Fractional & Remote
Head of Marketing
for Community & Economic Development Organizations
Communities all around the country are changing right now. Living in the Chattahoochee Valley shows me just how much every single day, and now more than ever before Districts, Community Organizations, and even business’ within those locations need to be showing up with genuine engagement, and physical presence. Not just an events calendar that no one ever checks or cares about but, genuine active participation that get the community interested, and because of what’s happening right within our local community I came to the realization a few years ago actually that business and marketing partners were about to be needed now more than ever before just from the conversations happening online that connect local business’, tourism, hospitality, and the public that actually builds the public’s trust, and gets them engaged in their own communities again.
For those that don’t know me, I’m Misty Burrell, a Carthage NY native, that moved to Douglasville GA when I was just 21, and then married into the Chattahoochee Valley in 2017 and I serve as a Head of Marketing and Community Development for Brands and Organizations that understand the future of our Communities prioritizes building our communities, creating connection points, and bridges to the broader community, and further, aligns area and community goals with a broader message that drives donor giving, that involves local business’, and that brings people back out and into their communities to grow them, to care about them, to bring back to small town feel that so many are missing creating those modern day “Hallmark / Gilmore Girls” towns that uplift, empower, educate, and drive participation and bring true alignment with purpose attached.
Growing up in one of those small towns actually inspired this. And over 20 years later, I find myself in an area that reminds me so much of the area that I grew up in, in every way except for how the area looks at community. It takes a village isn’t just a popular quote. It’s actually a truth that people, and even teachers in my younger years instilled in me by modeling it. That’s why I partner with business districts, main street programs, downtown and business associations, chambers of commerce, tourism and economic development authorities, and then the local businesses themselves to design and implement the systems, and marketing plans that drive sustainable community engagement and participation.
A thriving community isn’t one organization working in isolation. It’s the chamber, it’s the tourism board, it’s the hotels that serve the community, it’s the restaurant’s, and the heart and soul of the community that put on events, parades, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, and everything in between.
The transformation goal that I aim to bring to the table is the one that says, a community that actually shows up to what you’re building, is built around the community itself and includes, the stakeholders, the sponsors, the businesses, and even the churches and organizations that represent the community. When you make all of them and more the foundation, and the reason, the people show up because there’s something to show up to but, the digital presence has to be there to spread the word, and get the information out with RSVP’s and reminders about the events the closer the date gets.
Community & Economic Development Marketing
With Misty Burrell
EmBeance Places Social Community & Brand Management At The Core Of Marketing & Advertising Strategy.
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EmBeance Places Social Community & Brand Management At The Core Of Marketing & Advertising Strategy. ~
Disclaimer: Consent Is Key So Check Your Email For Your Official Opt In Once You’ve Signed Up.
Here's What Most
Community & Economic Development
Organizations Miss
When Trying To Grow Interest &
Participation Online!
It’s a pattern I’ve started to see constantly, and it’s even happened to me: A strong community, but no real events calendar. A community wanting to make real economic impact, and making waves in building an online digital presence but, no one posts anything about events leading up to the event, the video gets made during the event, and by the time the algorithm’s do their thing the event is already almost over, or it happened yesterday, or 6 days ago.
Residents that would be interested made plans days ago or even weeks ago. Sponsors wonder what their support actually funded, and the impact their money, time, and resources even had. Reports get built once a year if at all instead of tracked in the immediate days following the event to present to the community and to sponsors and stakeholders which leaves too much room for doubt, confusion, and reductions in support for the next time, the next event, and the next need.
If engagement continues to feel inconsistent, or the same handful of people are the only ones showing up, it’s probably not because the programming isn’t good, and the event isn’t wanted, it’s most likely because:
There’s no structured framework guiding how residents and visitors actually discover what’s happening.
Event promotion is scattered across a website, a Facebook page, and print flyer that all say something slightly different (and that was made by AI which comes with it’s own set of scrutiny right now).
Sponsor and stakeholder communications aren’t built to show ongoing value, only end of year summaries.
Local search visibility doesn’t reflect the full scope of what the district or organization offers.
Ccommunity trust-building gets treated as a byproduct of events instead of an ongoing system.
In most Brand Audits I conduct, the real issue isn’t a lack of great programming. It’s a lack of structure connecting that programming and those events to the greater community it’s meant to be serving and building.
As a head of marketing who looks at the full picture, I don’t aim to replace the work that’s already being done to better and strengthen our communities. But, I do bring and even create the framework that brings structure to positioning what your brand or organization is doing so that what you and your team are doing reaches more people, equips them, and empowers them as they find their way to the solutions, events, businesses and beyond that only further strengthens our communities overtime!
What We Work On
When I’m Retained To Manage
Your Community & Economic Development Marketing
Community Development
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Event Visibility
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Donor & Sponsor Communication
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Business Participation
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Digital Presence & Engagement
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Volunteer Coordination
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Community Development ~ Event Visibility ~ Donor & Sponsor Communication ~ Business Participation ~ Digital Presence & Engagement ~ Volunteer Coordination ~
Brand, Event & Program Visibility:
Event Calendar Strategy & Promotions across the web, local search, and social.
Google Business Profile & Local Search Optimization for district - or organization-wide visibility.
Signature event and recurring program marketing (farmers markets, market days, concert series, festivals)
Website strategy development, built around how residents and visitors actually search for what is happening locally.
Consistent brand presence across every touchpoint the organization manages.
Stakeholder & Sponsor Communication
Sponsor and Vendor communication systems that show ongoing value, not just a year end report.
Email communications for residents, business members, and stakeholders.
Volunteer and vendor opportunity promotion, coordination, and management.
Campaign strategy and coordination for community fundraising initiatives
Donor and sponsor communication built to show real impact, not just an ask.
Event-based fundraising promotions.
Community First Content, Engagement, & Social Media
Social Media and Community Management Built around genuine local engagement, not vanity metrics.
Content that reflects the actual character of the district or community, not a generic municipal template.
Economic Development and impact storytelling that’s honest and substantiated.
Community First Content & Social Media
Social Media and Community Management built around genuine local engagement, not vanity metrics.
Content that reflects the actual character of the downtown district or broader community, not a generic municipal template.
Economic development and impact storytelling that is honest, and substantiated attracting newcomers, and those that are new to the community while also advocating for long term residents.
PR & Media Relations:
Press Release Writing and Media Outreach for events, milestones, and community initiatives.
Media relationship building on the organizations behalf.
On-Camera representation as needed and media appearances when a story genuinely calls for it. (Those that know me best, know I absolutely hate being on camera so trust me when I say in no way am I chasing the spotlight but, I will do it when it moves the mission forward, and when it’s needed because if my own home town has taught me anything through the years it’s how needed some faces are that genuinely care and to prove that point, I still can’t drive into that town without somehow ending up in the paper within 2 weeks, it’s just who I am, and my love for community has always been a core part of me before there was ever a title, or position attached to this portion of my career) it just took me a long time to understand it for what it was and is.
Who I Partner Best With:
Business Improvement Districts
Main Street Programs, and Downtown Business Associations.
Chambers Of Commerce
Tourism & Economic Development Authorities
Local Businesses and Business Coalitions
Hotels and Local Tourism / Hospitality Groups
Restaurants, and Downtown Establishments that regular partner with Downtown Districts maintaining an active community presence.
Local event teams and fundraising committees.
Local churches and non profits hosting events, giveaways, and fundraisers for the community. (Food pantries, Animal Rescues, Shelters, Coat Closets (especially for interviews), Career assistance centers, community run gardens, and medical clinics.
All in all, I work best with organizations that already have real programming and real community investment behind them because they are bringing real solutions to real problems, and asking the full community to join in for a greater purpose to better our communities, and to strengthen them.
I also want to make it clear that I am not just a vendor. I fully understand that we are now in an era that requires this work to be full time, and a salaried role, this is here for a reason, and it’s because I actually prefer this method of work. My only stipulation is that I primarily work from home. In community participation is completely okay. I love getting out, I love being in my community but, I am also in full transparency a full time, family caregiver with minimal backup. Yes, I can get out but, that getting out is structured and scheduled.
This is my way of balancing home needs plus something I’ve been called to admittedly my entire life the more I’ve looked back on this. So I say this to say it in full transparency that way there is no miscommunication, and that way no one assumes I can sit in an office all day when that is the furthest thing from possible that there probably is in my world right now.
Working With Me Isn’t VA Support.
It’s Marketing Leadership On A Retainer or Salary.
While yes, I absolutely do manage individual channels for brands, I do so on a higher level scale under a full picture framework, with a strategy, with purpose, and with a full brand architecture behind me built inside a long term retainer / salary that is work for hire based.
I’m not an agency, I’m not a virtual assistant / VA. I’m a sr level marketing manager with over two decades of experience, working strictly in work for hire agreements to bring real solutions to real practices that want to retain marketing management help for long term, and at a full service scale to cover the entire marketing ecosystem.
You know you need help, you just haven’t found figured out exactly what that looks like in a full capacity. That’s where I come on, and work with you to honestly uncover what that looks like in a fully customizable way.