Get the highest online visibility for Business Revitalization Zones (BRZs) or Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and YOUR MEMBERS using the TransCanadaHighway.com free listings. Shopping Mall Management also works to create the highest traffic & visibility for their tenants, and needs to promote not only the Mall but the various stores and services that draw in traffic.
TransCanadaHighwayis a great way for business districts to raise their own visibility, not just by adding themselves to the high-traffic community directory, but by posting news, jobs, events, and savings to increase the number of pages on their TransCanadaHighwaylisting, and therefore the number of link-backs to their website. This is especially handy for those hosting events & festivals, or those taking a lead in community business advocacy.
BIAs, BRZs, and SHOPPING MALL MANAGERS, should also review our time-saving web marketing recommendations for chain & franchise organizations.
This approach is very effective for SEO (search engine optimization): the more pages on TransCanadaHighway, the more link-backs you have, and the higher your ranking and findability! Many BRZs and BIAs overlook this business opportunity: member businesses/tenants, SHOULD ALSO increase their online footprint by participating in as many directories as possible (and especially the free ones!) With a little bit of effort, they can enhance their online marketing to support their operations: posting jobs, promoting events, promoting sales, discounts and coupons, posting news announcements. Help your member businesses reach an ever-increasing online customer base, save money [on traditional media], increase revenues and become more profitable,
BRZ/BIA Issues & Opportunities
What are Business Revitalization Zones (BRZs) or Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)? The two terms are equivalent, and differ based on which prince or municipality you are in. These organizations (1) support & promote businesses collectively, (2) fund area improvements to increase desirability, and (3) collect municipal levies collected by municipalities as a property tax add-on. These levies cover the cost of improvements, interest & payments on loans for large capital costs, district marketing & advertising, the costs of hosting year-round festivals and events, and administration costs (salaries , rents, office costs) of the BIA/BRZ.
Businesses are considered “members” by virtue of their location, and by virtue of the fact they are levied for the BIA/BRZ, though the degree of accountability depends on the specific district and their governance rules. Districts have their executive and board of directors elected by and from member businesses (which is good), while other appear to be self-running fiefdoms for the benefit of their executive directors and office staff (which is not good). BIAs ad BRZs enable businesses to provide direction on how effort & expenditures better benefit area businesses, with changing needs & priorities over time.
Good BIA/BRZ websites also have a directory of area businesses (with web links), typically organized by category. Our directory is a supplement to that, and reaches a broader regional geographic audience.
More proactive BIAs and BRZs also help their area businesses grow by hosting educational seminars, either over breakfast (before stores or offices open), at lunchtime (for office-type businesses), or in the evening (after business hours). These seminars educate area businesses on a variety of issues including staffing, benefits plans, advertising and web marketing, handling credit cards and payment alternatives.
Educational resources:
Make the Most of Your PROFILE
You can add an organizational listing to promote the BRZ/BIA:
- The Name field should be your legal or registered name (and acronym, if any). Please to NOT use the name field for “SEO keyword spam”
- The Description field should state your key branding message (and describe the area and its unique qualities in up to 1000 characters)
- Your Google Address should match the address as it is displayed in your Google listings or on Google map (at the very least # street, city, province, postal code
- The Tagline field should be a brief “elevator pitch” no longer than 150 characters
- Your Image Gallery can include 5 photos or illustrations of your business, product, or services
- Your Business Logo should be a small logo no more than 500×500 pixels and preferably square or round
- Your Featured Images should be a wide “banner” image about 1300pixels by 500pixels (or the site’s software will crop it automatically)
Have your members add themselves to the community’s TransCanadaHighway directory (click on “Free Listings”)
TIP #1: Have your Hospitality/Tourism members/tenants add themselves to the Free Listings as well, not just for the mention of their name in TransCanadaHighway directory (which you, the BIA/BRZ, might do), but enable them to post their own News, Events, Jobs, and Savings items to their free listing.
TIP #2: When members/tenantsadd themselves, remind them that they should include the Mall or BIA/BRZ name in the full Google Address field, so that users searching by that location they can be found, too!
Ways YOU can be found
Here are links to TransCanadaHighway.com’s info which we would be pleased to add to or update: