Sarah Lundy Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board e marketing manager
Rapid rise of Social Media Free and experimental The ‘human’ side of the Tourist Board: Our experiences previously going to waste Passion to promote our quality businesses Why get involved?
A bit of FUN FRIVOLOUS – not real ‘work’ Is it really FREE? No real business benefits Early perceptions
Driving traffic to our website Not a commercial driver - but with commercial consequences Keep moving forward – test, refresh and innovate with marketing “Strategic Reasons”
Influence >1500 tourism businesses Small businesses - disproportionate exposure Platform for niche engagement The possibilities are limited only by imagination Power of Synergy
What can the Tourist Board do? 1)Lead by Example 2)Be teachers 3)Be facilitators Our Role
A defined target market Jo in Manchester (35) or Steph in Bingley (43 ) Regular tweets planned, tested, well executed Speak the right language “In her saucy tattooed sailor outfit Onion (the miniature bull-terrier) will be the face of Lead by Example – Twitter
All social media messages must be consistent and speak sensibly to the visitor Lead by Example
Managing our tweets: Add links and track clicks Do not over/under tweet Stay focused and plan Use free tools such as HootSuite Test different types and times of Tweet Lead by Example – Twitter
Go Ape – Blogger Outreach Blackpool Twitrip – The Guardian Twitter Lane Twevent – Producers Month Forest of Bowland - aggregate blog Lancashire Day 2009 Heritage Open Days - campaign Specific moments......
Go Ape: Blog Influencer Project To increase brand awareness, influence brand reputation, drive qualified traffic, create customer ‘wow’ Created relationships with online influencers, drove ticket sales, spread to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube Specific moments......
Blackpool Twitrip A Cultural Tour for The Guardian Paris, San Francisco, Brighton Blackpool Specific moments......
Twitter Lane Twevent producers month launch 2 weeks of clues leading to the reveal Specific moments......
Forest of Bowland aggregate wildlife blog 14 small businesses with a common niche theme Soon to expand Lancashire wide Specific moments......
Lancashire Day twitter clicks to visitlancashire.com most before 8am focused tweets building on previous experience Specific moments......
Get inline with online seminars 2008 Guide to Social Media 2009 Members meetings Industry blog Industry Twitter As teachers
Funds available for specifically marketing Blackpool SKV employed to devise and execute viral campaign As facilitators – J’aime la Tour
Facilitators – J’aime la Tour
A hotel good tweet/blog/video..... Is our re-tweet/trackback/editorial Becomes VisitEngland’s best tweet, a national’s editorial, an award (or 12).... Tourism in Lancashire
The future – to work hard at staying ahead! COMMUNICATION CIRCLE Education