How to Promote Your Town’s History
As people move to cities or suburbs across the country, they often forget the small towns they come from. From there these towns die out and local economies fail. Those of you in struggling small towns should know how to promote your town’s history to attract more people and establish a national or regional reputation. This is extremely important for establishing a strong presence and boosting local tourism. For example, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, (home of country star Dolly Parton) and Bristol, Virginia, (home to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum) are notable towns due to their rich histories and exceptional marketing strategies.
Focus on Your History
One of the best ways to interest tourists is to focus on the local history. Let guests “discover” the richness of your town’s past. Certain buildings, roads, areas, or other important landmarks are all great spaces to share. Use local or hired historians to research the area, too. You might even learn more about your town than you originally knew. If there are no landmarks to identify, you can always highlight important people from the area. Celebrities, athletes, musicians, or even war veterans are great options to memorialize and showcase.
Install Outdoor Signs
Outdoor street signs are a great way to add vintage aesthetics to your small town. These accentuate any farm, ranch, church, park, or storefront. Outdoor signs are fully customizable with color, font, size, and style. It’s common knowledge that color can affect mood and behavior, so be sure to pick colors and styles that match your town’s ambiance. Add in some pertinent historical information to them, so that people can learn more about your town and become even more intrigued.
Find What Makes It Unique
All in all, you should exemplify what makes your town unique. Whether it’s a local festival, fair, or competition, local traditions and customs feed into the locality of your town and promote its history. While cultural attractions are one example, you can always promote natural attractions that are uncommon to outsiders. Use the biodiversity of your town to your advantage. From there, you can choose recreational activities—like fishing or swimming near a lake, hiking, or skiing on a mountain—that suit your town’ s natural amenities. The physical makeup of your town boasts some of its most poignant history—nature’s beauty is something that traces back centuries, promoting history in its own way.
