As the new year is now in full gear, I have read numerous articles on Digital Trends and what to look for the upcoming year. The more I look around and notice that brand / businesses are still falling short on social media and digital. In order to advance digital in 2017, we first need to correct our mistakes and enhance what we were doing in 2016. Social Media has been around for awhile now, and many people managing brands Social Media channels have years of experience doing so, and should be well past the ineffective social media and digital habits. If you have not made any New Year’s Resolutions yet, there is still time to do so, and you and/or your business is still doing any of these, let’s make a resolution to stop and adopt better practices, strategies and become better marketers.
Marketing
How Tourism Benefits a Community
Tourism is a billion dollar industry. In smaller communities it is a million dollar industry. Every community, along with their Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), expect to build of the previous years success with new attractions, restaurants, and amenities. My hometown of Sheboygan, WI is a small community whose tourism destination status is on the rise, and the community has definitely changed since I was a kid running through the streets. In 2015, visitors spent $215 million in Sheboygan County. A small amount compared to the visitor spending of $1 billion dollars in the DMO county in IL that I was a Director of Marketing of, BUT quite impressive for a community who is continuing to grow as a tourism destination. Now, the city has been mentioned as a possible location for an NBA D-League team. Impressive for a small community along the shores of Lake Michigan.
Why Twitter Is Still Relevant
Twitter has always been my favorite Social Media network. You can interact with beat reports of your favorite sports team during the game, meet people from across the country in the industry you work in, network with people, share your expertise, interact with people while watching your favorite TV show or at a conference, and see what people are saying about a variety of topics. I love watching a game or a national event through my Twitter feed. It provides me with great insight into what is happening during the game or event, plus, it can be absolutely hilarious sometimes.
Which is why I thoroughly enjoyed Twitter during the presidential debates and feel that Twitter is still relevant. According to Twitter, the first presidential debate was the most tweeted about presidential debate ever, as there was fact-checking tweets, hilarious memes, a fantastic commentary from tweeters around the country. In recent weeks there has been a lot of speculation of a Twitter takeover, the engagement boost that the platform received should emphasis its’ strength.
But what makes Twitter so relevant during the debates and other live events?
Why Attend Another State’s Governor’s Conference On Tourism
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Georgia Governor’s Conference on Tourism. I had never attended another states Governor’s Conference on Tourism while I was working for a CVB in Illinois, as I only attended the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism. I truly found it beneficial to go to another states Tourism Conference and learn about everything they are doing to attract visitors to their state, as well as network with other marketing and tourism professionals. Granted, I was attending the conference as a vendor (for my employer J Rudny, Interactive Design Solutions) and not as a marketer working at a Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), I still feel there were things I got out of the conference to help me grow as a marketer.
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5 Reasons Why You Need a Content Marketing Strategy
Your marketing plan needs to include a content marketing strategy. The days of just posting on Social Media are over, as are the days of just refreshing your website. Whether you are a destination marketing organization (also known as a CVB (convention and visitors bureau)) or a small business, it is critical to generate content on your site. Success is having a plan behind what you publish and the right team, and brand advocates, to execute the plan.
What I have noticed in the tourism world, is that many destination marketing organizations do not have a blog where they are generating content or enough content on their website. Basically, their websites look like a phone book directory, with the name of their partner business name, address, phone number and a brief description. Tell the consumer more instead of listing all of your restaurants. What makes your dining different than my hometown? What is your area famous for? What your popular local restaurant?Also, instead of making the consumer sort through all of your restaurants, separate them out into different types of food categories, to make it easier for them to find what they are looking for. If you are a small business, tell your story. What makes you the best xyz in your industry, tell me a little bit more about you, show me when upcoming events are happening at your business. Basically, you want to keep the consumer coming back to your website. Here are several reasons why you need a content strategy for your business.
Google Adwords Certified
One of the things that my new employer stressed to me when I was hired was, they wanted me to be Google Adwords certified. This was perfect! One of the reasons that I made this career change was to expand my horizons and continue to learn and grow as a person and professional. I am proud to say that I am officially Google Adwords Certified!
When I was at Visit Lake County, I knew what Google Adwords was and how important it was to have part of the marketing program. Due to the small staff and workload, we farmed this out to an agency to handle. I would provide them with keywords for each season, target audience, specific landing page for the ads, cost, etc. They would then manage the program. Now, I get to be on the other side of it, where I am managing the program, creating the ads, handling the bids/budget, and trying to generate as many conversions from Adwords for my clients as possible. Read more