Promise too much and you might under deliver. Don’t promise enough and you might not have any visitors. Promise a visit on par with what the visitor will actually experience and you have success. All you have to do now is let go and let the locals work their magic. There are many benefits to asking locals for their help in spreading the word about what your city has to offer. Above all else, increasing online sharing of the true essence of your city leads the list. During this session, you’ll hear from Corinne Allie, Senior Interactive Media Manager at Destination Cleveland. She’ll share with you from beginning to end an integrated campaign with social at the core focused on giving passionate locals the platform they need to engage with visitors. Corinne is the Senior Interactive Media Manager at Destination Cleveland, the Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland, Ohio where the mission is to grow the region’s economy through tourism. Her presentation at #SoMeT15US won runner-up for Most Innovative Initiative.

1. MOBI LI ZI NG YOUR TRUE
BRAND,
with a little help from your friends
Cor i nne Al l i e
Dest i nat i on Cl evel and
@r i nal l i e

3. 34%

4. The Decision The Fumbl e

5. Cl evel and Joke
Reel

6. Rust bel t revival … Cleveland makes a comeback.

7. “ I t hi nk t hat t r oubl ed ci t i es
of t en t r agi cal l y mi si nt er pr et
what ’ s cool est about t hemsel ves.
They scr ambl e f or cur e- al l s,
somet hi ng t hat wi l l “ at t r act
busi ness, ” al ways one convent i on
cent er , one pedest r i an mal l or
r est aur ant di st r i ct away f r om
r evi val . They mi ss t hei r bi ggest ,
best and pr obabl y most mar ket abl e
asset : t hei r uni que and sl i ght l y
of f - cent er char act er . ”
ANTHONY
BOURDAI N

8. Be your sel f .
Ever yone el se i s al r eady
t aken.

9. Get
Real .

10. Whi l e we have wor l d- cl ass ar t ,
cul t ur e and r ock & r ol l , we never
t ake our sel ves t oo ser i ousl y. The
r esul t i s i r r ever ent and f un
and al ways unmi st akabl y Cl evel and.
You be your sel f . We’ l l be our sel ves.

11. A Cl evel and
Ant hem

12. The greatness of a city does not consi st i n
i t s bui l di ngs ei t her publ i c or
pr i vat e, nor i n i t s i nst i t ut i ons
& benevol ences, but r at her i n t he
intensity and intelligence wi t h whi ch i t s citizens love the city
as t hei r home.
– Cl evel and mayor Newt on D. Baker Jr . i n 1907

14. Make it shar eabl e.

15. By t he number s
soci al medi a movement encour agi ng r esi dent s t o TAG
t hei r unmistakably Cleveland i mages…
Delivered to nearly 700 mi l l i on t i mel i nes t o dat e
Reaching more than 150 mi l l i on soci al net wor k user s
89, 000 uni que cont r i but or s tagging approximately 195, 955 phot os
on I nst agr am
More than 245, 087 t agged t weet s

16. Buddy Bloggers

17. t he i dea
Si x i nf l uencer s f r om Cl evel and
pl anned i t i ner ar i es and host ed
si x vi si t i ng i nf l uencer s f r om
Dest i nat i on Cl evel and’ s t ar get
mar ket s.
Fr om Aug 8 – Sept 6, 12
i nf l uencer s wi t h a combi ned
audi ence of near l y 100, 000 f ans
acr oss Twi t t er , Facebook and
I nst agr am, conver ged on
Cl evel and.
Repr esent i ng ni ches f r om f ood
and f i t ness and f ami l y, t o
l i f est yl e, LGBT and cul t ur e,
t hese bl ogger s i ndul ged,
i mbi bed, and i nspect ed
near l y ever y f acet of
Cl evel and’ s of f er i ngs.

18. 1. t he bl ogger s

19. • Fi ndi ng bl ogger s i sn’ t l i ke f i ndi ng
t r avel wr i t er s i n a dat abase. They’ r e not
al l goi ng t o be i n t he syst em.
• Googl e sear ch, Twi t t er sear ch, hasht ag
t r acki ng, r epeat . And t hen r epeat agai n.
• Take t i me t o r eal l y l ear n about your
bl ogger bef or e you r each out or r i sk
comi ng of f as i naut hent i c.
• Be f l exi bl e.
• Be per sonal .
• Most of al l , be pat i ent .
I nf l uencer
Sear ch

20. 2. Pl anni ng t he
vi si t s

21. •Deci de on dat es
•Book hot el s
•Suppor t your l ocal s i n cr eat i ng an i t i ner ar y
•Secur e at t r act i on t i cket s wor ki ng wi t h par t ner s
wher e possi bl e
•Make r est aur ant r eser vat i ons
•Pr ovi de a t hor ough over vi ew a f ew days bef or e t he
t r i p
•Pur chase gas car ds
•Dr op of f swag bags at t he hot el wher e your
vi si t or i s st ayi ng
•As t he t r i ps appr oach, get r eady t o net wor k
To-
Dos:

22. 3. cur at i ng t he
t r i ps

24. Buddy Bl ogger
Vi deos

25. 12 bl ogger s Tol d an aut hent i c Cleveland story t o
t hei r combi ned audi ence of 93,719 followers acr oss
Twi t t er , Facebook, I nst agr am + bl ogs
Gener at ed 23 bl og post s
Pr oduced 6,774 onl i ne st or i es ( t weet s, phot os, l i kes, comment s,
shar es)
Responsi bl e f or 3.2 million #ThisisCLE Twi t t er i mpr essi ons
The r esul t s:

26. I knew t hen what I know now…
•You’ r e goi ng t o need hel p. I f you’ r e not t he per son who host s
t r adi t i onal wr i t er s, t al k t o t he f ol ks who do.
•You coul d pay t he bl ogger s, but i t ’ s not necessar y.
•They’ r e goi ng t o say yes.
•Thi s i s goi ng t o t ake some t i me.
•Be r eady t o engage.
•Shar e t he number s. Shar e t he number s. And, shar e t he number s.

27. 54%

28. Cor i nne Al l i e
cal l i e@dest i nat i oncl e. or g
@r i nal l i e
Thanks!