This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

Simplified: The Sioux Falls Development Foundation is relying on Sioux Falls residents (and biggest fans) to spread the word about how great this community is as part of a new workforce development marketing campaign.

Why it matters

  • For the past several years the Foundation has focused its online advertising efforts at targeting folks from neighboring states – touting the various jobs and amenities Sioux Falls has to offer in the hopes they'll move here.
    • This holiday season, though, they're taking a different approach and encouraging existing residents to tell those stories themselves.
  • The Wish You Were Here campaign includes a giveaway for a $1,000 Downtown Sioux Falls gift card, which the Foundation's Director of Marketing Leah Friese hopes the winner will use to invite out-of-town friends to come visit, stay and enjoy all that the city has to offer.
"Our people here are our best salespeople," Friese said.

Tell me more about the campaign

The idea came from conversations about how among people who are most likely to move to Sioux Falls are those who have lived here before or have family here.

"We wanted to inspire our community to talk to those people and get them to come back," Friese said.

The campaign also includes several videos depicting the types of people who'd be likely to move back to be closer to family, to be part of Sioux Falls' strong, business-friendly community, or for the friendly community in general.

The Foundation also distributed hundreds of postcards saying "Wish You Were Here," for residents to send to their out-of-town friends.

Tell me more about the giveaway

You can enter the giveaway here through the end of the year (closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Dec. 31). You can also share the link with your out-of-town friends and family to get their chance to win, too. The winner will be issued a $1,000 DTSF, Inc. gift card that can be used at many downtown businesses.

"We have the jobs. We have the great business climate, safety for families – it's already here," Friese said. "The idea is if we get people here, everything else falls into place."