Top 10 Reasons To Join DLP

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Join the Downtown Lakeland Partnership

1. OUR NEW WEBSITE ROCKS!
Our new website will allow each member business its own page, controlled by YOU!
The DLP website is the #1 result when Downtown Lakeland is googled.  We received
more than 250,000 page views last year.  Folks visit our site.  When they do they will
see you.  You can upload pictures and videos to your page, and change or add to the
page’s content daily.  We’ll train you on how to do it all! Plus, any DLP member may
have an “@downtownlakelandfl.com” email address.

2. EMAIL MARKETING
You can utilize our email list to promote your business. Our list is over
1,000 and growing each month.  Every week we average about 8 new subscribers
to our email list. These are folks who go to our website and sign themselves up!

3. FIRST FRIDAYS
One of the best ways to reach new customers is face to face interaction.  First Fridays
provide you with an opportunity to interact with thousands of people who already
know where downtown is and how to park successfully! Two big hurdles – CLEARED!
Open your doors or set up a table in Munn Park – either way, you can capitalize
on this very successful event every month!

4. QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
The Downtown Dish is published quarterly and is mailed to 5,000 pre-qualified
downtown customers with another 5,000 distributed in downtown shops and
restaurants, as well as Hollis Garden. Each month we get requests from folks
wanting to be added to the mailing list.  We always run out of copies in downtown
because folks love ‘em! The advertising is super affordable, starting at only $100.

5. GOODIE BAGS
Who doesn’t love to get a goodie bag!  We have thousands of downtown bags we
stuff with your coupons, flyers, pencils, magnets, whatever you give us.  Then we
distribute those bags to events outside of Downtown Lakeland.  Spring training
games, events in Winter Haven or other parts of Lakeland, and the Lake Morton
Home Tour is example of where our goodie bags find happy hands.  This a great
opportunity to reach new customers in a non-traditional and fun way.  You provide
us the “stuff” and we do all the work for you.

6. SOCIAL MEDIA
DLP is now on Facebook and Twitter.  We are keeping up with cool new technology to
keep Downtown Lakeland TOP OF MIND!  Don’t know anything about Twitter or
Facebook?  We can teach you so you can have your own accounts.
7. DOWNTOWN DOLLARS
Our Downtown gift certificate program keeps folks coming back to downtown.  We sell
them on the website, but we give them away, too! Tigers’ Spring training games, First
Fridays and other events are opportunities for us to give them away.  We encourage
businesses to purchase them as office perks or customer gifts or accept them in your
business. Call us for details!

8.  HISTORIC WALKING TOURS
We partner with Historic Lakeland to bring visitors and residents into Downtown
Lakeland for an intimate look at our historic downtown. These tours provide folks with
a connection to Downtown and the businesses here.  The tours are free, and people
love them.  We create ambassadors for Downtown who will keep coming back
bringing friends and relatives.

9. ADVOCACY
Though our main mission is to promote Downtown Lakeland, when warranted, we
defend Downtown Lakeland’s interests.  The most recent example would be our
continued opposition to the CSX freight deal that would cause increased freight traffic
through Downtown Lakeland and ultimately turn our Downtown into the state’s freight
super highway.  Our efforts have not gone unnoticed by state officials, and as of
publication of the list, we are succeeding in the fight.

10. BE A PART OF DOWNTOWN LAKELAND: A LITTLE MECCA OF COOL!
You know the saying, “ The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
That is why successfully promoting Downtown Lakeland is a group effort.
It’s an experience worth having – with its independent shops and restaurants,
services, local artisans and art galleries, public art, parks, gardens and lakes.
By investing in the DLP through membership and cooperative marketing efforts,
you get the most bang for your marketing buck!

Businesses do not have to be located in Downtown Lakeland to become a member of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership. Many members who are located elsewhere see the value in member benefits and have a love for Downtown Lakeland and its continued vitality.

Membership rates for the Downtown Lakeland Partnership:

$50 Individual – Does not have business member benefits and is non-voting.
$200 – Non-profit rate
$200 – Businesses with FTE equivalents of 1-3 employees
$300 – Businesses with FTE equivalents of 4-10 employees
$400 – Businesses with FTE equivalents of 11 or more employees

$500 – GOLD Member – Any size business or individual can be a gold member. Gold member benefits include name recognition on the cover of the quarterly newsletter, name listing and website link from the DLP home page, recognition at the DLP Annual state of Downtown meeting.

Join the partnership