Uncovering Social Media Success in Economic Development
(And the States That Do it Best)
What does social media “success,” particularly for the economic development industry, actually mean? How is success measured, and who is doing social media best?
To answer these questions, DCI pulled data from social media accounts of all 50 state economic development organizations (EDOs) and analyzed what factors impacted total followers acquired and overall engagement. In the report, we ask and answer questions such as:
- What platforms are EDOs utilizing, and what are benchmarks within the industry for each?
- Which key metrics are important for measuring success?
- What elements of a post result in higher engagement rates?
- Does post frequency affect engagement rates?
- What are the optimal times and days to post?
Once we dissected the elements of success in economic development social media, DCI set out to discover which state EDOs are excelling in the social media sphere.
The states dubbed as the “Social Superstars of Economic Development” are setting the bar and finding innovative ways to engage with their audiences while sharing their states’ stories. We encourage EDOs of all sizes to check out their social accounts to see best practices in action.
Download the report for the full list of winners and industry-specific insights on how to succeed in social media.

The Superstar States of Social Media
Get insight about succeeding on social media in economic development and see the list of state EDOs who are doing it best.
