Attracting Talent
Telling our Story
Our region has a great story to tell
And with the right tools, it’s easier to grab attention in all the noise.
Greater Fargo Moorhead is a great place to live with great companies that benefit from a business-friendly environment, a well-developed and reliable infrastructure, exceptional higher education and research institutions and a culture of hard work and collaboration.
In the late fall of 2022, the GFMEDC was awarded Regional Workforce Impact Program funds from the North Dakota Department of Commerce to launch a talent attraction campaign for North Dakota’s Region 5 (Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Trail counties).
With nearly $1.5 million to kick off our workforce attraction efforts, the GFMEDC will focus its messaging on attracting talent to middle-and-upper level positions for key occupations.
Fargo Moorhead - You Just Have to Look
Materials You Can Use
Creative that catches attention
A little spicy and completely unique, our messaging is meant to grab attention and promote a click on our content driving the user to give us their name and email so we can continue to share all the great things about living and working in our region.
Check out our website and download and use our collateral material to support your workforce attraction efforts. Thanks to the Fargo Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau for housing the content.
Regional Talent Attraction Campaign
Our organization is working with more than half a dozen talented vendors all collaborating to lead the largest regional workforce attraction effort to date.
Creative Messaging
- Our ad campaign consists of two to three messaging campaigns (to maximize impact) focused on healthcare, manufacturing and general themes
- :15 and :30 second ads (and digital ads) created and vetted by experts
- A brand identity video to showcase the region
Testing
- Our campaign has been tested against various audiences including professional research and external networks
Target Audiences
- We have used our data to determine the best location to place our ads and will include labor market data, mass layoff data, information from regional companies, etc.
Talent Attraction Campaign
September 2023 – November 2024
The campaign aimed to raise awareness about the Fargo region in specific cities and encourage people to consider moving there for job opportunities in two main industries: Healthcare and Manufacturing.
The results demonstrate that Fargo’s appeal resonates with people in key cities, especially when showcasing the strong job opportunities and quality of life available in the region.
By achieving engagement rates above industry standards, the campaign proved highly effective at cutting through the noise and connecting with the right audience.
Campaign Performance Highlights
1. Reaching a Wide Audience:
○ The campaign delivered millions of views (impressions) to people in key cities across the country, ensuring Fargo’s job opportunities were seen by a large audience.
○ Video ads performed particularly well, with high view rates and strong engagement, driving 30% more clicks than industry averages for similar campaigns.
○ The healthcare-focused ads were especially effective, achieving click-through rates (CTR) nearly 25%higher than the industry average for similar campaigns.
2. Engaging Across Platforms:
○ Social media ads saw click-through rates (CTR) 20% higher than industry benchmarks, indicating strong interest from audiences.
○ Cities like New York, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles showed exceptional engagement, with New York clicks exceeding industry averages by 65%, highlighting the power of the combined tactics in these areas.
3. Encouraging Action:
○ The campaign drove measurable interest, with conversions (actions like visiting the website or learning more about jobs) showing that the ads were successful in getting people to take the next step.
○ Retargeting ads were particularly effective at keeping Fargo top of mind for people who had already seen the ads, leading to a steady increase in clicks and engagement over time.
Our Vendor Partners
Regional Workforce attraction campaign
Informing
More than half a dozen vendors collaborating to lead the largest regional workforce attraction effort to date.
Creative Messaging
- Three to five different types of messaging (to maximize impact) focused on healthcare, manufacturing and general themes
- :15 and :30 second ads (and digital ads) created and vetted by experts
Testing
- Tested against various audiences including professional research and external networks
Target Audiences
- Focused on Healthcare and Manufacturing (according to grant guidelines)
- Further targeting based on research to include labor market data, mass layoff data, information from regional companies, etc.
Driving Action
More than half a dozen vendors collaborating to lead the largest regional workforce attraction effort to date.
Creative Messaging
- Three to five different types of messaging (to maximize impact) focused on healthcare, manufacturing and general themes
- :15 and :30 second ads (and digital ads) created and vetted by experts
Testing
- Tested against various audiences including professional research and external networks
Target Audiences
- Focused on Healthcare and Manufacturing (according to grant guidelines)
- Further targeting based on research to include labor market data, mass layoff data, information from regional companies, etc.
Materials You Can Use
Creative that Catches Your Attention
A little spicy and completely unique, our messaging is meant to grab attention and promote a click on our content driving the user to give us their name and email so we can continue to share all the great things about living and working in our region.
A Brand Identity Video
Some info on the video..
Workforce - Leading Regional Recruitment
Our organization has invested in data and research systems to assist primary-sector companies and investors with workforce data and metrics.
We work directly with companies often to come up with creative and innovative ways to support their recruitment efforts.
For example we’ve built two sites:
- LiveinFMArea.com
- FMAreaTour – our virtual tour
In the coming 12-18 months, we will invest more than $1 million to market to and attract hundreds of workers from across the country in occupations that support manufacturing, healthcare and other key sectors.
Annual Report
The annual report is full of examples of our work and the impact of our support and collaboration.
In the results section of our annual report, we show both short term (previous year) impacts and long-term (several years) impact of our work as well as our Growth Initiative Fund.
GFMEDC Annual Report – Results
In our business development section, we highlight the largest primary-sector project that landed in Casselton in 2022 but we also highlight many project and expansions that are foundation to the steady growth and diversification of our region.
GFMEDC Annual Report – Business Development
In the community development/workforce section, we highlight the partnerships and programs that support workforce attraction, like our Regional Workforce Attraction Campaign.
Funding
This project is federally funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and allotted by the North Dakota Legislature via a grant from the Department of Commerce for the state-wide Regional Workforce Impact Program (RWIP).
The required match has been provided by the regional initiative known as Fueling our Future.
Investors Receive The Following Benefits:
- Monthly Economic Indicators, Cost of Living data, and periodic economic reports and newsletters
- Access to and use of marketing materials created by the GFMEDC Invitation to attend special meetings on GFMEDC projects and initiatives (minimum of 3 annually)
- Network opportunities with top regional, state and national business and elected leaders
- Recognition on Website
- Recognition on Social Media
- Opportunity to nominate board members and/or serve on the board of directors
- When appropriate, we will share your company and contact information with prospective clients (for those companies investing $2,500+)
- Proactive outreach from EDC for one-on-one meeting annually with President & CEO to discuss issues of importance to you (for those companies investing $2,500+)
- Development of targeted workforce report specific to your company’s recruitment needs, including identifying individuals with targeted skills/experience to recruit (minimum $5,000 investment)
We have a number of strategic sponsorship opportunities for consideration. Investors who make a minimum $5,000 investment in the organization are eligible to sponsor events
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