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When you look at the breadth of marketing trends and changes, it can seem downright overwhelming (machine learning, anyone?). For attractions with stretched budgets, these goals can be insurmountable. Never fear, your pals at Mascola are here — with a list of completely doable considerations to whip your turnstile marketing plan into shape in no time.
Social media algorithms change ALL the time. Before you let an update ruffle your feathers, remember this: your competitors are scrambling, too. Take into consideration the larger trends that push changes on social media before you jump to conclusions about your performance. Word-of-mouth advocacy should remain your main priority. That means you should keep delivering appealing, useful, and relevant content. Focus on the content marketing practices that prove timeless: excellent storytelling that captures attention, brings value, creates a connection, and elicits emotion. If needed, consider outsourcing a social media manager that can help you stay on top of the social game while you and your internal team focus on your content. (Or hire a pro team to handle the whole kit and kaboodle.)
How many people are you trying to appeal to? (We know: anyone willing to take out their wallet). But if you’re marketing to a mass audience, your communications will naturally be more diluted — and less impactful. Focus on a smaller demographic based on the unique positioning of your destination brand and you’ll make more meaningful connections. Consider breaking your positioning into several mini-campaigns (like we do for The Big E). Plus, when you tap into a focused, passionate audience, you can create your own arsenal of raving fans that will spread the word for you. Which brings us to…
In the beginning, there were influencers: social media darlings with ginormous followings. Paying them as spokespeople was a natural progression. These influencers reach far and wide — and they don’t come cheap. Fairs, festivals, and small-t0-mid-sized destinations won’t have the need for that level of exposure. Consider a local museum or botanical garden. A destination brand like this would be better-served to connect with a local adventurer, foodie, or mommy-blogger with a smaller, more local following. These “nanoinfluencers” have as few as 1,000 followers and, because of this, tend to have more personal and trusted relationships with them. They are usually a lot more affordable than nationally-known influencers (or even free), and choose projects that are a great fit for their audience’s passion, getting your message in front of more eyes that matter (and fewer eyes that don’t).
Since Instagram Stories launched in 2016, its consumption has grown since 842%. That’s reason enough alone to start using the channel. Now, with the launch of its partner app, IGTV, brands can create videos for curated channels and no limit to video length. Both Stories and IGTV are drawing more eyes away from their main feed and Stories will soon outperform the newsfeeds on both Facebook and Instagram when it comes to growth and engagement. That means the time to start experimenting with this format is now.
TV ads aren’t dead — they’re going OTT (over-the-top). OTT media is anything delivered via the internet (think: Netflix, YouTube, etc). According to eMarketer, the number of cable cord-cutters will climb to 32% in 2019. And the number of OTT service subscribers will rise to near 51.7% of the US population. So while traditional cable viewers are shrinking, the number of OTT viewers keeps growing. Your destination brand should start considering OTT services as the new reality for ad buying — not only because that’s where your audience is headed, but because they allow you to refine your audience even more for that niche position you’ve been crafting. If the OTT ad network feels like the wild wild west, speak with an experienced media buyer before you start navigating the waters alone.
Before you google “best subject line for open rates,” hear me out. Everyone has gone digital. You have an opportunity to do something different by putting a well-designed newsletter or brochure directly into your audience’s hands via mail. I’m not saying forgo your email campaign, but I am saying that a piece of beautiful marketing collateral in the actual hands of your now-very-niche audience can connect on a level that digital can’t, and in a way that your competitors may be overlooking.
Getting your turnstile marketing plan on point doesn’t necessarily mean a program-wide overhaul. But integrating a few updated and actionable steps can go a long way when it comes to your year-end ROI. Need help getting your plan in place? Drop us a line. We’re happy to help.