Connexion

Fort Collins Connexion is a municipal broadband utility that was created by and for the Fort Collins community with the sole purpose of improving life and business through better, more affordable internet. What began as a business plan dating as far back as 2016 was ultimately voted on and approved by the residents of Fort Collins in 2017, and a multi-year construction process began in 2018. In 2021, Connexion partnered with OTM to establish a brand story and messaging, a website, and a multi-phase marketing strategy that would evolve alongside its construction rollout.

Services

  • SEO & Inbound Marketing
  • Market Positioning & Branding
  • Targeted Advertising
  • Website Design & Brand Development
  • Photography & Videography

Our Approach

Prior to partnering with OTM in 2021, Connexion had taken a conservative approach to marketing as the fiber internet service was not yet readily available to most home and business owners in the community. In this early phase of construction, Connexion faced a unique challenge: it needed to have enough top-of-mind awareness to gain community support for when service became available, but only select areas of the community had access to sign up at any given point in time.

We needed to build overall community awareness through strong messaging and top-of-funnel activations, nurture an engaged (but not ready to convert) audience with transitional CTAs and mid-funnel activations, and leverage highly targeted channels (like email and direct mail) to convert those who had service availability. This led to the development of our phase 1 full-funnel marketing plan which we aligned to the customer journey and construction rollout process.
complex document showing a customer journey for a business
Additionally, we had to design a website user experience that would encourage interest list signup without detracting from service signup. Being that Connexion was created by the City of Fort Collins, the website was initially embedded inside of the City of Fort Collins website, similar to other utilities. This made it difficult to create a defined conversion path for potential customers and because the City of Fort Collins website is a part of a march larger organization, it was difficult to make regular adjustments as the construction process moved forward.
We opted to create a standalone website for Connexion, leveraging a WordPress theme that would enable the Connexion team to make changes efficiently as the construction process evolved. Additionally, we focused on improving local SEO for broad keyword terms such as “internet near me” and “fast internet in Fort Collins.”

In 2023 alone, we saw the following results (compared to 2022):

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Increase in Engagement Rate on Their Residential Services Page

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Increase in Engagement Rate on Their Business Services Page

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Increase in Website Conversions

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Increase in CTR on LinkedIn Ads

Moving into 2022 and 2023, the construction process continued to pose challenges for targeted marketing efforts. Service availability was becoming more widespread, but internet was still not yet available to all Fort Collins households and businesses.

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Decrease in Cost per Click on LinkedIn Ads

Precision was key to reaching potential customers who could benefit from Connexion’s offerings. We began running targeted ad campaigns across various platforms designed to reach different target personas.

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Increase in Impressions on Facebook and Instagram Ads

As Connexion advances into its final phase of construction in 2024, service availability will expand to reach all of Fort Collins and our ongoing marketing strategy is poised to adjust as well.

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Increase in Landing Page Views on Facebook and Instagram Ads

Our efforts will transition to focus on increasing conversion rates and decreasing customer acquisition costs.

Results

In partnership with Fort Collins Connexion since 2021, our journey has propelled the municipal broadband utility through its various construction rollout phases. Our tailored strategies align with Connexion’s mission to enhance life and business in Fort Collins through improved and affordable internet during each stage of construction. Together, we forge a path toward a more connected and vibrant digital future in the Fort Collins community.