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DEMAND GENERATION & CUSTOM DIGITAL ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS.

EXPECT TO WIN

Making the Best Use of Social Media, Paid

Search, SEO and Non-Paid (free) Solutions to

Reach Customers

“Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better than we found them, more able to get where they’d like to go.” –Seth Godin

Social

SEM

SEO

Content

Marketing Strategy

EXPECT TO WIN

Search Engine Optimization

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What Is SEO?Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a marketing discipline focused on growing visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. SEO encompasses both the technical and creative elements required to improve rankings, drive traffic, and increase awareness in search engines.

• Help the Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, Etc.) easily find your website

• Improves the position in search results so that your site appears higher on the page

• Helps consumers easily find what they are looking for when your web content is most relevant.

Tulsa CVB is number three on Organic Search Results when searching for “things to do”

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Improving Organic Traffic with SEOThere are several strategies that makeup SEO 1. Crawlability - Technical backend of the website (Meta Descriptions, Title Tags, Image Alt Tags, URL structure and more)

2. Relevancy - Relevant content in the form of blog articles, itineraries, recommendations, and other subjects that your desired visitor will have interest in.

3. Freshness - Frequent posts and refreshing of website content. Keep the website stocked with new and engaging materials.

4. Connectedness - Back links from prominent sources. This is most helpful from Earned Media sources such as Trip Advisor reviews, travel writer blogs and foodie articles.

EXPECT TO WIN

Technical SEOWork with your Web Developer on some of these top pain points 1. Meta Descriptions should be unique for each page. 2. Image file names should represent the content and once on the site should have a relevant “Alt Tag” 3. The structure of the URLs on the site should be clear and informative and indicatate the content of that page (i.e. http://www.visittulsa.com/things-to-do/shopping-districts)

Missing Image Alt TagMissing Page Meta Description & Meta Keywords

EXPECT TO WIN

Webmaster ToolsBe sure that your site is registered with Google and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Webmaster Tools helps to identify issues with your site and can even let you know if it has been infected with malware (not something you ever want to see, but if you haven’t spotted it yourself, or had one of your users tweet at you to let you know, it’s invaluable).

1. Shows the top keywords and ways users are finding your site. 2. Indicates if there are errors in the website structure that would not otherwise be easily apparent and could cause Organic

Ranking issues 3. Allows uploading of the website Sitemap to quickly inform Google of all pages of the site it should know about.

And the best part? It’s absolutely free.

EXPECT TO WIN

Link BuildingBuild a company blog; make it a valuable, informative, and entertaining resource This content and link building strategy is so popular and valuable that it's one of the few recommended personally by the engineers at Google. Blogs have the unique ability to contribute fresh material on a consistent basis, participate in conversations across the web, and earn listings and links from other blogs, including blogrolls and blog directories.

Create content that inspires viral sharing and natural linking In the SEO world, we often call this “clickbait." Good examples might include “5 Don’t Hidden Restaurants in Houston” or “You won’t want to miss this when planning your Girlfriend Getaway!” Each leverages aspects of usefulness, information dissemination, or humor to create a viral effect. Users who see it once want to share it with friends, and bloggers/tech-savvy webmasters who see it will often do so through links. Such high quality, editorially earned votes are invaluable to building trust, authority, and rankings potential.

Be Newsworthy Earning the attention of the press, bloggers and news media is an effective, time-honored way to earn links. Sometimes this is as simple as announcing awards and accolades, press releases on staff announcements, and big events and promotions held by your organization.

When many online users and reputable media outlets link back to your website, Google and the other search engines see that as an indication that your site has valuable content and information that should be ranked higher in Organic search results and listings.

EXPECT TO WIN

Content Development

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39 examples of digital content

1. A tweet (in any iteration) – text only, text and link, reply, retweet etc

2. A Facebook status update – text only, text and link etc 3. A Facebook like (yep, that is content and a contribution

to the eco-system) 4. A photo / image 5. A video 6. A blog post 7. A collection of links 8. A graphic / chart 9. A question / a series of questions/FAQ 10. Numbers / stats / facts – any form of data 11. An interview 12. A profile – person, company, group etc 13. A report – on an event, decision, development 14. A survey / poll 15. Tips / hints / how to guides 16. Guest material or gust blogs posts 17. Opinions / views 18. Lists (like this one!) 19. Solutions to a problem

20. A presentation i.e slideshare or powerpoint 21. Resources i.e tools to help you get something done

http://adamvincenzini.com/

What is Content?

EXPECT TO WIN

Content Development Compelling website content and videos are the most prominent ways that users can find your site online.

1. Content should be informative and provide value to the reader. Directory listings are not seen as compelling content by search engines or online visitors.

2. The content doesn’t have to be an absolute masterpiece or have “Hollywood” level production. Off the cuff articles about a great place to eat or a video of a street fair (even shot with an iPhone) can provide tremendous value for potential visitors. Be their eyes and ears.

3. Content should be easily consumable and concise. Online users have incredibly short attention spans so capturing interest quickly is imperative.

EXPECT TO WIN

9 seconds 8 seconds

17%ofpageviews lastlessthan4seconds

4%ofpageviews lastmorethan10minutes

170wordsread onaverageonawebpage

Source: Harald Weinreich, Hartmut Obendorf, Eelco Herder, and Matthias Mayer: “Not Quite the Average: An Empirical Study of Web Use,” in the ACM Transactions on the Web, vol. 2, no. 1 (February 2008), article #5.

Content needs to be visual, brief and speak to the interests of the target audience.

Who wins the Staring Contest?

EXPECT TO WIN

Series of "How To" Stories: • How to Eat and Drink Your Way Through

Oklahoma • How to Spend the Perfect Family Weekend in

Oklahoma • How to Plan the Perfect Itinerary for a Oklahoma

Getaway

Best-of Articles: • A Guide to the Best Parks in Oklahoma • Get Outside: See Oklahoma parks with Family

and Friends • The Best Annual Events and Festivals in

Oklahoma • A Guide to the Best Local Shopping in Oklahoma

Compelling Written Editorial

Personal Q&As/Interviews: • What to See and Do in Oklahoma According

to the Locals • Oklahoma Concierge: Locals Dish on Their

Favorite Restaurants

Weekend Itinerary Guides Based on Traveler Interests: • Weekend Itinerary: 10 Ways to Explore

Oklahoma • Weekend Itinerary: A Guide around

Oklahoma's’ Outdoor Spots • Weekend Itinerary: A Food Tour Through

Oklahoma

…we must

Guide & engage them

EXPECT TO WIN

http://blog.visitdetroit.com/

Content Development FrequencyVisit Detroit- Large CVB and posts new, fresh, blog articles daily

EXPECT TO WIN

http://visitshakopee.org/blog/

Content Articles made up 31.64% of VisitShakopee.org Pageviews from April until June 2016

Earned, Owned & Paid MediaVisit Shakopee – Small CVB and posts new fresh content several times a month

EXPECT TO WIN

Developing Owned Media

Lake of the Woods Tourism

• Over 60 videos posted to their YouTube Channel

• Content ranging from Fishing Reports, Destination Highlights, Fishing Best Practices, Lodging Info and more

• 165,666 views of video content without paying a penny in paid media

Video Content

EXPECT TO WIN

Info Graphics • Provide a simple, visual, resource for potential travelers to learn more about your destination • Easily sharable online and on social media • Highlight where your visitors come from, what attractions and events are popular and what you

have that no one else can offer. • Many free info graphic tools online (www.easel.ly & pictochart.com)

Info Graphics

EXPECT TO WIN

Outside vendors can assist with content development and to build out your online content presence.

Experienced travel writers can give an outsider’s perspective on the destination. What they would want to see and do when they visit. The research that is done may surprise you!

CVB/DMO and Hospitality marketers are experts in their destination and organization and should still expect to have a role in crafting and defining the tone and message of the content.

Travel is emotional. Treat it that way. Pick content ideas that are going to spark interest and encourage engagement. Directory pages and venue lists are rarely engaging and often encourage visitors to bounce from that page.

Know who you are and whom you are speaking to. If your destination offers great dining and shopping, it may not make sense to try and promote the one zip lining activity that is an hour out of the way.

3rd Party Content Development

“The best part about working with brands is that they truly understand the right tone. They understand their brand’s voice better than anyone can.”

Matt Trotta Vice President, Agency

Relationships BuzzFeed

EXPECT TO WIN

Should I bring travel writers to my destination?

Guest bloggers, travel writers and family trip coordinators may offer to travel to the destination to get a truly immersive experience, explore the sites and discover the best things to see and do.

• This is a great option to generate compelling content and get a true outsider’s perspective.

• May be cost prohibitive if the writers expect travel accommodations and free meals.

• There may be limited creative control over the content. Writers may not wish to be obligated to speak on a specific topic and/or venue. They may have good and possible negative things to say in their content.

3rd Party Content Development

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Social Media

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People under the age of 30 don’t know life without the internet.

EXPECT TO WIN

81% of travellers said reviews were i m p o r t a n t w h e n deciding which hotel to stay at.*

85% of travellers u s u a l l y o r a l w a y s consult Trusted 3rd party reviews before booking a hotel.**

75% of travellers said their holiday was better b e c a u s e t h e y u s e d reviews to make sure they picked the best place for them.**

*Forrester,2014**Nielsen,2016***Skyscanner,2015

67% of Facebookers said “that seeing friends’ ho l iday p ictu res had inspired them to book a ho l iday to the same place.***

Social Media Impact for DMOs

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!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"

recommendations from people you know: 92%

!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"

consumer opinions posted online: 70%

!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!

advertising: 47%

Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising and Brand Messages April 2012

Trust

EXPECT TO WIN

Social Media Critical to DMOsEXPECT TO WIN

Source:DMAIBlog:Barnes,KarylLeigh."TheBigReveal:Budgets,StaffingandTheFutureofSocialMediaAtDMOs:Http://www.destinationmarketing.org/blog/big-reveal-budgets-staffing-and-future-social-media-dmos."

150 friends

15,000 friends of friends

1,500,000 friends of friends

EXPECT TO WINEXPECT TO WIN

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Create a content calendar that showcases events, activities and anything else you would want to develop content for. This would be content that will live both on your different social media channels and your website. The content calendar will allow you to plan ahead and organize your social media and blog for the types of content that will be developed.

Twitter 1-3pm weekdaysFacebook 1-4pm weekdaysTumblr 7-10pm weekdays and 4pm on FridaysInstagram 5-6pm weekdays and 8pm on Mondays with a sweetspot at 6pmPinterest 2-4pm and 8-11pm weekdays with weekends being the bestGoogle+ 9-11am weekdayshttp://blog.sumall.com/journal/timing-everything-post-smarter-meow.html#ixzz4BrSktNrz

When to Post on SocialThe simple answer for frequency: Post as often as you have engaging, entertaining, or useful content to share.

Here are some reference points: Facebook - 1-2 times per day Twitter - 1-2 times per day or more Google+ - 1-2 times per day Pinterest – As often as possible, multiple pins per day would be ideal Website Blog – 1-2 times a week or more

Frequency

Social Media PostingContent Calendar and Social Media Posting

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Developing Owned Media

Minneapolis Northwest CVB

• Frequent Live Video Streams on Facebook

• Content promoting live events and activities

• Free Media Exposure

• 50-250+ video views on each content piece

Owned Media

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Key Takeaways1. Social Media is a trusted source 2. The network effect generates reach 3. Stories build a destination brand 4. Niche communities create narritives 5. Social at the core of your marketing

EXPECT TO WIN

Paid Search

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Paid SearchEXPECT TO WIN

Banners,Video&SocialAdvertising

CustomContentDevelopment

WebsiteRetargeting

Paid Search

PaidSearch(sometimescalledPPCorSEM)isoneofthequickestandeasiestwaystorelevantwebtraffictoyoursite.

1. “BottomofFunnel”capturewebusersandpotentialtravelersthatarelookingspecificallyforwhatyourdestinationhastooffer.

2. AppearonthetopofSearchPageResultswhileSEOeffortscatchup.

3. PaidSearchtypicallyhasbetterperformancethanmostanyotherpaidmediaplacement.

Travel OK appears on the top of the page thanks to their Paid Search efforts

EXPECT TO WIN

Planning a Paid Search StrategyEXPECT TO WIN

There are several key points to consider when planning a Paid Search (PPC) Strategy

1. What are the goals of a campaign? • Need more web traffic? Encouraging visitor guide downloads? Click-

outs to partner sites?

2. How will you measure the success of the campaign? • Look at what amount you’d be comfortable spending in order to

achieve a desired goal. Driving website traffic can be easy and cheap but if looking to drive a conversion, costs can go up.

3. How are users already finding my website? • Look at Google Analytics and Webmaster tools to determine how users

are finding your site Organically. Try to utilize keywords and phrases that are not in these lists

4. Look at Event & Content Calendars to determine timely promotions to drive interest.

EXPECT TO WIN

How to Choose KeywordsEXPECT TO WIN

PaidSearchallowsforyoutodeterminethekeywordsandphrasesyouwouldwanttohaveyoursiteshowuponwhensearched.

1. TrynottouseyourCVBnameinthepaidkeywords.MorethanlikelytheCVBnamewhensearchedwillbethetopOrganicresultanyway.

2. Utilize“Exact”and“Phrase”matchingwheneverpossibletoensuresearchesandclicksarethemostrelevanttothecontentyouareoffering.

Paid Search Ad

Organic Listing (Free)

EXPECT TO WIN

Working with a Paid Search VendorEXPECT TO WIN

Paidsearch,whileeasytosetup,isstillascienceandcampaignsshouldbeviewedandoptimizeddailytoensuremaximumROIandeffectiveness.

ManymarketingcompaniesclaimtobeSEM“experts”butherearesomeredflagstoconsiderwhenworkingwithanoutsidevendor:

1. Thevendordoesnotsharekeywordreportsandcostinformationbykeyword.

2. Vendorclaimstheyhave“aninwithGoogle”todrivecostsdown.Googledoesnotworklikethisandhascreatedanauctionlikesystemforkeywordbiddingtoalwayskeepcostsfairandcompetitive.

3. Campaignsshouldhavegeographictargetinglayeredintoensurethemostrelevantusersareclickingonyourads.AsmallCVBwitha4hourdrivemarketlikelywillnothavemuchbenefitfromaNationallytargetedPaidSearchcampaign.

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Summary

• Contentdevelopmentshouldbeasignificantaspectoftheoverallmarketinginitiatives

• Socialmediaposts,editorial,blogposts,videocontentandmorecanbeproducedinternallyorwiththeassistanceof3rdparties.

• Thereareseveralpaidadvertisingsolutionsavailablethathelptoputyourcontentinfrontoftherightaudience.

Marketing Synergy

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EXPECT TO WIN

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Synergy: SEO from PPC

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TargetAudience• Programmatic

• Display&• Retargeting• In-Feed

• Sharing Keyword Data - PPC Keyword reporting to determine the types of content users are engaging with (how-to, best restaurants)

• Implement sitelinks – within PPC ads, to link directly to deep portions of your site based on keywords

• Determine which ad copy and CTAs work best on PPC – implement those calls to actions on Blogs and Social Posts

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Synergy: PPC from SEO

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TargetAudience• Programmatic

• Display&• Retargeting• In-Feed

• Maximizing Budgets – when budgets are tight and long-tail keywords don’t capture desired clicks, focus on SEO and Content using historical PPC results

• Improve keyword Quality Score with SEO content – better, more relevant landing pages for PPC ads improves PPC QS, Ad Rank, engagement and conversion, lower CPC

• Use Organic Trends to Plan CPC – watch your analytics data to see when more people are on your site, plan information releases and budget to correspond to higher site traffic

EXPECT TO WIN

Content Advertising – Tell Your Unique StoryEXPECT TO WIN

• User Generated Content (Earned Media) – There is nothing more authentic and trustworthy

• Travel Marketing is Visual – bring your audience to your destination through media, allow them to form a connection by providing content they connect with

• Turn Guests into Brand Ambassadors – Develop hashtags and themes. 97% of Travelers post their trips to social media, 73% post once a day. Use coworker FOMO to your advantage.

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Planning a Digital Strategy Creating a Comprehensive Digital Plan

EXPECT TO WIN

TargetAudience• Programmatic

• Display&• Retargeting• In-Feed

When looking at marketing goals, try to think beyond clicks and impressions.

How are consumers being reached by you and your competitors?

Is your messaging being heard over the multitude of digital advertisements consumers are exposed to?

Utilizing multiple tactics can help to keep your destination top of mind and in the consideration for travelers

EXPECT TO WIN

Planning a Digital Strategy Creating a Comprehensive Digital Plan

EXPECT TO WIN

There are so many advertisers now across digital, TV, radio and print that it is hard to capture the attention span of a consumer using just one digital tactic.

When creating a digital strategy try to utilize multiple solutions to reach your target audience.

Between 12-20 ad impressions are needed before the average consumer makes a purchase decision.

If someone is being served video, social, banner and audio advertisements for your brand they are more likely to take action and convert.

Questions?

THANK YOU

EXPECT TO WIN. EVERY MARKET. EVERY PROSPECT. EVERY TIME.