the content field guide tourism yukon · • piggy back off tourism yukon’s campaigns to grow...

THE CONTENT FIELD GUIDETOURISM YUKONV 6.0

2THE CONTENT FIELD GUIDE - TOURISM

YUKON

Chapter 1: Content StrategyWhat is content?

Why is content Important?

What is our Content Vision?

Tourism Yukon’s Content Strategy

What’s in our Content Strategy Backpack?

What is the one thing for me to focus on?

Understanding our Themes

Chapter 2: Field ReadinessThe Field Ready content checklist

Your Content Team in 3 steps

Creating a Content Plan

The Right Content Channels

Content Sources

Measuring Success

Chapter 3: Telling the Yukon StoryVoice & Perspective

The Yukon’s Audience

Gallery: Best Practices & Tips

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE?

Introduction

Introduction


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WHY WAS THIS GUIDE CREATED?

WORKING WITH TOURISM YUKON

BUILDING A CONTENT PLAN GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CONTENT

Tourism Yukon is doing more and more with

content marketing every day and taking

advantage of that has never been easier:

• Save time and money through shared

content

• Piggy back off Tourism Yukon’s campaigns

to grow visitations

Build a content plan together that is

manageable and effective:

• Whose is responsible for content?

• Creating a content plan

• How can content be sourced?

• Gallery of examples

Understanding where to use content and how

to drive results:

• The Yukon audience

• Recommended content channels

• Recommended strategies

The Content Field Guide was created in response to questions from the Industry. It is designed to be a resource for immediately actionable strategies

that you can use in your own business to take your content efforts, visitations and sales, to the next level. In this guide we focus on three specific areas;

Introduction


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Together we can bring the possibilities of the Yukon to the prospective

traveller by raising our overall level of awareness and helping them find

their path to us.

But there is a lot of ground to cover and today’s prospective traveller is

constantly discovering and devouring Destination content from a

well-spring of sources.

It’s up to us tell the Yukon’s story, but it is the traveller who is setting the stage for us and making it clear when, where and how the Yukon story can make a difference and influence them.

Because in the end that’s what we really want. To be the most influential

source of content about the Yukon experience.

And to do that we need to understand what drives our most valuable

audience to travel and how we can appeal to them with the right content

that makes an emotional connection.

This field guide is going to set out the path to partnering with Tourism

Yukon to leverage the investments we are making to build success for

yourselves.

Let’s get started!

CHAPTER 1CONTENT STRATEGY


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WHAT IS THE RIGHT CONTENT?Throughout this guide we’ll be talking a lot about content and developing content for different channels and formats. We’ll also share some examples and best practices.

First, let’s explore what we mean when we say content and some of the critical content formats to be planning for.

Our recommended list has been created with the understanding that you already have a website and a strong handle on creating product and promotional content.

When it comes to content, we have put together the critical components that will drive your success.

The critical components to strong content are:

1. Voice: Real, Authentic. Continuing to use actual people and tell

real stories whenever possible. The first person narrative is compelling,

relatable and resonates.

2. Audience: We use content to let travellers know that the Yukon

understands them, can meet their specific needs, and represents their values.

3. Emphasis: Impactful, Simple, and Useful. Delivering the perfect mix of

functional, emotional and entertaining content.

4. Tone: The Yukon Character + Audience-Centric Tone. The Yukon’s core

qualities never change but using humour, voices and people can help change it

enough to suit different audience needs.

The critical content formats are:

1. Photos: Real, Authentic. Use actual people and tell real stories whenever

possible. The first person narrative is compelling, relatable and resonates.

2. Videos: Think short form, under 1 min and under 30 seconds. People want

to consume small vignettes of the experiences they are interested in.

3. Blog Articles: Impactful, Simple, and Useful. Delivering the perfect mix of

functional, emotional and entertaining content.

4. Social Media Posts: The perfect social media post is always a marriage of

a smart headline, compelling image/video and relevant tags.



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“Mass communication” is largely a thing of the past.

People now demand personal communication - content

that is made for them. And they want more than just to

consume that content. They want to participate in it,

become a part of it, and share it.

WHY IS CONTENT SO IMPORTANT?

People always want to know the price and want’s on offer but

there is a big emotional aspect to buying travel that needs to

be fulfilled before any transaction happens.

This is why the average traveller visits 12 sites prior to

making a purchase decision. To make sure they've answered

every question and to kindle their desires to be somewhere

extraordinary.

Destination content has exploded because travellers have

made it a valuable and profitable practice to tell the

experience story of a destination from many different

perspectives.

Content is about giving the prospective traveller what they

want, it’s about telling our own story and letting the travellers

tell theirs and share their experience.



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Our content vision describes the essence of the Yukon

experience, the audience being spoken to and Tourism

Yukon’s role and place in telling the Yukon story.

“The Yukon is a welcoming and generous destination of unparalleled

beauty and authenticity that captivates visitors under the spell of the

midnight sun and the dance of northern lights. Here, visitors feel deeply

connected to the land, the pristine wilderness that surrounds them and the

people they encounter or share their journey with. Yukon’s rich and unique

history, paired with its exceptional geographic location, fuels and nurtures

creative, innovative and pioneering spirits.

Tourism Yukon is a part of the community of storytellers who provide a

window into the culture and natural phenomena that compels the world’s

adventurers, lovers of beauty and constant explorers to discover the

Yukon.

We are a source of inspiration, knowledge and practical wisdom for those

seeking to experience a place that has no comparison.

WHAT IS OUR CONTENT VISION?



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Our shared vision is a critical component in presenting a unified front albeit

through many different perspectives to give the prospective traveller a

vision of what they might experience while visiting the Yukon.

By working together …

• A streamlined strategy will help to organize content and simplify the

process

• Unified planning efforts will help build a simple and reliable content plan

• Our collective story becomes more impactful, by providing educational,

valuable content that is more strongly positioned to fill gaps and address

the prospective traveller’s needs, concerns and interests

• Shared content means less assets to produce but more assets to work

with

• Save time, money and resources

HOW IS OUR VISION RELEVANT TO YOU?

WE NEED YOU TO HELP TELL THE STORIES THAT MATTER.



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WHAT IS OUR CONTENT STRATEGY?

To do so we need fill the content gaps between presenting a travel

product and what it feels like to experience it. That is so important to the

change we are making with this strategy. A new focus on how the Yukon

delivers, in so many ways, on the experience drivers that chase people

out into the world to explore.

And we need to share those experiences in the right place, in the right

formats with the right audience. So our content strategy is organized in a

very simple way:

1. Who is our audience?

2. What are their experience drivers?

3. What are the creative themes that bring them both together?

4. What is the best format to tell the story?

The rest comes down to planning, execution and working best practices

to get the strongest results from our content.

Our content strategy is about telling emotional, experiential stories that

connect with prospective travellers on a human level. The travellers who

choose to come to the Yukon are travellers who are passionate about

experiencing the world. But they want to see and feel it before they come

here.

Price, promotion and product do not tell the complete Yukon story.

Which is why we’ve created a strategy that is all about the traveller and

their motivations to travel first and foremost. Our content strategy is

meant to be awareness and consideration driving. We want to find and

attract the best possible prospects for you.



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WHAT’S IN OUR CONTENT STRATEGY BACKPACK?

AUDIENCES EXPERIENCE DRIVERS THEMES

We are focused on delivering the

Canadian traveller to the Yukon. But not

just any traveller, we have targeted 4

distinctive segments that have shown

through research to be our best bets.

For every segment we target, there is a

list of experience drivers that are critical

to their purchase decision. These drivers

help to determine what stories we are

going to tell and how.

Themes allow us to tell a very human,

personal and emotional story. And you

cannot tell the Yukon story without

emotion and exploring the way the

experience here makes you feel.



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WHAT’S THE ONE THING FOR ME TO FOCUS ON?

THEMES.

There are a lot of moving pieces to Tourism Yukon’s content

strategy. But the most important aspect for us all to be

collaborating on are the use of particular content themes.

We’ve come up with our list of themes based on established

primary research, a lot of industry and operator input and

collaboration with tourism experts. In each and every theme

there is one part audience, one part experience driver and

one part creative license.

That is why themes are at the foundation of our content

strategy to influence prospective travellers through experiential

content.

If you can connect with a traveller at an emotional level, you

can influence them to come spend time with you.

Next, let's cover the most important themes that you can

incorporate into your content plan.

CHAPTER 1CONTENT THEMES


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PATHFINDER

The story of the Yukon is written in the paths that are woven through its landscape making it one of the most accessible wildernesses in the world.

What to Focus on:

River, Road & Trail

Wilderness is the word for possibilities here and our

adventures are as varied and amazing on land as they are on

water.

Freelander

Passionate adventurers need to chart their own path and with

a wilderness that is accessible from major roads, urban hubs

and hundreds of trails, finding your own way is what makes us

so appealing.



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IMMERSED IN NATURE

Exploring nature at its most majestic and wonderful; through the eyes of the traveller.

What to Focus on:

Natural Wonder

A first person account of our iconic wonders and the emotions

they bring out in us. Look to craft stories during an experience

to help bring the prospective traveller closer to the Yukon.

Wildlife

Observing wildlife is one of the most memorable and happiest

adventures in the Yukon. For many, what the Yukon has to

offer is so outside their everyday experience, the more we can

share the relationship between land, people and wildlife, the

more we can compel them to visit.



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LIVING HISTORY

The history of the Yukon is yours to experience through its people and communities.

What to Focus on:

The Connected Spirit

Focus on longer form stories, like blog posts and videos, that

speak to the First Nations’ connectedness to the land.

The Pioneering Spirit

The modern expression of innovation and human

accomplishment in the Yukon. The pioneering spirit never died,

it is strong and embedded in the Yukon of today.

Vibrant Communities

Tell the story of how our communities have transformed

themselves through art and culture and the ingenuity of the

Yukon spirit.



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ENCOUNTER ADVENTURE

Encounter Adventure explores the extraordinary experiences in nature for the extraordinary adventurer. We are one the world’s most pristine wildernesses and we need to show it.

What to Focus on:

Off the Grid

Wilderness adventures for those that are looking for the

extraordinary wild.

No Logo Adventures

Bespoke wilderness adventures that encourage the adventurer

to follow their own path instead of a fixed itinerary.

Great Events

Showcase content on the key events that can only be

experienced here in nature.

The Quirky Spirit

Editorials on the people that embody the uniqueness of the

Yukon spirit.

CHAPTER 2FIELD READINESS


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CHAPTER 2Field Readiness


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PLANNED. PACKED. CREATE.

THE FIELD READY CONTENT CHECKLIST: • A Content Plan has been created with your themes and sources of

content identified

• Your preferred channels have been set up

• Someone is now in charge of content, either as a role or as a

division of their time

• You have mapped out your sources of content: of when, where and

how content can be developed as easily as possible

• You are ready to produce, publish and track your weekly or monthly

content output and have a good handle on the best practices

Over the course of this section we are going to walk you through:

1. Setting up your content team

2. Creating a content plan

3. Working within the right content channels

4. Finding your sources of content

5. Measuring success



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The good news is that a content team can be as big as a

single person and still be really effective. Think of all

those influential travel bloggers generating reams of

content with just their phone and a passport. Creating

great content does not require you to have access to

dozens of skilled creatives and agencies.

CHOOSE A LEADER

Step 1 Put someone in charge of content planning and working with outside

content producers who is responsible for the following:

• Developing your content plan by picking your themes, channels and

sources of content

• Coordinating with Tourism Yukon on content themes and best

practices*

• Managing your content calendar so you can see what content is being

developed when and for what purpose

• Making sure content gets developed

YOUR CONTENT TEAM IN 3 STEPS.

*Contact Tourism Yukon for more information on how you can

coordinate with Tourism Yukon on content themes and best practices.



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Step 2

Start making sure content development is part of your weekly or monthly

activity plan. Whether it’s looking to a blogger for writing help, taking

photos and videos, your operations or staying on top of your content

calendar, feeding your channels is critical for success.

The most important activities in this step are:

• Developing your content plan by picking your themes, channels and

sources of content

• Coordinating with Tourism Yukon on content themes and best practices

• Managing your content calendar so you can see what content is being

developed and for what purpose

• Plan for your sources of content - When can content be easily created?

What are some upcoming opportunities? Who can help you create

content?

SET A CONTENT PLAN TO PAPER.



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Step 3

Step 3 is all about getting your content developed and published into

the market. For many of you, creating content outside of a project or a

website update is going to be a new experience. The reality is content

is going to become part of your daily routine. Not to worry, a well

thought out content plan will help make execution more than

manageable.

• Follow your content calendar and weekly or monthly plan

• The Content Lead should be reviewing the content before it’s

published, ensuring many of the best practices are being applied

• You must be publishing! Part of your content plan should outline

who is responsible for specific types of content creation

MAKE CONTENT A WEEKLY GOAL.



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A good content plan is simple, concise and directional. Like the

way a good map is. And it doesn’t take a lot of work to get your

content needs organized and set down to paper. To make it even

easier, we’ve develop a content plan framework to help you get

started.

In chapter 1 we talked about how we are looking to set the Yukon apart in the

mind of the traveller by speaking directly to their emotional drivers for travel. We

want to influence them to choose the Yukon as their travel destination so we

need to be very compelling.

To do that we need to balance the amount of product content, which features

prices and restrictions, and promotional content, which features discounts and

restrictions, with experiential content.

Experiential content is story based, highly visual and is about the traveller’s

experience. It can be told by the traveller, yourselves or a travel influencer. But it

is always about the way the Yukon makes you feel.

As a recommended approach, here are the building blocks for your experiential

content plan:

THEMES: How do I fit into Tourism Yukon’s themes?

PRODUCT: Where and when can I tell the human side to my product story?

What about the experiences I offer gets people’s emotions going?

EVENTS: Are there any events that I am a part of,or impact me, that I can tell a

story about?

BIG CONTENT: Is there a great piece of content, maybe a video, that someone

has created that I can leverage in my storytelling?

CREATING A CONTENT PLAN.

Let’s quickly cover what some of the benefits are to having a

content plan:

• Helps to identify where your content needs and priorities are

• Makes coordinating with Tourism Yukon all that much easier

because you’ll know what you’re looking for

• Reduces the amount of work involved by focusing your content

efforts - less is often more!

• Keeps you organized week by week, channel by channel to

ensure the content keeps rolling out



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The first step you’ll need to take is to create a simple outline of each building block and

look for the connections that you can support with content. Keep it quick and simple:

you’re not looking to solve problems, only for the broad strokes.

THEMES: Pathfinder, Immersed in Nature, Living History and Encounter Adventure.

- Where do I fit into in these themes and where can I contribute content that will help

bring the themes to life?

PRODUCT: Accommodations, Tours, Group Experiences, Adventure Experiences.

- What part of my product experiences really drive a traveller’s emotions?

EVENTS: Yukon Quest, Available Light Film Festival, Adäka Cultural Festival, The Thaw

Di Gras Spring Carnival.

- What can I do differently this year to capture moments from some of our best events?

BIG CONTENT: Vacation Planner, Yukon Stories (Video), My Yukon Broadcast

Commercials, Influencer Video.

- When I see something I love, whether it’s a video or social post, I should immediately

think, “How can I use that?”

CREATE AN OUTLINE.

CHAPTER 1CONTENT

THE CONTENT FIELD GUIDE - TOURISM YUKON

NEXT, CREATE A SIMPLE CHART

THEMES PATHFINDER IMMERSED IN NATURE LIVING HISTORY ENCOUNTER

ADVENTURE

Product

Fill in your ideas here

Events

Big Content

24

AND FILL IN THE CONNECTIONS FROM YOUR SKETCH


Telling the Yukon Story


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We spoke early on about how our content strategy is

focused on filling the gaps between experiential,

emotional content and product promotional content.

People always want to know the price and want’s on offer

but there is a big emotional aspect to buying travel that

needs to be fulfilled before any transaction happens.

This is why the average traveller visits 12 sites prior to

making a purchase decision. To make sure they've

answered every question but it also kindles any desire to

be somewhere extraordinary.

Destination content has exploded because travellers

have made it a valuable and profitable practice to tell the

experience story of a destination from many different

perspectives.

For your content to be found by prospective travellers and ultimately lead back

to you, your content plan will need a well thought out trail.

Out there in the wilds of the internet, you’ll see a lot of other ways to describe

your content trail: content network, channel map, ecosystem, platforms etc…

They are all essentially the same thing and exist to map out the connections

between your website, social media and influencer or partner content.

The content trail will help you plot out the best content formats by channel and

make sure all your efforts drive visits to your website.

WEB: Your website and primary presence onlineSOCIAL MEDIA: Your active social media channelsEMAIL: Your consumer targeted email campaignsOTA (Online Travel Agency): Your presence on Trip Advisor and other OTA’s that also need content rich experiences.

THEN CREATE A CONTENT TRAIL


CHAPTER 2

Telling the Yukon Story


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CHAPTER 2

MAP OUT YOUR FORMATS

WEB SOCIAL EMAIL OTA

Blog Post Video

Testimonials Itineraries

Photo Galleries Reviews

Video Photo Galleries

Testimonials IllustrationInfographic

Surveys Facebook Live

Facebook Messenger

Instagram Stories

Testimonials Blog Post

Photo

Photo GalleriesQuestions &

Answers Testimonials

There are a lot of formats and options to creating and making content available to the prospective traveller.

From a best practices standpoint, content is generally broken into a few groups:

TEXT BASED CONTENT

AUDIO & VIDEO CONTENT

GRAPHIC CONTENT

LIVE CONTENT

CHAPTER 1CONTENT

THE CONTENT FIELD GUIDE - TOURISM YUKON

SAMPLE CONTENT TRAIL

CHANNELS PATHFINDER IMMERSED IN NATURE LIVING HISTORY ENCOUNTER

ADVENTURE

Product

Fill in your ideas here

Events

Big Content

Trip Advisor

27

IT DOES NOT NEED TO GET ANY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THIS.




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WE RECOMMEND.

THE RIGHT CONTENT CHANNELS

There are a lot of choices to be made when it comes down to where you spend your time and energy publishing content. Since we all have a limited amount of each, it’s best to start with only a few channels that can really deliver the audience we’re looking for.

Content publishing criteria:

• Traveller preference • Ease of linking and sharing between a website and other

channels • The ability to target and support content with paid media • The ability to measure and track results • Support Video, Ads, Editorial Content and Promotional

materials

Facebook Instagram

In addition to your website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Trip Advisor are the best choices for getting your content directly into the hands of your target audience.

Trip AdvisorTwitter



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Why Facebook?

Facebook is a recommended social media channel because it’s an established source for travel ideas and inspiration at the top of the sales funnel to generate conversation, drive awareness, gain leads and convert prospective travellers into buyers.

To get the most out of Facebook be sure to:

• Stick to your content plan and themes to make generating posting ideas as easy as possible

• Focus on getting some great shots and short videos out there• Be ready to answer back and talk to people through comments and

messenger• Less is always more! Short and snappy text • Stick to one idea per post• When you are ready, look into promoting your posts through the

Facebook Ad Manager• Focus on fun and emotion, even when talking about price, product

and promotion

FACEBOOKNot all days are equal on FacebookEngagement rates on Thursday and Friday are 18% higher, compared to other days in the week.

Be a FollowerPay attention to what others are doing in the industry. You can always tell when something is working for someone else if they are generating a lot of likes, shares and comments.

Photo posts get 39% more interactionsPhoto posts get more engagement than links, videos or text-based updates. They actually account for 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook.

Shorter posts get 23% more interaction Writing posts that are below 250 characters can get you 60% more engagement. Cut it down to less than 80 characters and you’ll see another big lift in comments, likes and shares.

Questions generate 100% more comments Sometimes it’s best to ask really good questions of your followers to bring them into the conversion.



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FIELD READY CONTENT.

Why Instagram?

For Travel and Tourism brands, Instagram produces high

engagement as Travel content is already one of the most popular

experiences. With a ready made audience waiting to discover you, all

you need is a consistent eye for composition and a knack for telling

your story to propel yourself towards success.

What goes into an effective and popular Instagram channel?

Instagram has quickly become the visual language of the internet.

Users can post images, videos and a combination of both through

what they call stories. Instagram is well known for it’s quirky

personalities, captivating images, love of all things animals and a lot,

and we mean a lot, of travel influencers.

Be active in the Instagram community

Instagram works best when you use it to make connections and build

relationships with other users. This doesn't mean you have to devote

your life to it but it does mean making time to comment and like other

user’s content regularly.

INSTAGRAMThis is as top of the funnel as you can get

Instagram is about driving awareness. It is not a place to have a lengthy

conversation or sell a particular package. It is heavy on story and

snack-able experiences. Use Instagram to show a human side of business

that you may not have shown before.

#hashtags

Hashtags are the single most important aspect to your Instagram posts.

Popular hashtags are trail markers by which new followers are going to find

you. A power user can be found loading a post up its limit with 30

hashtags.

Here’s a sample of some hashtags currently being used by

TravelYukon.com:

#exploreyukon #explorecanada #yukon #wildernessculture #theoutbound

#tourcanada #enjoycanada #bestvacations #neverstopexploring

#welltravelled #letsexplore #liveoutdoors #mindthemountains #yukonquest

Emojis

This illustrative language can help you in humanizing your posts which lead

directly to more content likes, conversions and gaining followers. They are

quick and easy to use and, well, people just naturally respond to them.

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bestvacations/

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/liveoutdoors/



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Twitter: Be What’s Happening

Twitter is another key platform that with a simple and thoughtful plan

you can deliver new and happier travellers. Twitter users are, by

definition, passionately interested in brands and experiences. They

are also the sharing types you want in a loyal band of followers:

● Twitter has over 313 million monthly users.

● Those users send 6,000 tweets per second—that’s more than

half a billion per day.

● Twitter users are three times as likely as Facebook users to

follow a brand.

There are a few questions you should answer about how and where

you want your time on Twitter to deliver value back to your

business. Focus on answering what you want Twitter to do:

generate new sales leads, build awareness about your business

and experiences, and/or be an effective support channel for

customers. It can do all three, but that’s going take up a lot of time

and effort, so it would be best to choose a specific business goal

and work toward it.

While you give that some thought, here are some quick start best

practices to get your Twitter up and out into the field.

TWITTERBe Visible on Twitter

Proper set-up of your account is critical, as many new followers will only

find you if your Twitter is easily searchable and they “get” who you are

from a quick page view.

The Best Handle is a Simple One: Make sure your handle is short and

is understandable. For example: @DawsonCityYukon or

@AirNorthHoilday. Keep it simple and only add additional letters if you

need to define your location in a meaningful way.

Complete Your Twitter Bio: It’s really a big deal to have your entire bio

and Twitter account completed. This is what helps followers find you! Be

sure you include industry-related hashtags, such as #TravelYukon and a

link to your website.

Promote Your Twitter, Always: The best way to get your Twitter out

there is to promote it on everything, such as your website, email, directory

listings and so on. If you start to think of your Twitter handle as being as

important as your phone number, you’ll make sure it gets out there.

Search & Add Valuable Twitter Followers: Building the right follower

base on Twitter takes time. Without great followers, your Twitter will never

take off. Search and find other accounts that you know prospective

travellers are interested in. Follow them and mine their follower list to

source and build out your base.



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FIELD READY CONTENT.

TRIP ADVISORTo get the most out of Trip Advisor:

Claim and complete profiles

Trip Advisor recently cited “Restaurants with hours of operation on their Trip

Advisor listing see 36% more engagement than those without them”

Use Photography

Like all social media, visual imagery is key to capture the attention of travellers.

Photos, along with reviews, give potential guests another reason to choose you.

Trip Advisor recently explained that “restaurants with 11 - 20 photos see double

the amount of diner interaction over no photos at all” and those “with at least

one Management Photo (photos posted by you or your organization) see 44%

more engagement over those with no photos”. So selecting the right Primary

Photo (the main image on your listing) and Management Photos are key.

Respond to Reviews

Responding to reviews, both negative and positive, is key to being successful

on Trip Advisor. Quite simply, a response to a comment shows you as an

organization are interested in feedback and telegraphs that you take customer

service seriously. Responding publicly, is an opportunity to correct

inaccuracies, provide more information, show gratitude and appreciation and

ultimately show reviewers and potential customers what your brand is about.

Why Trip Advisor?

To start, look no further than the stats.

● 500M reviews and opinions

● 390M monthly average unique visitors

● 7M accommodations, restaurants and attractions

(Stats from TripAdvisor.com)

Originally a travel opinion aggregator for hotels, Trip Advisor has

grown (and continues to grow) adding airlines, vacation rentals,

restaurants, activities and more. Today, it is the world’s largest

travel site with millions of travellers visiting each month to plan their

perfect trip.

It’s a no brainer to be on Trip Advisor. For the basic service it’s free

and will increase exposure of your business to a large qualified

audience - and gives you access to a selection of free marketing

tools.

http://tripadvisor.com



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There is a lot of flexibility today in terms of where you can find

content sources that prospective travellers are willing to spend

time with. Which adds up to a win-win situation for the average

content planner because it means you can find low-cost to no-cost

solutions that people will still find authentic and engaging.

You will also find that developing high gauge, professional content

doesn’t always come with a hefty price tag. Many travel

professionals are looking to build their own brand’s content and

rely heavily on traditional FAM trips.

And never forget that sharing someone else’s content is always a

good idea.

To get your content plan up the mountain focus on 3 strategies for content development:

1. Your In-House Team

2. Partners & Customers

3. Influencers & Travel Bloggers

CONTENT SOURCES



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Creating great content doesn’t require a huge team of people.

THE IN-HOUSE TEAM

Here are some tactical/practical content sources you can work into your everyday operations:

Take candid and behind the scenes snapsNot every shot has to be a staged production; personal, small focus stories are just as interesting to people as iconic landscapes.

Focus on short 15 - 30 second video clipsGet to the heart of the matter quickly, whether it’s something offbeat, extraordinarily beautiful or a day in the life experience, make it short and sweet.

Assign themes to specific events, experiences and peopleNo one activity from your organization or business can capture all your content needs so it’s best to parcel them out in smaller, focused bites.

Field Readiness


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Some stories are best told by those who’ve experienced them, which is why incorporating customers into your source of content is going to be a key ingredient of success. Today’s traveller is increasingly influenced by first person stories from fellow travellers since they represent an unfiltered and genuine view of an experience.

For its part, Tourism Yukon is constantly developing programs to generate and capture personally based travel experiences that you can mine for content in your own channels.

PARTNERS & CUSTOMERS


#hashtagsLook for ways to incorporate #hashtags into your marketing materials and experiences. Travellers have learned to pick up on these cues and many of them will use them when capturing their experiences.

ReviewsBoth the bane and the boon of any destination, traveller reviews, comments and testimonials are a guaranteed way to influence prospective travellers. Look for as many ways to capture them as possible, online and offline, and manage the negative ones openly and honestly.

Follow the Path Be sure to have a good understanding of the content themes the Travel Yukon team will be working with throughout the year. Check in regularly with the Travel Yukon channels to see what posts are getting the most attention and what opportunities are there for you to take advantage of.

CHAPTER 2

Field Readiness


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Almost every DMO, including Destination Canada are making travel influencers a part of their marketing plan. Their ability to deliver stunning creative, first person experiences and prospective audiences are big reasons as to why they have become a fixture in destination marketing.

You may not be ready to go out into the wild and build up your own influencer relationships, but the team at Tourism Yukon most certainly is. There will be many opportunities to collaborate with an influencer that Tourism Yukon is hosting and to reap all the benefits.

INFLUENCERS & TRAVEL BLOGGERS


Share your content plan with themSome Influencers like to do their own thing while others appreciate any direction or support you can give them. Either way, be sure to get involved and let them know what your needs and expectations are. You can always trust an influencer is there to create amazing content but you may need a small hand in it to ensure it’s content you can use.

Influencer content needs support Be sure to have a plan to pre-promote, repost and just generally talk about the fact that you are hosting an influencer. The content they create goes directly to their audience, it’s up to you make sure any blog posts, images or social media posts get as much visibility as possible outside of an influencer’s content trail.

CHAPTER 2



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Here is a quick cheat sheet for Tourism Yukon’s content network, in addition to Destination Canada which feature some true Yukon gems.

http://www.travelyukon.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TravelYukon/

https://twitter.com/TravelYukon

https://www.youtube.com/user/travelyukon

https://www.instagram.com/travelyukon/

TOURISM YUKON

DESTINATION CANADAThe team at Destination Canada is always working to find and publish the best travel content about Canada and more often than not, the Yukon shows up as a Destination inspiration. Be sure to keep an eye on their content network as well.

https://www.facebook.com/ExploreCanada

https://twitter.com/ExploreCanada

https://www.instagram.com/explorecanada/

https://www.youtube.com/user/canadiantourism

http://canadakeepexploring.tumblr.com/

http://www.travelyukon.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TravelYukon/

https://twitter.com/TravelYukon

https://www.youtube.com/user/travelyukon

https://www.instagram.com/travelyukon/

https://www.facebook.com/ExploreCanada

https://twitter.com/ExploreCanada

https://www.instagram.com/explorecanada/

https://www.youtube.com/user/canadiantourism

http://canadakeepexploring.tumblr.com/



YUKON

MEASURING SUCCESS

1. IS THE AUDIENCE YOU’RE

REACHING THE RIGHT ONE?

2.DO THEY VALUE YOUR

CONTENT?

3.HOW CAN I GROW MY

AUDIENCE?

Any solid measurement strategy starts with the right questions and then uses the tools at hand to capture results. We want

to measure the effectiveness of our content because content can sometimes be a challenge to create. It’s an investment and

like any good investment we want to stop doing the things that aren’t working and do more of what is.

Measurement is a complicated business at best but all our work boils down to a few simple questions that we want answers

to:



YUKON

This question is best understood by measuring the volume and quality of traffic your content is driving to your website.

1. IS THE AUDIENCE YOU’RE REACHING THE RIGHT ONE?

Bounce Rate - Did a visitor come to the site, see one page and then leave immediately? Bounce is a normal part of any site. You want this to be below 50% ideally.

Time on site (Dwell) - The measure of how much time visitors spend on your site and with your content. This can vary based on a lot of reasons, but any visitors that spends less than 30 secs is considered weak. Look for dwell times to be between 2-4 minutes.

Referrals - Referrals are going to show you where some users are clicking on links to find you. They can come from search engines, blogs, other websites and social media.

Understanding where your traffic is coming from is the key to understanding where your content efforts are being effective in carving out a path to finding you. It will also let you know if other people are mentioning you on their blogs and linking back to you.

Exit Pages - This is different from looking into your bounce rate, which measures those one page visits, to looking that page people most frequently leave from. Exit pages are good indicators of dead or blocked paths that may need a little more content to make them really valuable to the visitor.

Unique Visits - If you’re just starting to look into your website metrics, your unique visitors a good place to start. Unique visitors represents the count of individual people that visited your site regardless of the number of times they visited your site. So, if Robin visits your site once and Claude visits your site five times, you will have two unique visitors and six total visits.



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They best way to understand if your audience is enjoying and finding value in your content is to measure what they do with it. Which is a lot simpler than it may sound.

2. DO THEY VALUE YOUR CONTENT?

Shares and Likes: Within your social media channels these numbers are readily available at the post level. For Shares and Likes, you want to set a target between 2% and 5% of your total followers sharing or liking any one piece of content.

For example, if you have 1000 followers on Facebook, for each and every post you are looking to see if you’re getting anywhere from 20 to 50 likes. Not every post is going to hit that target but pay really close attention to the ones that do!

Comments: Expect to see a much lower rate of commenting than liking and sharing. Commenting can take a bit of work on behalf of the user where as Sharing and Liking is a simple click so expecting less than 1% of your overall followers commenting is about right.



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3. HOW CAN I GROW MY AUDIENCE? Here are some things to look into when trying to figure out what people

like:

What headlines seemed to capture the most clicks?Do your headlines need to be shorter, punchier and more fun? Are you relying too much on product and promotional headlines?

What pictures seem to drive the best reactions? For example, people really love animals. It’s almost a law of the internet. But they also like untagged and behind the scenes views and people being happy.

Does the odd video you posted do markedly better than a photograph? Because that wouldn’t surprise us. Video is consistently a top performing content format. Maybe it’s time for a little more of it?

Are there content themes that are doing more than others? If you’ve included Tourism Yukon’s themes in your content plan and developed some supporting content, which themes are delivering prospective travellers?

After you’ve been posting content for a few weeks under specific themes and pillars and you're starting to see that it’s working, the next big question is, “How do I easily get more?”

By following the simple measurement plan we just laid out and by focusing on some of the creative details, you will grow the unique number of visitors that find you.

Remember the most important reason for measuring any of your content is to stop doing what is not working and start doing more of what is; with

less effort.

Start by going back over a month or so worth of posts, plus your top pages and referrals. Look for the top performers and try to figure out the patterns.

CHAPTER 3TELLING THE YUKON STORY


YUKON

CHAPTER 3Telling the Yukon Story


YUKON

We are authentic, original, and down-to-earth. When we speak, we use simple but powerful language – emoting the feeling of open arms, open doors, and open minds. We are unlike anyone or anywhere else and never try to be something we’re not. Yukon is a no-rush kind of destination and our communication is a reflection of the power of our land and our non-judgmental ways. We recognize beauty in everything – the longest, darkest winter nights and the endless, glowing summer days.

As Yukoners we are friendly, playful, approachable, and even cheeky at times - never aggressive or harsh. Our tone is that of our local communities, our wisdom, our inspiration – open minded and full of possibility.

WE ARE…

CAREFREEUNINHIBITEDFRIENDLYOPEN-MINDEDCOLLABORATIVECREATIVEPLAYFULHONESTINCLUSIVESINCEREENERGETICSUCCINCT

VOICE & PERSPECTIVE WE ARE NOT…

HARSHOVERLY TECHNICALBLUNTCRASSAGGRESSIVEJUDGMENTALNEGATIVEGENERICELITECONDESCENDINGOFFENSIVEVERBOSE



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THE YUKON’S AUDIENCE

AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCERS CULTURAL EXPLORERS FREE SPIRITS

Typically understated travellers looking for authentic, tangible engagement with destinations. They have a particular interest in understanding the history of the places they visit.

Cultural Explorers are defined by their love of constant travel. They embrace, discover and immerse themselves in the culture, people and settings of the places they visit.

Free Spirits are highly social and open-minded. Their enthusiasm for life extends to their outlook on travel. Experimental and adventurous, they bask in hedonistic experiences that are shared with others.

NO HASSLE TRAVELLERS

No-Hassle Travellers are cautious, dutiful and reserved people who seek secure group travel that allows them to escape from the duties and obligations of everyday life.

Our primary target for any content experience is the domestic Canadian traveller. They represent the largest possible source of revenue and opportunity for the Yukon. Working from fundamental traveller research from Destination Canada, we grouped 4 types of travellers into an audience pool. Each one has their own view of the world and social values but they do share may of the same experience drivers that guides their travel decisions.



YUKON

AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCERS

“I have no need to ‘show off’. Health is a physical and spiritual personal journey. You have to think for yourself to embark on it.”

Experience Drivers

• Visiting well known natural wonders• Multi-day touring on their own by car• Visiting world heritage sites • Visiting well-known historic sites/buildings• Mountain and glacier viewing• Visiting national, provincial parks to view wildlife and surrounding nature and/or to participate in adventure experiences

Social Values

• In charge but not striving• Physical & spiritual health is a priority• Independent thinkers• Reserved with a libertarian outlook• Comfortably upscale but not ostentatious



YUKON

CULTURAL EXPLORERS

“I am one of a kind and think the imagination is a great thing. As human beings, we have a responsibility to the environment and the people around us. I root for the little guys.”

Experience Drivers

• Visiting well known natural wonders• Visiting world heritage sites • Multi-day touring on their own by car• Visit well-known historic sites/buildings

• Visiting national, provincial parks to view wildlife

• Participate in adventure experiences

• Mountain and glacier viewing

• Staying at a wilderness lodge

• Boating• Visiting small towns/villages

Social Values

• Confident & goal-oriented• Happy & healthy • A highly affective approach• Like to stand out from the crowd• Prefers to support the little guys• No logo!



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NO HASSLE TRAVELLERS “I know the world is a beautiful place and worth seeing but I

can't enjoy travelling if I have to worry too much.”

Experience Drivers

• Visiting well known natural wonders• Visiting world heritage sites

• Visiting national, provincial parks to view wildlife

• Participate in group adventure experiences

• Visit well-known historic sites/buildings

Social Values

• Personal Control• Religiosity• Need for status recognition (not in materialistic sense)• Racial Fusion• Flexible gender identity• Everyday ethics



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FREE SPIRITS

“I want to get ahead and for this I need to take risks. Working hard pays off. Being social helps in establishing great networks and it’s more fun to be in groups. When I make it I will give back.”

Experience Drivers

• Visiting well known natural wonders• Visit well-known historic sites/buildings

• Mountain and glacier viewing

• Visiting national, provincial/State park to view wildlife

• Participate in adventure experiences

• Boating• Wildlife viewing - Land based animals & bird watching

• Visiting small towns/villages

• Flight-seeing

Social Values

• Attraction to crowds• Joy of consumption• Social mobility • Penchant for risk

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

We’ve collected some examples that illustrate how tourism companies are

successfully using engaging content through a range of channels.

GALLERY

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

Channel: Blog

Why it works.

● Not only do blog posts feature promotions, they also offer

clients information about the hotel’s philosophy, for example

the use of local products. They’ve also created a related

hashtag #opusloveslocal which can be used throughout their

social channels

● They offer articles that help visitors with trip planning such as

neighbourhood restaurants, sightseeing and activities

● They also feature articles on local artists and events

● Photography is appealing and they often use creative blog

titles e.g. Calling all Beach Babes

HOTEL

OPUS HOTEL VANCOUVERwww.vancouver.opushotel.com

http://www.vancouver.opushotel.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

Channel: Instagram

Why it works.

● Beautiful photography is used to reflect this luxury brand

● Imagery is consistent and enticing through the whole

Instagram account

● Relevant hashtags are used on every post, making it

easier for potential customers to find them

● The hotel responds to all comments which increases

community engagement and improves audience reach

within Instagram

ROSEWOOD GEORGIA HOTELwww.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-georgia-vancouver

HOTEL

http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-georgia-vancouver

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

Channel: TripAdvisor

Why it works.

● The company profile is complete and there are plenty of

photos both from guests and the property making it easy

to learn about the hotel

● Responses to reviews and questions are detailed and

consistent which not only engages the community but

reflects a strong customer service ethos potential clients

would find appealing

BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION

FOGO ISLAND INNwww.fogoislandinn.ca

http://www.fogoislandinn.ca

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

Channel: Facebook

Why it works.

● Posts are regular and fun

● Posts are primarily photos which are more engaging than text. The

written content is short, to the point and often with a touch of

humour

● Photography is not staged but features people involved in activities

as well as the antics of animals at the ranch, which conveys the

sense that it’s a down-to-earth, fun experience

● There is good community engagement in the comments - they

clearly value their customers

● The company profile is complete which makes it easy for potential

customers to get more information

BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION

ECHO VALLEY RANCH & SPAwww.evranch.com

http://www.evranch.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

Channel: Twitter

Why it works.

● Completed bio which allows people to quickly know what the

company does: Polar bears in the summer? Yes!

● Great photos and engaging content

● Regular tweets and retweets of interesting content

● Use of hashtags which helps potential clients find them

TOUR COMPANY

CHURCHILL WILDwww.churchillwild.com

http://www.churchillwild.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

TOUR COMPANY

Channel: Instagram

Why it works.

● There is a great mix of images that includes photos of guests

experiencing the product, as well as wildlife and staged photos

● The text is engaging and they use relevant hashtags

● They have created their own hashtag #SmallShipBigAdventure

● Good bio copy which quickly tells people what the company is all

about

MAPLE LEAF ADVENTURESwww.mapleleafadventures.com

http://www.mapleleafadventures.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

TOUR COMPANY

Channel: Blog

Why it works.

● Articles are written by past clients and staff which offer a very

personal insight into the experience being offered

● Posts are regular and have “share” links embedded in the

teaser text on the blog’s menu page

● Blog titles are creative and capture your interest, making you

want to read more

● They also encourage people to follow them on Facebook so

they don’t miss any blog posts which increases engagement

across platforms

CHILCOTIN HOLIDAYSwww.chilcotinholidays.com

http://www.chilcotinholidays.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

TOUR COMPANY

Channel: Facebook

Why it works.

● Posts are either photos or video which encourages more

interaction

● Images are immersive and consistently on-brand i.e. outdoor

adventure. Most posts feature people in the outdoors engaged

in activities.

● Posts are regular which improves audience reach

● The company interacts with the community in the comments

● Text is short and to the point

FRESH ADVENTURESwww.freshadventures.ca

http://www.freshadventures.ca

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

ADVENTURE OPERATOR

Channel: Facebook

Why it works.

● Great use of on-brand images and video

● Text is kept short and to the point, allowing the imagery to tell

the story

● Photography is immersive and vibrant with people actively

engaged in and enjoying the experience

● They consistently engage with the community in comments

● Their Instagram account is also visually very engaging

CANADIAN MOUNTAIN HOLIDAYSwww.cmhski.com

http://www.cmhski.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

ADVENTURE OPERATOR

Channel:: TripAdvisor

Why it works.

● Their profile contains lots of photos and is completed with all

relevant information

● Thoughtful responses to all customer reviews which shows

their commitment to customer service

EAGLE WING WHALE WATCHINGwww.eaglewingtours.com

http://www.eaglewingtours.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

ATTRACTION

Channel: Blog

Why it works.

● The blog contains very interesting articles that are also of

value to customers. Articles feature “behind-the-scenes”,

recipes, DIY projects and events. Interesting content such

as this helps to improve search rankings and encourages

people to subscribe.

● Visually very appealing with great photography and a clean

layout

OKANAGAN LAVENDER & HERB FARMwww.okanaganlavender.com

http://www.okanaganlavender.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

ATTRACTION

ROYAL BC MUSEUMwww.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Channel: Twitter

Why it works.

● Interesting and regular tweets

● Tweets/retweets provide useful information such as other

things to do in Victoria and items of cultural and historic

interest, appealing to a range of audiences including visitors,

locals and history/culture buffs

● Strong use of photos including customers enjoying the

museum

http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

CHAPTER 3Examples


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FESTIVAL/EVENT

CALGARY STAMPEDEwww.calgarystampede.com

Channel: Facebook

Why it works.

● Posts are visual with the use of photos and video

● Even though the Stampede is an annual event, they post on

a daily basis, year round, which maintains interest and

excitement about the event

● Frequent use of humour

● Very on-brand with most posts featuring horses (animal

photos are a favourite on Facebook) and cowboys

http://www.calgarystampede.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


YUKON

FESTIVAL/EVENT

LUMINA BOREALISwww.luminaborealis.com

Channel: Instagram

Why it works.

● Use of video and intriguing photos

● Bio is inspiring

● The use of hashtags makes it easier for people to find

them

● Photos of people enjoying the event

http://www.luminaborealis.com

CHAPTER 3Examples


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SIGHTSEEING ACTIVITY

VANCOUVER MYSTERIESwww.vancouvermysteries.com

Channel: Facebook

Why it works.

● Great use of humour with witty copy which they carry

through all of their platforms including the website

● Use of hashtags (particularly on their Twitter account)

including their own #crimeindowntown

● Most posts are photos of guests having fun

● Very strong community engagement

● Their content really conveys a sense of fun and laughter

= effective brand communication

http://www.vancouvermysteries.com

THE CONTENT FIELD GUIDETOURISM YUKON

the content field guide tourism yukon · • piggy back off tourism yukon’s campaigns to grow...

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