Why even small town tourism partners need to be on social media, how they can succeed with it, & WIIFM (What's In It For Me?) why they must figure it out. A presentation for the Brady, Texas / McCulloch County Chamber of Commerce. At Tourism Currents, we do online & in-person training in social media for tourism & hospitality. More at http://www.tourismcurrents.com/

1. Sheila Scarborough
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
Why, How, & WIIFM
Sensible Social Media

2. @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

3. Because your
visitors &
customers are
there @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

4. @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
Yes, Pretty Much Everyone

5. Fastest-growing user demographic?
You're looking at it ....

6. Of U.S. online adults surveyed:
79% use Facebook
32% use Instagram
29% use LinkedIn
24% use Twitter
31% use Pinterest
Source: Pew Research Social Media Update Nov 2016

7. Source: Pew Research

8. Social media users by age:
18 – 29 years: 86% use it
30 – 49 years: 80%
50 – 64 years: 64%
65+: 34%
Source: Pew Research Social Media Fact Sheet

9. Your visitors are not only
social, they're mobile
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

10. Source: Pew Internet Research

11. Facebook has 1.15 billion
mobile daily active users.
56.5% access the network
ONLY from their mobile
device.
Source: Facebook Newsroom

15. Local Search Impact
Start with your social
profiles, plus this URL:
www.google.com/
business @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

16. Strategy....
Get One
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

18. Strategy Down to Each Social Post
Overall goals for town, business, or hotel
Marketing communications to support goals
Social media that supports your marketing
Instagram
Instagram photos to reach particular visitor type

19. Strategy to Social Post Example
Grow hunting tourism niche
Marketing goal to support - reach hunters
Social media to support hunter outreach
Instagram
Instagram photos using #hunting hashtag

21. @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

22. "If you know how to
work with customers
in person,
you know how to work
with customers online."
Becky McCray, Small Biz Survival

29. You Got This!

30. @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
WIIFM
What's In It
For Me?

31. More word-of-
mouth marketing
More sales
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

39. Free = kittens not beer
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents

40. "I don't have time to manage one of
those 'telephones.' I'm too busy
running my business."

41. @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
The marketing
team....
Chamber
Area attractions,
businesses, &
hotels/lodging
You

42. "The CVB [or Chamber] gets
visitors to the destination,
but
YOU have to get them
through your door."
Leslie McLellan, Just a Small Town Girl and
Visit the San Jacinto Valley, California

45. To Do List
 Make sure the Chamber knows about
your social media profiles
 Help them help you
 Support each other & give shout-outs!
 Tag on Facebook, link to them, use
their @name on Twitter
 Tell your customers where to find you
on social media, & talk to people there!

46. Teamwork!

47. Photo Credits
 Mobile travelers with tablet
(courtesy BJMcCray on Flickr CC)
 Free kittens not free beer (courtesy
pinguino at Flickr CC)
 All other screenshots & photos are
my own

48. These slides are on
www.slideshare.net/SheilaS
Sheila
Scarborough
Tourism Currents
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents