2014/2015 HCTDA Marketing Plan

Transcription

1 2014/2015 HCTDA Marketing Plan 1

2 Table of Contents 1. Staff 2.Marketing 3.Video Production/Film Office 4. Media/Communications 5.Social Media 1

3 HCTDA Staff Lynn Collins Executive Director Ashley Rice Content/Digital Becky Seymour Video Production/Film Office Anna Smathers Media/Communications Eddes Christopher Visitor Center Representative Jane Farmer Visitor Center Representative John Porter Visitor Center Representative Dennis Kindrick Visitor Center Representative 2

4 Marketing Objective: Expand, Update, Increase Visits and Monitor website content on Establish more of an emotional connection with the visitors through content on the HCTDA website. Work with advertising agency on restructuring portions of website to be optimized for keywords. Monitor website traffic utilizing Google Analytics and make changes according to most visited sections to improve site performance. Generate and repurpose content on an on-going basis to increase search engine optimization. Also this will increase engagement and time spent on the website. Increase external links to VisitNCsmokies.com by 20%. Increase Database by 25% Increase Visitor Inquiries by 20% Increase Promotions/Deals on VisitNCsmokies.com by 100% Increase visitation to by 20% over 2013/2014 numbers. Expanding, Updating, and Repurposing content allows for more links back to the website from social media and keeps the website fresh. Measurement will be done with Google Analytics Benefits: Rich content is a great tool for increasing the visibility of the HCTDA website across search engines, social media websites, and the web as a whole. Having great content means the website ranks higher with search engines which in turn gets more visitors and more external links. This also helps to achieve greater relevance as a destination. Objective: Utilize the website haywoodcountytourismdevelopment.com to increase communication with industry partners and provide general tourism business information. Further develop the industry website for information about Haywood County Tourism, its efforts and local impact and evaluate ways that it can be more fully integrated into communication and education efforts locally. 3

5 Objective: Develop an Industry Partner Toolkit Build a toolkit for new Occupancy Tax account holders to include (but not limited to) introductory letter about the HCTDA, staff and visitors centers locations, free listing opportunities, Visit NC opportunities, advertising opportunities, social networks and more. Build a toolkit for current industry partners to include (but not limited to) staff and visitors centers locations, free listing opportunities, advertising opportunities, social networks and more. This will be available on the industry partner website Create a specific link on the Industry Partner website that offers marketing,pr, and social tips and trends, helpful websites, and tourism related connections. Provide the tools for them to find the information for marketing updates. Benefits: Develop positive relationships. Assisting partners with their marketing efforts keeps them on top of the trends and topics growing our tourism business. Objective: Create Industry Partner educational opportunities. The topics may vary based on trending topics and the industries needs. The HCTDA will offer educational opportunities on a quarterly basis. Examples of workshops: Social Media Marketing Workshop, Public Relations Best Practices, Cohesive Branding Workshop Working with Haywood Community College s Small Business Center to organize a certification workshop series aimed toward the travel and hospitality industry. Attend educational and networking opportunities to expand HCTDA s regional network and industry knowledge. Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Marketing College (Alumni Course Digital Marketing Lab ), NC Governors Conference on Travel & Tourism, Western Carolina University Tourism Conference Benefits: Develop positive working relationships with industry partners. Offering educational workshops helps our partners grow their marketing efforts and increases tourism. It is essential to develop a regional based network of tourism professionals. 4

6 Video Production Objective: Create an increased Video Media Presence on the HCTDA Blog Site Videos will contain similar content of the current Blogs on the TDA website. i.e. A Blog that is written about Hiking will have a link to a YouTube video that relates to Hiking. Video page on visitncsmokies.com There will be videos that will be added regularly to the page. These videos will be changed out based on season. The link to the YouTube Channel will remain on the page at all times so consumers can view the entire video library. Objective: Increase monthly views on YouTube Channel. Monthly Views to be increased by 10% over previous years numbers Videos that encompass all there is to see and do in Haywood County will be released on the HCTDA YouTube Channel regularly. Increase YouTube Channel Views by 5% annually. Views of Channel will increase by regularity of video publishing. Increase YouTube Video Views by 5% annually. Increase YouTube Channel Subscriber numbers by 5% annually. Objective: Expand Content of Video to Include Create multiple videos that encompass each Homegrown in Haywood Initiative. (food, arts, heritage, outdoors, music) Guerilla Interviews with Visitors to show true experience Scenic & Natural Beauty Documentary Style Educational Videos Select Haywood County Festivals and Events Attend at least one Trade show/conference related to Video Production (i.e UberTube, Content Marketing Conference & Expo) 5

7 Film Office The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has revived the Haywood County Film Commission. Becky Seymour, Video Marketing Manager of the Haywood TDA, is working to draw more TV and Film Production to Haywood County. The Haywood County TDA is currently working side by side with Advantage West, out of Asheville, and supplies information on Haywood County when presented with Location requests for TV and Film. Goals for 2014/15 Solicit a minimum of 3 film/tv projects per year in Haywood County. Expand the database for Locations, Crew, and Support Services. Publish a Haywood County Film/TV Press kit that can be mailed and/or downloaded to prospective Film/TV producers. Create a Film Permitting process that applies to Haywood County specifically. This permit will be presented to the County Commissioners to be approved for use by all of the Towns within the county. The permit information will include: location fees, taping guidelines and requirements, economic impact form, traffic control, trash removal, etc. Increase the awareness of the Haywood County Film Office and Haywood County as a production destination. Collaborate with local media to include HCTDAS video with tourism related published stories. Establish and grow relationships with local, regional, state, and national film production contacts. Attend at least one Trade Show/Conference related to the Film Industry (Sundance, SXSW, or Location Trade show) Objective: Create a micro-site that will be dedicated to the Haywood Film Office MicroSite will include: A digital profile of Locations with photos that are within Haywood County Listings of Support Services and Crew from Haywood County Haywood County Film/TV Permit that can be downloaded or filled out online Film/TV press kit that can be downloaded or viewed online. 6

8 Media/Communications Objective: Revise and Implement Communications Strategy Plan for HCTDA Work with advertising agency to create an Editorial Calendar for Identify target media markets and both develop and implement messages for each market. Build on-going story bank for time-sensitive media inquiries and press releases. Develop a seasonal schedule for press releases based on the editorial calendar. Create and add new targeted content to the HCTDA website including but not limited to an updated media kit, itineraries, and press releases. Partner with marketing and video marketing team to execute releases that coincide with current marketing campaigns and always include relevant video and photo coverage. Benefit: Expanding and growing press coverage for Haywood County s tourism industry increases awareness of our offerings to the traveling public. Editorial coverage has a very influential impact on readers/potential visitors. Media coverage increases awareness of what Haywood County has to offer. Objective: Expand Media & Industry Relationships and Grow Media Coverage Increase Media Contact List from 300 contacts to contacts. Emphasize a breakout into the blogger and freelance market. Average at least $1,500 in Media Advertising Value per month totaling $18,000 per year. Average at least 25 relevant media placement mentions per month totaling 300 mentions per year. Re-design existing Press Kit based on new marketing messages and distribute widely to targeted media lists. Pursue opportunities with press and media outlets to feature stories on Haywood County s tourism industry. Increase Media Monitoring efforts through advertising agency and develop a plan of action based on current coverage. 7

9 Monitor media to gauge what pitches and stories are being utilized and what areas need improvement. Create a measurement system to display our media coverage in a monthly report. Attend at least two Visit NC Media Missions to pitch story ideas to media and grow both media and state partnerships. Host at least one media familiarization a year and encourage individual media trips to interested journalists. Create new and expand current industry relationships with neighboring TDAs, CVBs, and visitor services in an effort to co-market our destinations and increase reach to the traveling public. Expand industry knowledge by attending various educational opportunities throughout the year: Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Marketing College (1st Year Student) NC Governors Conference on Travel & Tourism STS Symposiums Local Partner Events and Conference Ex. Gather Around the Blue Ridge Blue Ridge National Heritage Area; Western Carolina University Tourism Conference Benefit: Increasing media relationships builds trust and increases exposure for the county. Building credibility develops positive relationships and emphasizes reliability with members of media by being easy to work with and by quickly providing accurate, accessible information. Also increasing relationships with local industry contacts in surrounding counties and establishing co-marketing efforts will benefit our region as a whole by increasing exposure. Objective: Increase and Maintain Outreach Efforts to Both Visitors and Industry Partners Continue to grow communication efforts with industry partners through on-going informational newsletters (Communications Corner & Tourism Tidbits). Grow opportunities and current working relationships with local organizations to achieve an expansion of our marketing efforts and assist our industry partners. " " 8

10 " Examples: Growing Agritourism reach and marketing through co-communication efforts with Buy Haywood Working with Haywood Community College s Small Business Center to organize a certification workshop series aimed toward the travel and tourism industry. Develop partner-specific workshops on a quarterly basis to educate and promote growing trends in the tourism industry. " Examples: Social Media Marketing Workshop Public Relations Best Practices Workshop Cohesive Branding Workshop Utilize local media to notify and raise awareness of what the TDA is doing regularly to promote tourism in Haywood County. In conjunction with the advertising agency, develop, create content, and distribute consumer newsletters to keep the line of communication open and information about Haywood County continuously in front of them. Benefit: Keeping industry partners and the public aware of what HCTDA is doing to promote and grow tourism builds positive relationships and trust. Assisting partners with their marketing efforts and providing ways to grow their knowledge keeps our industry on top of the trends and growing our tourism business. Keeping visitors informed regularly of Haywood s tourism offerings entices them to plan visits to our area. 9

11 Social Media Objectives: Expand social networks - follow and increase engagement Industry Partners & Businesses Active Locals Food & Travel Writers Groups, Clubs, Organizations Increase traffic to the HCTDA website - Calls to Action Increase traffic to Industry partners and businesses - Calls to Action Content Plan There will be a content plan developed and a content calendar will be implemented. The scheduled content will include events and festivals, posts for campaigns as they are created, repurposing existing content, reposting relative content from industry partners. All social media posts will have a call to action to increase interaction with the HCTDA website. Theme ideas throughout the week. Monday- Weekend Recap/Week Ahead; Tuesday- Homegrown in Haywood (sharing products, services from industry partners and merchants; Wednesday- Agritourism/Farmer and Tailgate Markets; Thursday- Outdoors; Fridays- Haywood County Highlights; Saturdays and Sundays will be dedicated to events happening those days with scheduled content. The HCTDA staff will reach out for content from industry partners via newsletters. 10

12 Channels Facebook- 2 posts daily. Photo Albums will be created, research will be done on a weekly basis to locate and follow industry partners and influencers within a 3 hour radius. Utilize Rignite for monitoring. Twitter- 2 to 3 posts daily. Create segmented list of followers, research will be done on a weekly basis to locate and follow industry partners and influencers within a 3 hour radius. Utilize Tweetdeck for monitoring hashtags and retweets. Google +- 1 post daily. Create circles of industry partners, media, and targeted groups. Monitor with Buffer. Pinterest- Add rich pin boards and repurpose existing boards to include keywords, links, and descriptions. Pinterest in now enabled with Google Maps. Locations will be added to boards when called for. Some examples of Boards are: Where to eat for each town, hikes, waterfalls, Haywood County Overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway, etc. Blog- 2 blog posts per week. 1 related to a special tourism related topic and 1 related to upcoming events. Youtube- 1 to 2 posts weekly, which will include the Weekend event Rundown Instagram- 4-5 posts per week using designated Hashtags. 11

13 Partnerships 12