MURFREESBORO — Promotion is one of the essential keys to economic development.

Town officials here are now in a position to promote their community thanks to a grant.

Early last week, the town of Murfreesboro was notified that they had been awarded a $70,000 grant from Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation especially for marketing.

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, Town Administrator Cathy Davison spoke about the grant to Murfreesboro Town Council members.

The grant will be used for marketing the town over a two year period.

Town officials applied for the Z. Smith Reynolds grant under the suggestion with officials with Golden LEAF.

Originally the town applied for $137,000 for two years, but was awarded the $70,000.

Davison said it was the first time the town had been awarded a grant specifically for marketing.

“It’s an exciting time for Murfreesboro,” she said.

In a later interview, Davison said the Creative Communities Initiative provided an outline for the town to use as a marketing plan.

Davison said that outline calls for the town to utilize many different types of media (print ads, brochures etc.) and not just in the local area, but in metro areas like Raleigh and even Washington, D.C.

In a later interview, Murfreesboro Mayor Lynn Johnson also noted the positives that will come with the funding from the grant.

“This will allow us to continue the work that has already begun with the Creative Communities Initiative,” she said.

Johnson said the grant will assist with the town’s web presence on the Internet and economic development.

“It’s very good Z. Smith Reynolds has invested in Murfreesboro,” she said. “It’s really a break for us.”

According to their web site, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is a private, general purpose foundation with the mission of improving the quality of life of the people of North Carolina.