.

Get The Scoop Tips for working with your

CVB

Getting the word out

Marketing & Social Media

What Tourism Does

Frederick Visitor Center Visitor Statistics Groups Sales Missions Destination Marketing Press Visits & Media Requests Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Management Entity Calendar of

Events & Visitor Guide Historic Sites Consortium Scenic Byways Manager Product Development

Why do they visit? Shopping & Dining

Civil War/Heritage

Business/Ft. Detrick

Arts & Entertainment

Outdoor Recreation

Agritourism/Wineries

Genealogy

Visitor Snapshot

Jerry Holcomb and Sally Edwards, from San Diego, California,

stopped in the Frederick Visitor Center on Monday, December 3, 2012 to kickoff their full week of Civil War exploration.

How Do They Find Out About US Advertising Website Articles in Magazines and

Newspapers Online Stories Social Media Word of Mouth Business Trips Sales Efforts

Website Facts

VisitFrederick.org has more than 200,000 unique visitors and over

one million page views.

Best Practices: Connecting With Visitors & Partners Keep your content current & clear

Make photos readily available

Have a social plan

Have a point of contact

Tell your story (public relations)

Keep your content current & clear Keep Your Calendar Up to Date

Submit Events to CVB

Make photos readily available Quality photos are enticing for visitors

CVBs need your great imagery

Stories are made with great photography

Have photos that can be used without asking permission

Have a Social Plan Connect with your partners

Showcase your best features

Treat it as part of your overall marketing strategy

Refer back to your “base” or website where your main content lives

Post. Monitor. Analyze. Repeat.

Do only what you can manage.

Don’t treat all channels the same.

Example: A Festival of Confusion

1

2

“Join us this weekend at the Zora Neal Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities in historic Eatonville, Florida.”

A Festival of Confusion

3 4

“The Library of Florida history will be closed….”

Except for: Saturday, February 2 for the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts & Humanities – Eatonville.

5

56.5 mi, 1 hr 1 min driving

A Festival of Confusion

6

7

“Press” refers to books for sale.

A Festival of Confusion

8

A Festival of Confusion

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If something is important enough to…

If something is…

• Important enough to post on Facebook or Twitter (twice).

• Important enough to have on the home page of your website.

• Important enough to staff and attend for multiple days.

It’s important enough to connect the dots in your

communication.

Ask yourself…

• Do I have an image of the person?

• Does the “rest of the story” already live online?

• Do I need to create online content first?

• Do I need to “tag” people, and therefore like their page or follow them?

• How is this post part of my overall marketing strategy?

Tough Message Choices

Someone in your office just won an award. Someone says, “Hey,

that would make a great Tweet or Facebook post.”

Be able to control your own content. Start with a foundation. Build.

Working With Partners Outside of Your Organization

Tell Your Story: Information is Key

Phone Rings

Writer Says: I need something in

Frederick County for Black History

Month…

in 20 minutes.

Check Partner Site

Verify Information

Story Runs

Check Our Website

Compile & Email List

Visit Frederick’s Facebook image was selected to appear as the lead image on CNN’s Travel section on March 11, 2013.

You never know who’s looking (or lurking)

On average, 3 different social media channels are used to prepare each story. Holmes Report, March 26, 2012

Did you know… Travel writers, especially freelancers, frequently don’t pay for their experiences?

CVBs look to their partners and members to help host writers and provide unique experiences.

Tell Your Story

Get to know local media Send press releases Make yourself a resource Make sure local partners are aware of what you can offer

International Travelers

We welcome around 25,000 visitors annually to the Visitor Center.

1,000 of them are international travelers

Our top international visitors that come to our visitor center are from Canada, the UK, and Germany.

Berkhamsted, England

Marketing/Partners Organization

Tourism Council of Frederick County

Host Writer or Group Leaders

Article/Tour Inclusion

Lots of time goes by

Visitors Arrive!

“Thank you for the kind and warm welcome which was extended to us. I had never visited Frederick before but was delighted to find such a beautifully preserved downtown.

It turned out to a real gem of a find, to which I was led

by an article I read in my daily newspaper’s travel section on the city. Keep up the good work. I very much hope that I will visit Frederick again one day soon.”

Andrew Webb Berkhamsted School, Herts., England

USA 2013 History Visit Organiser

Making the Connection

Tips Keep your content updated

and as complete as possible

Get onto calendars

Get great photography with the intention to share it

Keep focused with your social media

Attend partner events

Invite partners to experience your destination

Our job is to help them find you - Our secret destinations and hidden gems.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

-Martin Buber

Michelle Kershner Marketing & Communication Manager

Questions?

www.visitfrederick.org