Community Spotlight: Print Media Partnerships Connect Communities in Nevada, Iowa

In Nevada, Iowa, gone are the days of getting the news off your front step in the mornings. Like many small towns, the closure of our local newspaper has left a significant communication gap. While social media can provide instant information for some, we also know that not everyone uses social media or the Internet. When we heard from many community members that social media left them out of the loop, we knew that we needed a new strategy. In response, we began working with other local organizations to develop print media marketing channels that would better serve our community.

Nevada is a place that works together in so many ways. Leaders from several groups in the community, including Main Street Nevada, wanted a way to make sure all residents received important news about our organizations. This wish blossomed into Our Nevada, a collaborative, no-ads monthly magazine that gets delivered to every address in the Nevada area zip code. The production costs and content development responsibilities of this magazine are shared by six organizations: Main Street Nevada, our city, our economic development council, our school district, our local hospital, and our county government. Each entity gets a couple of pages in the magazine, and we rotate cover photo features.

I write the content for the Main Street Nevada section, focusing on promoting upcoming events and sharing updates about our work within the community. The City of Nevada communications director compiles all the content into a nicely laid out publication and submits it to a printing company (also located in our county). After printing is completed, the magazines are delivered to our school district office where they are prepared for distribution. The school district then takes the magazines to the post office to be mailed to households. Using the school district for mailing is important to us because it allows rural addresses outside of city limits to receive the publication, too. 

Our Nevada is a testament to the power of collaboration. The six participating organizations mobilize around the same goal: helping everyone feel informed and part of their own community and providing something great for the town. With Our Nevada, everyone gets the same information, delivered right to their mailbox. 

While Our Nevada includes a calendar of events on the back cover, Main Street Nevada still felt like something was missing in the promotion of our busy events calendar. Our Promotions Committee came up with the idea to create tri-fold ​“table tents” that list events in the community, and to strategically place them where people sit and gather downtown (restaurants, waiting rooms, etc.). The table tents are updated and restocked regularly. They not only provide another way for people to learn about what’s happening, but they also create an opportunity for people to talk to one another about the events. It gives them a reason to share their thoughts, get to know more about one another, and make connections as they converse. 

We have received great feedback from the community on both of these efforts, particularly the Our Nevada publication. Residents tell us that they look forward to receiving it each month. If your community has lost its newspaper, or you are looking for other ways to reach your residents in non-digital methods (and you definitely should!), consider brainstorming with your community partners. Working together can provide great results and offer your community new ways to connect and engage with each other. 

Interested in learning more about transformation strategies in action? Join Main Street America in Nevada and Des Moines, Iowa, from October 15 – 16 for the 2024 Community Transformation Workshop! This immersive, interactive two-day experience that guides participants through the foundational principles of transformation strategies informed by market analysis. There are only eight spots remaining for this exciting opportunity! Learn more and register >