I am not only a Michigan girl; I was raised in a very small northern Michigan town that financially existed off of tourism. The survival of my little town of roughly 2,000 people is based on the cottage rentals, canoe trips, and bar tabs of summer vacationers. In recent years I’ve watched many of these businesses close as tourism flattened in the harsh local economy. It has broken my heart. No matter how different I find myself now, these people and this town are my home and my roots.

This summer I watched Michigan push back. Instead of trying to spend oodles of budget funds on high-end advertising, the state diversified and used the Internet to extend their marketing dollars. Personally, I think they exceeded. I found myself reconsidering an out of state vacation for a local vacation up north. I considered the long-term strength of my vacationing dollars and the difference it would have on the local economy within Michigan. I stopped to think and I did so often. In reality, I thought each time a Pure Michigan ad campaign came across my Facebook page or my email’s inbox.

I applaud the State of Michigan and the marketing team that put together this social media campaign. While my approval means little in relationship to the national recognition they have already received, I am local and it is my tax dollars that have been used to fund this campaign. I know not every Michigander will approve, I do not care because this Michigander does approve. As an Internet marketing professional, I know the value of social media and I believe Michigan has done a great job of executing their social media campaign and using their marketing dollars wisely.