Try this simple thought experiment. If you could only choose one, would you rather have: 1,000,000 followers who are connected to your tourism destination or 10,000 followers who talk about you every week? Think about it this way: your most engaged visitors and residents are your best marketers. They have the experiences that turn into stories […]
Best Practices and Tactics
Why you can’t depend on viral stories to achieve your DMO’s goals
500,000 people saw this viral dolphin story on Facebook, but did it help the DMOs? Let’s be honest. Some days, we marketers look to the sky for that perfect lightning strike of media attention that gets everyone talking about the place we love – the kind of sizzling story that spreads virally online and delights […]
3 content marketing trends to take your DMO into 2019
Don’t worry, this isn’t another list of New Year’s resolutions. But times are changing. Since our business is 100% focused on tourism destinations, it’s our job to stay on top of the most effective ways to build engaging advocacy and positive word of mouth. Our elite squad of content marketers gathered to reflect on some […]
Why the hero-hub-hygiene content marketing strategy still wins for DMOs
Every organization needs an easily understood content strategy to act as a roadmap for always-on activity and broader content goals. In 2014, YouTube and Google put forth the hero-hub-hygiene (H-H-H) strategy to help digital marketers get the greatest impact from their efforts. It allows teams to diversify content to build audience loyalty and longevity, rather […]
Why emoji are a 🎁 for your DMO’s content marketing
Jing Ge is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Anthropology Department and Co-Chair of the Tourism Studies Working Group at University of California, Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in marketing and communication from the UQ Business School at the University of Queensland, Australia and has close to 10 years of online communication industry experience. Her […]
Engagement benchmarks: How does your destination compare?
You’ve just received your DMO’s quarterly marketing report. Flipping through the deck, you see that your social media channels are showing strong numbers. 70,000 more engagements here, 8,000 more followers there – growth is happening across the board. It seems like good news. Then at a meeting, someone asks, “What do these engagement numbers really […]
Sparking genuine word-of-mouth promotion is always a best practice
“If you talked to people the way advertising talked to people, they’d punch you in the face.” – Hugh MacLeod Hugh’s warning is not only good for your health, it’s relevant for any destination that talks to visitors online using platforms like Facebook. Use social media the way it was designed – to talk to […]
8 retro tourism brochures reveal 7 lessons and new roles for destination marketing
For decades, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) were among the few essential sources of vital, up-to-date tourism advice. When information was scarce, destinations sought to educate, inspire, and help visitors plan trips through brochures, maps and visitor services. Today, information is abundant. Visitors use the mobile Internet to learn what they need, when they need it. […]
2 content marketing principles that transcend algorithms and boost word of mouth
BREAKING: Posts beginning with the letter Q will now rank highest in Facebook’s News Feed. Marketers using L, S and T will pay higher ad rates to gain reach. In response, big brands are developing a 27th letter to beat the new algorithm. Full story at 11. Not really. But recent (real) changes to Facebook’s […]
8 tips for a brilliant DMO website and our Hall of Fame
We’re way beyond tourism brochures. Today’s digital marketing ecosystem continues to expand, providing visitors with the inspiration and information they need through endless platforms and channels. In an era saturated with social media, how can destination marketing organizations (DMOs) find the right role for their website? Let’s talk to an expert. Self-professed “website geek” Katie […]
Earned vs. paid media: Should DMOs pay to promote third-party content?
Imagine it’s Wednesday afternoon, and you’re at the office. The New York Times has just published an article featuring one of the newest and most popular restaurants in your destination. The story makes the restaurant look good, it makes the chef look good, and it makes the chocolate mousse look even better. Though it’s a […]
Is your messaging obsolete? This is the art of niche content marketing
Now, more than ever, there is a destination and a vacation to suit every kind of traveller. Your dream holiday is likely to be different than that of the person next to you. You’re unique, after all. This idea continues to drive the diversification of travel experiences everywhere, and destinations need to adapt as they […]
Is your destination Instagram-worthy?
Your visitors are increasingly turning to social media to see what your destination has to offer. The Internet offers hundreds of listicles about the world’s most Instagrammable destinations; the most popular beaches and spectacular monuments are on display in vibrant, perfectly filtered photos, thanks to the professional and amateur Instagrammers who have fuelled this trend for the […]
Will Facebook City Guides make trip planning easier?
Facebook is an increasingly popular tool for travel recommendations, and the recent launch of its City Guides service is a natural next step. The new feature gathers travel-related content from across the social network and organizes custom recommendations in one place. Users can choose from a list of cities around the world, find suggested things […]
Enter the Content Cave to help your stories connect
Content marketing is as old as storytelling; in other words, it’s ancient. Storytelling mediums have evolved from cave paintings, to printed books, to Snapchat stories, to virtual reality, but the human need for compelling stories (i.e. content) remains constant. The content cave continues to inspire us today, because stories are at the core of […]
Win your destination’s content marketing battle: Webinar recording and highlights
“Content marketing isn’t convincing people that they need what you have. Content marketing is informing the right people that you have what they need.” Looking for better results from your content marketing? Marketing Manager John Freeman gave a webinar presentation outlining strategies and tactics that your destination can use right away to connect the right […]
4 tips for building a fluid and dynamic media strategy
Not too long ago, marketers would typically set their annual media strategy in stone. They could research, plan and then execute their ideas (through radio or print advertising, for example) with minimal change throughout the year. Today’s, it’s dangerous to design a strategy that will remain the same 11 months from now. Modern media strategies […]
Iconosquare’s advanced media search: Game changer for Instagram curation and engagement?
Did you know that more than 95 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram every day? That can make searching for content from your destination akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Luckily, Iconosquare has responded to the needs and wants of content experts everywhere with its advanced media search tool. While still […]
Facebook travel recommendations: What your DMO needs to know
In October 2016, Facebook launched a new recommendations feature to help users get a little more help from their friends. Facebook friends have been asking one another to recommend restaurants, activities, and travel on the site for quite some time, which is all part of the great shift toward consumer engagement that today’s most savvy […]
Does your destination overvalue and overspend on its content production?
Storytelling used to be simple. Not long ago, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) were the primary source of destination promotion, but as a Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) study (including more than 327 DMOs) has reported, the top-down, broadcasting approach to storytelling is shifting toward consumer engagement. Today’s storytelling and content distribution is fragmented. DMOs face […]
5 “YUGE” destination marketing lessons from the 2016 U.S. presidential election
The U.S. presidential election is the world’s biggest marketing campaign, and this year, candidates have collected and spent well over US $1 billion so far. What can destination leaders learn by observing the spectacle? This extraordinary campaign season has offered plenty of lessons to the destination marketing industry. 1. Don’t rely solely on visitor surveys. Given […]
Instagram Stories vs. Snapchat Stories for destinations: Part 2
The quest for the best in-the-moment storytelling tool continues. In part one, we looked at some of the advantages of using Instagram Stories to share the less-polished, more personal side of your destination. How does the Snapchat Stories platform compare? Snapchat Stories went live in 2013. Like Instagram, it allows users to curate content that […]
Instagram Stories vs. Snapchat Stories for destinations: Part 1
There’s a race happening right now to capture stories through in-the-moment photo and video sharing, and competition is heating up between two social media giants: Instagram and Snapchat (the flagship app of the recently rebranded Snap, Inc.). Instagram Stories is one of the latest in the growing line-up of new storytelling tools. Similar to Snapchat, […]
Power to the people! Everyone can curate with Twitter’s Moments Maker tool
In October 2015, Twitter rolled out Moments, a curated timeline that let users keep up with unfolding news and stories in real time. Nine months on, Twitter is opening the feature to influencers, brands and eventually everyone, giving people a new way to tell stories on the platform. Through the Moments Maker tool, users can […]
Top 5 unique ways destinations are using Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO was unleashed on the world on July 6, 2016 and destinations around the globe have been incorporating the augmented reality game into their marketing efforts ever since. The game, which had already been installed over 100 million times less than a month after its release, asks players to explore popular and little-known landmarks alike, […]
Make the most of your influencer trip: 8 tips for destinations
Influencer trips are becoming ubiquitous for destinations, but not all trips are created equal. A trip’s effectiveness will vary depending on a destination’s research and the approach it takes. Here are 8 tips for destinations that are wading into the waters of influencer trips or that want to see a better return on investment (ROI) […]
Not all engagement is equal: How your destination can nurture higher-quality interactions
Before you keep reading, open up any popular destination’s Facebook or Instagram page. Choose a post and scroll through the many comments. On a page bursting with engagement from fans, which messages should you respond to? As a content manager, understanding where to focus your time is one of the best ways to build a […]
What to consider when working with videographers and video influencers
The use of video has grown exponentially in recent years as consumers, tethered to their mobile devices, have rewarded videos with their interest, and social channels like Facebook have done the same by prioritizing them. Destinations have appropriately followed the trend – by adding more short, shareable videos to their content and social platforms and […]
With Facebook algorithm changes, shareable content will be king
The world’s largest social network is changing the rules of the game. Facebook recently announced changes to the algorithm that determines what users see in their News Feed. As part of their stated effort to continue “connecting people with their friends and family,” the platform will more strongly prioritize posts shared and published by their Facebook […]
Twitter Engage could help DMOs better understand their audiences
A new tool for content creators has entered the arena. On June 21, Twitter launched Twitter Engage, a new iOS app designed to provide “real-time data and insights” that help users better connect with their audiences (despite the fact that most users simply want an edit button). Much like the desktop Twitter Analytics tool, the […]
What recent Instagram changes mean for your destination and its operators
Over the past few months, Instagram has been making dramatic changes to its photo sharing app and the way your destination and tourism operators will be able to use it. Going far beyond a new logo and a new look and feel, changes include the introduction of business profiles, analytics, an algorithm, and new limits […]
Tennessee ads use mass customization to target visitors based on interests
What do marketers mean when they talk about mass customization and why does it matter? What could you do differently to better engage your potential future visitors? A recent video ad campaign by Tennessee Department of Tourist Development sought to show the wide variety of experiences available in the state in a way that would […]