A Need for A Digital Solution
I moved to Oakdale CA a little over a year ago. I discovered this quintessential gem of a community via the internet. In my online search, I had stumbled on an Oakdale Facebook group page All Things Oakdale. It was Christmastime and there was a post regarding a family in need. Immediately, several Oakdale residents were offering their assistance. From cooking a Holiday Meal to delivering a Christmas tree – it really resonated with me.
Six months later, I arrived in this town. As a newcomer, I decided the power of that Facebook page would be a good source of referrals to hair salons, car repair shops, physicians, dentists, home cleaners, and much more. The residents never let me down and I received a ton of great input that pointed me to the right direction.
I quickly realized the Facebook and Instagram pages consisted of several active and engaged community members attempting to push out useful information regarding citywide, small business, and tourism events. Oftentimes, the efforts to keep their community informed – fell on deaf ears. Many residents expressed dismay that they not been sufficiently informed or made aware of local events.
Several town leaders and small business owners were aware of the need for a central calendar for the town. Hence the desire to create a community calendar website. The website would allow well-intentioned organizations to upload and share their events. The calendar in turn would be pushed through the local municipal websites and shared on the social media platforms of city members, residents, and group pages.
A Picture is Worth 1000 Words
A SIMPLE GLANCE of this calendar page says a lot! When a resident or potential visitor to Oakdale, views the calendar, a quick glance of April 6th will reflect several events occuring on this particular day. Go ahead and see for yourself!
Oakdale residents and visitors can kick off their morning with a Coffe from Refuge and then wander to the Community United Methodist Church to partake in some crafting and fantastic food, courtesy of Chef Lee. If Wings are more your style, there is a Ribbon Cutting at Wing. Maybe wind down with a massage at Unwind’s Spring Fling and be rested and relaxed to hang out at Reata on 3rd Rebranding while listening to the music of Alex Lucero.
Digital Connection is Good for Business
Several of the local Oakdale websites under development include their own event calendars. Those same calendars are then duplicated onto the Community Calendar. This is good for all parties involved. Google’s algorithm LOVES a good backlink. Internet users viewing the Oakdale Community calendar are also connected directly to the source of each event with the click of a button. When this happens, the community website serves as a referral source to the local businesses and vice versa. It is a great linking strategy to get smaller cities/towns/businesses ranking.
It is ALSO good for business whereby those who live or wish to visit Oakdale CA are able to easily discover places to eat, shop, indulge in recreational activities or enjoy an entertaining night out. We are in the process of developing a video that will guide you through the site and provide instruction for easy navigation. STAY TUNED!
Monetization is the ultimate side-effect of a digitally connected community. The community calendar converts otherwise non-revenue-generating website visits into cash flow when calls-to-action are inserted, and digital customers become physical clients. This online to offline trend increases participating businesses and non-profit organization exposure and sales opportunities. It’s a WIN WIN and we are proud to be part of a WINNING culture in Oakdale, CA.