Marketing your destination is a community effort. This is a "how to" engage your community along with benefits to offer your community to keep them engaged. Downtown Colorado, Inc. annual conference presentation Oct. 2015

1. No Marketing Dollars, No Problem!
Driving Destination Success with
Your Community taking the Wheel

2. @LeslieMcLellan
✘ Why it’s important to have a “community”
marketing view rather than an “individual”
marketing view.
✘ Successful marketing with no money.
✘ How to market as a community.
What we’re going to cover

3. Marketing is
NOT
one to many,
it’s one to one
many times over.
Marketing a destination is NOW
a community effort

4. Turn back the clock 25 years to
before the internet and social
media...
• To market you had to get to
know your community
members and that was face to
face.
• Technology hasn’t really
changed the way we do
business, just the places where
we get together. @LeslieMcLellan
It’s all about engagement…

5. • What interests your community
• Their perception of your brand
• What problems they’re trying to
solve and needs they’re looking
to fill
• Where they’re communicating
and discovering info
• Who’s leading the conversations
relevant to your brand
• What your community finds
relevant
But BEFORE you can ENGAGE,
you have to LISTEN

6. • We “think” everyone knows
what we’re doing
• We assume we know what
our members/stakeholders
are thinking
• Part of this is because we are
all being pulled in a variety of
directions
• We’re all thinking “I need
help!”
We’ve become complacent

7. Marketing is not one to many,
It’s one to one many times over.
Keep calm and engage your community!
So what should you be doing?

8. Successful marketing with no money!

9. County Grant Stats

10. Get ready…it’s the interactive part!

11. • Start with the “Mom
& Pop” businesses.
• Next comes the
larger businesses,
the national chains,
etc.
Where and how to start engaging

12. COMMUNITY MEETINGS!• Bill it as a “Back to Basics”
meeting if need be
• Start with the BIG picture
(DMO goals)
• Formulate Community goals –
breakouts work wonderfully
• Address difficult situations
• Get local media coverage
• Coup de gras
What’s the easiest way to start engaging?

13. • You can work on the goals over the next few
meetings.
• You’ll have a variety of things to follow up on.
• Focus on how to BE social, not how to Do social.
• Discuss upcoming opportunities.
• Discuss “smart” posting.
• Bring your “online champions” into the group.
One meeting is not enough!

14. • Social Media
Meetups
• Facebook &
Twitter lists –
extra “perk” for
membership
• Upcoming
trainings
It’s to your benefit to keep
your community engaged

15. Amp up your efforts by re-purposing what your Community posts!
Don't quit what you already do

16. Community Engagement 101
A checklist of 26 things you
can do in order to have an
engaged community. You’ll
have a good idea where you
stand once you see how many
items you have checked off!
http://justasmalltowngirl.us/community-engagement-101/
Special checklist for you!

17. Any Questions?
@LeslieMcLellan
Just a Small Town Girl
leslie@justasmalltowngirl.us
www.justasmalltowngirl.us
Thank you so much!

18. All photos are my own except for:
✘ Lion in tree, http://ideas.wikia.com/
✘ Durango Dancers, David Dibble
✘ Mom & Pop Biz,
http://www.yourneighborhoodtoystore.org/
✘ Community Mtg., Thinkstock
Credits