Why I Chose Dallas for My Digital Marketing Journey

The internet, mobile, and cloud-technology allow digital marketers to work virtually. Everything we need is a click away. (Tweet this quote.)

Our education, partnerships, and networks are cultivated online. Communications are constant. Jobs are digital.

But is it enough to experience the marketing world through digital alone? Mobile technologies keep us connected to our clients and their buyers. Social newsfeeds and daily newsletters keep us updated on industry news. Yet there are times we put down our digital devices. We go out for coffee, dinner and—in my case—movie night with friends.

I had an agenda when I moved to Dallas. I chose this city for the people I’d meet, the conversations I’d have during after-five functions, and the face-to-face interactions I’d enjoy over lunch.

There are three main networks that prompted my decision to move. Here is why I chose Dallas to start my digital marketing journey.

1. Marketing and Advertising

Dallas has a long marketing and advertising history. TracyLocke, one of only six agencies in the U.S. to achieve 100 years of service, moved its headquarters to Dallas in 1917. Stan Richards of Richards Group incorporated his full-service advertising agency in 1975. It’s now 2014 and digital marketing firms continue to build their brands on Dallas soil.

Relocating to Dallas has provided opportunities for me to network with some of the most experienced and creative marketers of our day. I’ve had the pleasure of working with leaders who were the first to use business blogging in marketing. I’ve enjoyed hearty conversations with industry veterans in data privacy and technology.

All of these experiences are waiting right outside my front door. All I need to do is step outside of my office and say hello. These mentors, partners and leaders are eager to share their experiences. They’re also interested in hearing my ideas, predictions, accomplishments, and setbacks. It’s this kind of community that fosters growth.

The knowledge in Dallas is contagious. You just can’t help but catch it. (Tweet this quote.)

2. Technology

I’m a big advocate of IT and believe it holds the future of marketing. Dallas happens to be one of the top cities in the United States for high-tech manufacturing. It was in Dallas, less than 60 years ago, when Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments created the world’s first integrated circuit. It was this device that, by combining several circuit functions into one unit, made our current digital technology possible. Dallas has since become the nation’s third-largest technology hub and is often referred to as the Silicon Valley, or Silicon Prairie, of Texas.

This city is also home to a strong startup scene for—you guessed it—technology companies. Forbes magazine listed Tech Wildcatters as one of the nation’s top 10 startup accelerator programs. Just take a trip to the Tech Church located in Uptown (a district in the heart of Dallas). Here you’ll find IT startup founders working on their product design and pitch.

Entrepreneurs, engineers, and other IT advocates from around the world are relocating to Dallas. Just go to any Launch DFW happy hour to discuss the latest in startup technology. Stop by the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) and watch some of the industry’s more forward-thinking minds at work.

3. Family

The reasons stated above were enough incentive to move to Dallas, but living within close proximity to family was not negotiable. Most of my immediate family is in Oklahoma and Texas. I’m fortunate that one of the best cities to relocate for my industry was also close to these people.

Dallas and Digital Marketing

The community here is strong and ambitious. I’m constantly learning just by meeting friends for coffee or attending a networking function.

I believe it’s the resiliency in digital marketers that’s so remarkably attractive. I meet others in my profession and we’re eager to share our setbacks, successes, and theories. What we do is hard. It’s really hard. That’s why we find camaraderie here with other marketers.

I’m sharing my discoveries as a Dallas digital marketer via my blog. If you’d like to join the journey, make sure to sign up here for the monthly newsletter.

Come back for the next post: Will a phone that sends smell launch a new marketing technology?