The Economic Development Authority paused renewal of its AE2S social-media contract and asked staff to develop a broader marketing strategy that could include targeted advertising and alternative platforms.

Staff said posts that feature people and local businesses perform best and reported strong engagement during an entrepreneurship week promotion. The board discussed three options: renew AE2S (~$4,800/year), hire a local solo operator (about $640/month for four posts monthly), or have in-house staff (Brenda) take on posting duties. Several members suggested staff should look beyond Facebook to Google Ads, radio or other targeted approaches and that the EDA should avoid paying for filler content.

"Pictures with people and businesses do exceedingly well," the director (Speaker 9) said, pointing to posts that reached thousands.

The board agreed to keep the account active with a reduced posting cadence while staff develops a marketing plan and to place the AE2S renewal on hold for one to two months pending the strategy.

On technology, staff reviewed two CRM options to track leads and projects: EDC Forge, a lower-cost platform with limited vendor information and an out-of-state liability concern, and Convergence (a HubSpot-based product) with broader features at a higher estimated cost. A Convergence demo is scheduled for Dec. 16 and staff said it will pursue a Minnesota Business Finance Corporation grant to help offset costs; staff also raised the need for legal review of any vendor hold-harmless clauses.

Board members asked staff to focus vendor evaluations on functional benefits—reporting, lead tracking and integration—rather than on headline price alone, and to return with recommendations after the Convergence demo and grant follow-up.