development for the Putnam County CIC. “We’re trying to grow from within. Some of the videos are aimed at residents to paint a picture of not only the work being done by the CIC and many of our partners but also to educate them about what is here already.”
Reaching out to grow
Growth is a key consideration in the City of Lima’s recent forray into video marketing. In August, Lima announced a partnership with CGI Digital, a company that produced seven free videos for the city about topics such as small business development, parks and recreation, arts and culture, education, healthcare and safety services.
Lima didn’t pay for its videos, but CGI Digital accepts paid sponsorships for local businesses, whose videos appear near the city’s.
“The new Lima video tour not only highlights our city’s appeal and potential for residents and visitors but also sets the stage for future development,” Smith said in an August press release. “Businesses considering relocation or expansion will find valuable insights into the supportive community, available resources, and strategic advantages that Lima offers.”
OhioMeansJobs-Allen County has been using online videos for several years, director Joe Patton said. Those videos help match employers with possible employees, truly showing what happens inside local businesses.
“Jobseekers really like it,” Patton said. “They can visualize what it’s like working there and doing it. It does help remove a lot of the, ‘Oh, it’s not like what I thought it was’ because you can see what it’s going to be. You can describe what success looks like.”
OhioMeansJobs-Allen County learned a bit of a formula, with short interviews of key managers and employees, often in the background of “B-roll” showing the work happening. That helps ease people who get camera-shy, thinking they’ll have to perfectly perform the entire time. It hired its own videographer who’d interned with the government agency, and businesses can request a video without cost.
Finding success
Most area agencies say they don’t pay close attention to the analytics on the videos. The Bob Evans Farms’ video had more than 1,600 views for its 30-second spot. AEDG’s YouTube video with Pat Summers had 75 views as of Friday afternoon. Putnam County CIC’s top Facebook video, getting more than 10,000 views, was from a ribbon-cutting on the Ron Kahle Jr. Memorial Shelter House in Glandorf’s Deters Park.
Still, they agree the videos can be effective marketing.
“We’re hearing a lot of positive chatter,” said Leis, who noted some of AEDG’s videos also appear as advertisements on local TV stations. “Most of us are out and about, talking to family and friends, and people do stop us and say, ‘Wow, I’ve seen what you guys are doing.’ It’s being noticed.”
OhioMeansJobs-Allen County hears from businesses wanting to use the videos too. It typically offers a 2-minute video along with a 30-second version for businesses to use.
Putnam County CIC continues to work on an upcoming podcast series with business leaders, and it’s hoping to continue working in other areas of digital marketing.
“Our organization before 2020 didn’t have any social media, none, with no marketing plan, no social media, no videos. Nothing existed but our phone number and a website. As times change, people are eager to explore these things because they work.”
Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko.
