There are many great marketing strategies to promote your destination. But one of the best ways to encourage potential visitors is by making sure they want to promote your location themselves. 92% of consumers trust user-generated content more than traditional methods of advertising according to the Nielsen Consumer Trust Index. Here are 4 things you can do to get your visitors to promote your destination.
- Create a Great Hashtag
A hashtag is one of the simplest ways for visitors to publicize and interact with your destination on social media. Having a great # in your physical destination can encourage users to take pictures with these hashtags and use them in their posts. A great branded hashtag fills a few key requirements: Simplicity – a long, complicated to spell or multi-word hashtag will limit the ease of tourists utilizing the hashtag. Catchy – use humor, a play on words, or even a rhyme to help people remember the hashtag and to encourage them to incorporate it in their posts about your destination. Finally, check that there is no potential for grammatical errors or for users to change the meaning of the hashtag by capitalizing the wrong letters to create different words or meanings.
- Create Photo Opportunities
People love taking photos that showcase their trip. Here are a few examples of things you can do to make sure every visitor wants a picture at your destination: Placing a giant I ❤ with the place name in the middle of a busy square, putting up a giant picture frame that tourists can sit or stand in with an incredible background or even just making sure that a picturesque location is photo-ready. Encourage your visitors to take a picture by creating “must-have” photo opportunities.
- Create a Strong Social Media Presence
Be interactive on social media, comment on travel pages, build connections with travel bloggers, and comment and like any posts that use your hashtag or location. Get into the conversation to make your destination a front-of-mind decision for tourists looking for their next spot. Be in touch with influencers, encourage them to check out and post about your destination and make sure to put out some of your own content that showcases the amazing experience your destination provides.
- Sell Unique, “Must Have” Merchandise
Tourists love keepsakes and physical reminders of experiential memories. According to the Advertising Speciality Institute, promotional products are the most high-impact, cost-effective advertising medium around for their clients. Selling T-shirts, hoodies, caps, keyrings, and more is a great way to encourage your visitors to promote your destination to their circle and anyone they cross paths with while using your merchandise. A great way to encourage people to buy merchandise is to have options for multiple body shapes and sizes in items that people will want to use in their daily life. Clothing is a common option, but sometimes it can help to have more creative options for tourists to purchase. Here are a few ideas: water bottles, pens, tote bags, mugs, and phone cases.
