It’s May in the Black Hills, and you know what that means – tourist season is upon us!
If you handle the marketing for a business that depends on tourism for the bulk of the yearly revenue, you know how important it is to stand out from the rest of the seemingly endless lodging, dining, and entertainment options in our area and showcase yourself as a hotspot for visitors. How do you do that? Social media, of course – and we even have some social media tips to show you how!
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Create a Strategy
Just like the perfect vacation, putting together a great social media strategy for the tourism season takes some planning. There are a few things to consider when developing your strategy:
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Your target audience. Knowing your company’s key demographic is critical to mastering social media marketing. If you don’t already know important information about your target audience (age, location, interests, etc.), then now is the time to look through website analytics, conduct a survey, or find any other way that you can gain that information. Then, check out this handy guide that breaks down what demographics are on each platform and plan accordingly.
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Your time and money budget. Running a successful social media profile takes time, so make sure you have the manpower available to make that possible. If you don’t have much to spare, stick to only one platform so you can make the most impact.
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Your goals. What do you hope to accomplish with your social media efforts? Are you simply looking to raise brand awareness, or are you hoping to drive traffic to your website? Do you want to generate purchases from your social media posts and ads? You’ve gotta know your goals in order to reach them!
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Tell a Story
If you want to be a part of your customer’s vacation, you need to paint a picture as to why they need to include you in their adventure. Incorporate high-quality photos and videos into your social media strategy to showcase your location, products, and services. Capitalize on what is unique about your company and use it to show why a visit to your destination is different than the rest.
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Let Others Help Tell Your Story
By using user-generated content, you can let your customers do the work for you! Encourage your guests to share their experiences on social media using a branded hashtag, and then share that invaluable content in your own profile feed. Doing so not only helps you to engage with your customers and get them in on the fun, but it also helps build trust and credibility among those who are still deciding if they want to visit your location.
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Engage, Engage, Engage
Social media is not just about posting great content; in fact, the main goal of social media is to build relationships and connections with your followers. Make sure to respond to comments, messages, and mentions, and even take some time to visit the profiles of partner businesses to leave a comment here and there. Ask questions and initiate conversations to show your audience that you value their input and feedback.
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Utilize Partnerships
Influencers. If there’s a list of divisive words in the marketing world, it certainly includes that one. However, influencer marketing can do wonders for your reach and visibility on social media, and it isn’t some hugely complicated or expensive component to incorporate into your strategy. Simply identify businesses or personalities in the area whose audience aligns with your target demographic and collaborate on content.
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Offer Exclusive Promotions
Entice travelers to choose your destination by offering promotions and sales through your social media channels, which you can further promote through paid social media ads to drive reach and engagement. By creating deals specifically through your social media channels, you can not only increase interactions with your posts, but you can also better track the ROI of your social media efforts.
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USE VIDEO
We can’t stress this enough. Videos, even ones that are taken with your run-of-the-mill smartphone, can capture your audience in a way that static assets never will. Take videos that show real-time updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and sneak peeks of what life at your destination is really like.
Need help putting these social media tips into action? Midwest Marketing is here to help – contact us today!
