Just how popular is TikTok?

TikTok has exploded so quickly in popularity that you might not be aware of just how many users it has. As of 2024, TikTok has over 1 billion active montly users. TikTok is now the 4th largest social media platform, with more monthly users than Snapchat, Pinterest and X (formerly Twitter). There is a common misconception that only teenagers are on TikTok, but in reality over 40% of the app’s users are between ages 20 and 39. As TikTok has grown in popularity, it has become widely uses across many demographics.

Over 45% of TikTok users are Gen Z. As this generation continues to age, their spending power is increasing rapidly. Destinations and attractions not marketing to Gen Z are missing out on a huge group of people who are planning trips every day. TikTok is one of the best ways to reach this generation.

TikTok also stands out as having the highest average session length of all social media apps. The average users spends 11 minutes on TikTok per session and 52 minutes on TikTok per day. TikTok provides marketers with an amazing opportunity to capture people’s attention and keep them engaged.

What makes it so popular?

There are a few aspects that really separate TikTok from other social media apps.

The FYP 

Unlike Facebook where you see the posts of your friends and family, TikTok automatically greets you with a “for-you-page” (FYP) which is customized by your interests and past likes. This means that every single user has a unique experience on the app and is only shown what they want to see.  

Anyone can be an influencer

Originally just a dance and lip-syncing app, many of the most -followed users are teenagers and young adults. Anyone can be an “influencer,” but to reach that number of followers, they have to post enough to keep attention on themselves.

Unlimited Possibilities 

The possibilities for content are endless. Just scrolling through your FYP for five minutes, you could see a variety of creative media from livestream debates between content creators, to a 2-minute crime video, to someone marketing themself with a “video resume”, and many videos of people dancing along to the latest dance trend.  

Trends

A “trend” on TikTok refers to any specific sound being used repeatedly by users, a new dance move that everyone is attempting to perfect, or a specific format of a video. Users are quick to recognize new and exciting trends, which is why it is especially important for your business or organization to take part. They make your page more personal, relatable, and noticeable. The thing about trends, however, are that they come and go very quickly. You need to be on the lookout for what is new. Watching other videos and paying attention to what is appearing on your FYP can inspire new content ideas that will help your company gain traction.

How companies use the app as a marketing tool

As there is so much room for creativity and so many users to appeal to, some companies are ahead of the game when it comes to getting their name out on TikTok and following the latest trends. For example, Duolingo, the language learning platform, consistently posts creative videos of their owl mascot working in the office. Chipotle shows off workers creating special bowls or videos of relatable moments like the “when-your-best-friend-doesn’t- know-your-Chipotle-order” moment. Sports teams, such as the Toronto Blue Jays, use the app to make fun videos of their players and will often comment on other videos or respond to fans.

TikTok as a search engine

In recent years, TikTok has transcended its origins as a platform for entertainment to become a powerful search engine. With its algorithm finely tuned to user preferences and behaviors, destinations and attractions can harness TikTok to reach potential visitors in unique and engaging ways. As of 2024, 74% of Gen Z use TikTok as their go-to search engine. By optimizing content with relevant hashtags, engaging titles, and captivating visuals, destinations and attractions can improve their visibility on TikTok’s search results, making it easier for travelers to discover them. Creating informative and inspiring TikTok content that highlights the distinctive features of a destination can spark interest and inspire travel decisions. This shift towards using TikTok as a search engine represents an exciting opportunity for tourism marketers to connect with a generation of travelers who prefer authentic, visually driven content to plan their next adventure.

TikTok and the tourism industry

So, all this knowledge now leads us to the topic of the hour: how to use TikTok to promote tourism. With over 1 billion users, this is a perfect marketing tool for the tourism industry. Tourism sells a product, just like Duolingo or Chipotle. The amount exposure you can create, followed by people being inspired to buy products and visit places is incredible. For starters, one of the most followed destination on TikTok is Palm Beaches Florida with 126.3k followers! 

If you scroll through travel or tourism hashtags, you’ll see lots of individual influencers promoting traveling through brand deals. Destinations and other travel-centered organizations are showing off their products through a wide array of trends or creative points of view. For example, hotels and resorts will often show the behind-the-scenes, or the different rooms and amenities they have to offer. If we are looking at a smaller company, the manager might do a “day-in-the-life” of their work routine. People, especially the younger generation, LOVE to see how other people spend their time at work. This also makes it more personal.  

Is it time to add a new social media channel? Here’s how you know 

The future of TikTok

TikTok’s rapid rise to success has not come without it’s challenges. Currently, the future of TikTok is very uncertain. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance. Due to concerns over the security of U.S. user’s data, the House of Representatives created a bill that would force ByteDance to sell TikTok, or the app would be banned in the U.S. The bill was passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden.

Before you get ready to abandon all your plans for TikTok marketing, let’s take a look at what this really means. Is TikTok definitely going away? The answer is no. As of May 2024, ByteDance has nine months to divest the app. TikTok has stated that the plan to challenge this bill in court, as they have deemed it unconstitutional.

You might be wondering if it is worth putting time and money into a TikTok startegy when the app’s future is so unclear. It boils down to this: TikTok is not going anywhere anytime soon. The bill gives the app nine months to sort out a deal, and the recent legal retaliation means the whole process could take even longer. It could be months or even years before a resolution is reached. The reality is, every day you are not marketing to users on TikTok is a day wasted. We recommend you continue to utilize the platform, but never put all your eggs in one basket. Social media changes rapidly, but right now, TikTok is where people are spending their time.

Examples

Here are some inventive examples of travel, tourism and hospitality companies that are already using TikTok: 

Expedia

This 59-second video explaining the Expedia Rewards Status with a few graphics and captions has 3.6 million views: 

Visit London

Visit London made this walk-through “Explore Westminster Abbey with us” video to highlight the iconic landmark with some pop-up facts about the church. This 15-second video has over 135,900 views:  

EF Tours

Education First, a company that specializes in travel tours and studying abroad, has a TikTok account that highlights all the perks of traveling to a different destination with people your age. Recently this account has been highlighting different destinations through a trend with eccentric music and pictures that flash before your eyes. Take a look: 

Hilton

Hilton Hotels and Resorts show off the perks of their pet friendly hotels with this adorable video that encourages people to travel with their dogs:  

Palm Beaches

Finally, let’s see what our friends at Palm Beaches, the most followed destination on TikTok, are doing to attract followers. This video is a day trip itinerary, in video form:

What all these companies have in common is that they are focusing on what their audience wants to see, and they participate in trends, no matter how silly they may seem.  

Tips for using TikTok to your advantage

1. Create brief 20-60-second videos that appeal to short attention spans.
2. Work to translate your brand into this new channel in a way that is consistent with your company yet is able to be recognized by TikTok users, such as the Duolingo owl workplace videos.
3. Find influencers to show off your product and company.
4. Have fun with it! Pay attention to trends and challenges that you could apply to your business or organization.

The post TikTok for Tourism Marketing appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

1. Be the Storyteller

We need to make our brands come alive by telling the story. When someone searches a destination, they see many links and results. They don’t see the stories or explanations as to what makes your destination so thrilling. That’s for you to tackle.

As Josiah Brown, the New York Sherpa, explained in his presentation on branding that we need to be inspirational marketers. None of us own our brand. Our brand is the emotional response others have to our product, and lives within the minds of the consumers. Because of this, we need to make sure we’re telling the right story. Most brands say what they do, some explain how, but very few explain why. The consumer experience is the most important piece. They want to know why they should choose your destination over any of the others. Which is why we must not only tell, but show them.

Representatives from The Wild Center and Trampoline Design highlighted millennials’ travel behaviors in a panel presentation. Millennials (anyone born between 1981 and 1996) use their phones for almost everything. Think online banking where they can snap a picture and deposit a check right into their account. They also research travel destinations online, especially through social media, oftentimes asking friends for suggestions on food and activities before looking at a CVB’s website. In fact, 86% of millennials know where they are going to eat before picking what hotel they will stay at. Creating experiences within your content to highlight what people can expect and look forward to is key.

In a wholly different mode of storytelling, Tait Wardlaw and John Bourbonais from Adworkshop dove into how Virtual Reality (VR) is disrupting the tourism industry. Consumers want to get a real look and feel for a destination before ever deciding to travel there. In fact, 360-degree video ads earn 41% more desired actions than 2D traditional video ads. Eventually, they said, VR will be just as important as a website because consumers will want a chance to “try before they buy.” While we are still waiting for the VR and AR (augmented reality) tech trends to really take hold in the tourism space, the advent of Web3 means that the future of tourism marketing is on the horizon.

2. Be the Choreographer

It’s great to have one attraction that draws people in, but if you want them to stay and be engaged, you need to create overall experiences, not just one event. The example that Geist gave was of an owner of a candle-making studio who wasn’t getting much traffic. Eventually he partnered with a wine tasting shop down the street. Together they offered a unique and complete experience of making a candle while enjoying a wine tasting – and business boomed! In this example, creating an experience was fulfilled through collaboration.

Based on the research findings of Schireson Associates, The Wild Center and Trampoline Design understood how far millennials are willing to drive for experiences. Millennials are looking to travel 1-2 hours for a day trip, or 2-3 hours for one night with 2-3 days’ worth of opportunities. Although visitors won’t get to all activities, they want a variety of options to choose from.

A great way to present the variety of experiences is through sample itineraries. Although people are not likely to follow an itinerary from start-to-finish, they enjoy having enough information to choose from. It allows them to curate their own trip.

3. Be the Glue

Engage the attractions and visitors. Make sure you’re chatting “with” the consumers, not “at” them. You can do this by regularly checking social media (through hashtags, geo-tags, etc.) to see what people are saying about your destination. Then join the conversation. If you see a great photo that a visitor took of your destination, reach out and ask if you can use it on your own social media channels. That will both provide you with great content and get them excited that you saw and liked their photo!

Be the reason that people come to visit for one day, then come back for a weekend, and then stay for a whole week.

At the 2016 NYSTIA membership meeting and awards dinner, Elizabeth Anne Shaw, Editor in Chief of Meredith Travel Marketing’s FamilyFun, explained that we have to create experiences that last longer than just the few days a person is at our destination.

• Pre-trip: Most people start getting excited for an upcoming trip a few months in advance and begin discussing it with family, friends, and coworkers.
• During the trip: Most travelers share posts and pictures on social media. (If you didn’t post a picture of yourself on vacation, did you really even go?)
• Post-trip: Once someone returns from vacation, they continue to share their pictures and stories with family, friends, and coworkers.

Josiah Brown wrapped up his presentation by saying that people’s strongest, best childhood memories are from their family vacations. By creating experiences, you’re not only giving visitors something to look forward to; you’re giving them memories to last a lifetime.

So think beyond marketing, advertising and collaborating. Think of how much you’re investing into people’s strongest, best memories.

The post Creating Experiences to Create Memories appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Artificial Intelligence

is Going to Change Everything. Paul Roetzer of Marketing AI Institute gave a keynote on marketing AI. “It’s just smarter tech,” he told us, and “you’re already using AI as a consumer.” It’s not as seamless in marketing, but the tools are progressing fast. In fact, he told us that AI writing tools are improving 2x every 6 months.

Artificial Intelligence tools are defined as going beyond machine learning, to deep learning and prediction. I loved his recommendation to look for opportunities to use AI to:

• personalize experiences
• intelligently automate
• enhance creativity

Those are certainly elements I’m comfortable with becoming part of tourism marketing of the future. Artificial intelligence (AI) can change everything about marketing, from the way we create content to the way we target and personalize messages. If you’re not already using AI in your marketing, now is the time to start experimenting. Here are a couple ways you can use AI in your marketing:

Image Generation

Dall.E and similar sites create images using AI and simple text commands. It won’t work for everything, and certainly can’t take the place of photos of your destination, but it can do better than a free stock photo. Below is an image I created with an experiment to use for a social post asking for testimonials for the Apple Tasting Tour. I searched for an image of a “heart-shaped apple floating in front of an apple orchard in fall.” It took a few tries, but we liked this result:

Content Generation

Anyone who’s used the swipe-to-fill feature on a smartphone has used AI content generation. I used AI to help me write this blog (a tool called Jasper). Not this sentence, but a few of them. It helped me figure out a title and even got me started on a few paragraphs.

Someday, will these tools write real and meaningful content? Will they connect with an audience? I have my doubts. How much can a computer “learn” about a destination? I don’t think artificial intelligence can replace human thought in tourism marketing, but I don’t mind trying it out to give us a head start on everything we want to do. Perhaps it’s a tool to enhance creativity or intelligently automate.

There are also AI-powered tools that can help with email marketing, customer segmentation and website design.

Branding

Brand Voice Is More Important Than Ever. That was my main takeaway from Ann Handley’s (CCO of Marketing Profs) welcoming remarks! She said it’s “the new logo” and conveys personality as a brand. Even though her talk was targeted to business-to-business marketers, she borrowed examples from B2C brands like Wendy’s and DuoLingo. Consumers like authenticity and fun – and a brand voice is a great way to communicate emotion and culture. So often, we fall into a “sea of sameness” when writing about travel. What can we do to step away from the conventional and be memorable?

My top tips from this session:

• Use short sentences
• Take out buzzwords
• Inject emotion
• Help voice reflect culture
• Convey personality

One of the most stand-out projects we work on that has a very distinct brand voice is the Haunted History Trail of NYS.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Sydni Craig-Hart of Smart Simple Marketing led a session on Inclusive Strategies. DEI is certainly at the forefront of professional development, and she did mention investing in training to diversify your perspective. Her other tips included:

“Expand your network internally & externally, intentionally. Build relationships with people who have different perspectives.”

Supply chain diversity is also important to consider. Even if you’re not hiring at the moment, you can diversify who you do business with. “A supply chain that incorporates small business owned by diverse individuals to empower economic equality and invite perspective.”

My favorite takeaway from Sydni Craig-Hart’s session was “We can’t have equity without empathy. Don’t wait to figure it all out or get your ducks in a row – Start applying it today!”

Web3 & The Blockchain

The future of marketing is being shaped by Web3 technologies like the blockchain. These technologies are changing the way we interact with customers at varying levels. In a lunch session, Tony Pham of SuperLayer explored the concept of Web3 for marketing, but honestly it is all going over my head still. It reminds me of when people started talking about “the cloud.” I did not know what this cloud thing was, what it did, or how to use it. Now it’s part of my everyday tasks! Hopefully with more learning and experimenting, Web3 and Blockchains will become more clear. Until then, I like the way Web3 is defined in this article from AdAge:

“Web3 aims to put people before corporations. It’s user-first, democratized and lets people control their own data. Web3 still has advertising, but it’s based on trust and consent. With Web3, users can make their own choices about tracking, cookies and how they want their data used.”

What does this mean for tourism marketers? We need to focus on the user experience and making sure that we are transparent about how we use data. We also need to make sure that we are providing value to the user, whether that be through great content, amazing customer service, or unique experiences.

Tom Pham gave examples of Web3, some elements are recognizable as experts say we’ve left Web 2.0 for a transitionary Web 2.5. Others are completely new concepts.

• NFTs (non fungible tokens – I had to look it up, too)
• Cryptocurrency
• Meme videos
• QR Codes
• The Metaverse
• Twitter Spaces
• Ethereum domains

The Future of Marketing

The future of marketing is the same as the past: all about the consumer. Now we’re using data to create personalized experiences that are valuable to the customer. We’re being transparent and authentic and inclusive while providing value to them. Marketing will also continue to evolve as new technologies emerge, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. By now, the crystal ball is taking shape with these future marketing elements, 2023 tourism trends and an outlook on the DMO of the future.

(Dying to know what’s AI in this blog? Check out my “answer key” below)

The post Looking Ahead: Tourism Marketing of the Future appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Writing Email Marketing Newsletters

Subject Lines

Easily the #1 tip for writing a good email newsletter is to get people to open the newsletter in the first place. Keep your subject lines short, and tell people what they are going to find inside the email. There are many different resources out there on the best ways to write a captivating subject line, but in essence it comes down to three things. First, know your audience. Second, make the headline as enticing as possible (but also truthful). Third, test it out and look at the data. Several email marketing platforms offer A/B testing capabilities for subject lines, and they work well.

Calls to Action

What goes in an email newsletter? The things you want people to act on. Emails need to be timely and have something actionable. A big, bright button will do the trick, and make sure it’s linked correctly. These can be tested email by email, and some systems have A/B testing capabilities for this, too.

Data

The top-level data you’ll receive from your email service provider is open rate and click rate. Open rate lets you know how many people were interested enough in the subject line to open your email. Benchmark rates can vary, but in the tourism industry, 18-20% is an average open rate. I like to refer to this chart of benchmark email marketing rates from MailChimp. Click rate shows engagement with the email. These people opened, read and were interested enough in something to take action. For the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, click rates range from 1-3%.

Email Design

One thing to keep in mind with all digital content is to remember that the digital space is also a visual space. People are looking for information that is quick and easy to digest, so being concise in your writing and incorporating visual elements is the best way to go.

Mobile has changed the way we create digital content. The best thing about email marketing platforms is that they give you tons of data (Break The Ice Media prefers Constant Contact for consumer emails, although we have also worked with other major services). Years ago, I saw that week after week, 50% or more of our winery client’s recipients viewed our newsletter on a mobile device. I immediately redesigned their weekly email newsletter to use a mobile-friendly template. Since then, the catchphrases went from mobile-friendly to today’s mobile-first design principles.

Proofread

We’re all human. The best way to avoid typos is to have someone else look at the email, read it top to bottom, and test all the links.

Social Media Writing

Writing for social media depends on the channels you are working in, as each one its unique from each other. And yet the messaging needs to be consistent throughout all your marketing channels. Each social media platform offers another audience to reach with your key messages.

See how key messages fit into your overall marketing strategy

Messaging was a key part to building excitement and engagement in this capital campaign.

Platforms

Facebook is one of the longest-form channels, but as with all writing, you still need to keep the audience in mind. Best to keep posts to 2-3 sentences and it’s pretty common to use a few hashtags. Twitter has a 280-character limit and you can use 2-3 hashtags. Instagram posts can be longer, like Facebook, but can also do well with a simple photo description. Feel free to go wild with hashtags – but always hashtag responsibly (if you have a lot of hashtags, add them below spaces in the post or in the comments). TikTok, Instagram Reels and Facebook Stories are the latest in social media video content. Tell a story, convey your key messages, and keep words to a minimum. Let the visual do the heavy lifting on these mediums. Remember to always tag partner and stakeholder accounts whenever possible!

Data

Pay attention to what your audience likes and engages with. It’s not enough to look at the “surface” stats on your posts – dig deeper by going to the Insights on Facebook or in Creator Studio, analytics.twitter.com, analytics.pinterest.com, etc. Dig in to what is getting engagement. If you post a link and it only gets a handful of likes, that doesn’t mean your audience didn’t engage with it. Check the data to see who clicked the link! Once you dig in to the analytics, you’ll be able to see what works best for your audience.

Website Writing

We’ve built many websites for clients, in addition to updating site content and posting regular blog content. A website is a living thing, and needs to be updated continually. We love working in WordPress and we love working with our AMI partner DigiSage for website development and hosting. The best tools for data analysis are Google Analytics, Google Search Console and, occasionally, HotJar.

Audience

Always keep in mind that a customer may be new to your website and needs to know the basics. It’s very important to be clear and informative. The challenge in writing about what you do is that you know it so well – be sure to concentrate on not leaving information gaps. Fresh eyes can be a big help; once you write it, ask someone who is less familiar with your organization to read it over and see what questions they have.

Navigation is also an important part of creating website content. Help your audience find their way to the most important parts of the website. Connect the dots for them by linking the pages that go together, and let them explore their own path through the information. The more pages link to each other, the better.

Data Tools

Google Analytics has to be on your website. It just has to be there. It collects so much information, from how many people visited in a certain time period to where they came from, keywords they used, and much more. It’s free and easy to set up. A little more advanced but even more powerful is Google Search Console. Or try Hotjar.com for a heatmap of where people click and scroll on your site. It’s really cool to see what site visitors are most interested in.

Calls to Action

Call to action is the most important marketing tool out there, regardless of whether you’re working with digital content or another medium. You have to tell the audience what you want them to do. When balancing what you want to say with who you are saying it to and whether the page looks good on mobile, it can get left off. The call to action may be as simple as a contact form, or maybe it’s to download a resource, read a blog or visit additional pages for more information.

The post Writing Digital Content: Email, Social & Web appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

What makes creative travel writing? 

Use these elements to make your destination stand out from the rest of the world.

1. Sense of Place: Give readers a full sense of your destination – the sights, sounds, and smells. From just a few sentences, your writing should be able to take them to the place in their mind. But make sure to tell the story through the eyes of a visitor. What can guests expect when they visit? Their experience and mindset may be different from that of the locals, since it’s all brand new to them. View your destination through fresh eyes to really let them know what they can expect.
2. Strong Voice: Does your writing have character? Make the voice and the tone of the destination come through.

Try this exercise: Write for 10 minutes about your destination, attraction, or event. Now turn to your friend or colleague and tell them about it, out loud, without looking at what you wrote. If the juicy details or interesting facts you said out loud weren’t included in your writing, go back and add them in.

3. Lots of details: Focus on the specifics. Peel back layers until you get to the story within the story. Instead of saying your city is known for great cuisine, give an example of a special dish that visitors can’t get anywhere else. An example from the workshop was, “Only in Memphis can you eat a burger fried in 100-year-old grease.” (Not my cup of tea, but to each their own!) These are the things that are most memorable to travelers. Remember, everyone’s looking for an experience these days.

Common Creative Travel Writing Pitfalls & How to Overcome Them

Before the final save, do one more edit to ensure you aren’t making these mistakes.

1. Using Jargon & Buzzwords: Death to jargon! Stick with standard speak so that everyone understands what you’re describing. Try to stay away from using the current buzzwords that everyone is boasting. You may be trying to stand out but in the end, you’re lumping yourself in with the rest of the crowd. For example, the phrase “farm-to-table” peaked several years ago and is overused.
2. Being Vague: Details and specifics should be your BFFs. Whenever possible, add more “decoration.”  Stay away from words that are ambiguous such as “experience.” Keep asking “what?” or “how?” until you can come up with a more descriptive verb. Choose to describe one thing instead of listing everything.

Do this: Kayak through a channel of sparkling green-blue water as the sun peeks through the trees and warms your face.

Not that: You can hike, bike, jog, or walk along 37 trails.

3. Focus: Narrow in on things that are specifically and solely your destination. Everyone knows the basics of a beach: soft sand, pretty water, big waves. Skip those assumed attributes, and focus on the ice cream stand at the end of the beach that has been serving sweet treats to beach goers and their dogs for 30 years.

Try this exercise: Re-read your writing but replace the name of your destination with another. If the rest of the description still works, add more details.

4. Holding Back: Your writing doesn’t have to be stuffy. Pam suggested writing the most outrageous copy you can, and then scaling it back from there. And go ahead, share your destination’s quirky fact or festival. As Pam said, “Whatever makes you weird is probably your greatest asset.”

The post Creative Travel Writing for Your Destination appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Key Ingredient #1: Strategy & Planning

Knowing where we are starting and where we want to go is the most important ingredient. We begin all of our projects with a discovery session that identifies:

• Desired results. What is the business problem? What does success look like?
• Target audience. Who are your current customers? What is important to those customer? Where do they get their information? Learn how to do easy research on your customers with online surveys.
• Marketing objectives. What are the desired outcomes of the marketing campaign?
• Marketing strategies. What is the game plan to achieve those outcomes? How will you solve the business problem?
• Tactics & Timeline. What are the tasks and activities that need to be completed? What is the timeline for the campaign and these tactics?

Key Ingredient #2: Relevant Content

When developing a content strategy, we start with three things in mind:

1. How is the content relevant to the audience? What is the message? Does the target audience care about what we have to say? Will they be better off for having the knowledge? How will this knowledge help meet the objectives?
2. What will the target audience get out of the content? If the audience is a blogger or news outlet (for PR outreach) – what will their audience get out of the content? We are constantly putting ourselves in the readers’/viewers’/consumers’ shoes. Think through how your target audience will receive and interpret the content.
3. Is the content timely and newsworthy? For public relations content, we want it to be newsworthy. Is there a recent trend or recent news story that the content can relate to? For consumers, being timely with your message is also important. Is there an upcoming event that the content can support? Thinking through the timing and hitting the timing right makes the difference between marketing campaign success and failure.

Key Ingredient #3: Coordinated Content Delivery

We often start with one piece of longer-form content as the driver for all content. A press release, blog post or pitch is often the longest piece of content that we use in a campaign. It tells the full story, and is one of the first pieces launched once all the campaign details are in place. Then we take the key messages from that piece and use them for the other channels we are using. Those channels typically include social media, email newsletters, blogs, website pages, paid advertising, print or digital collateral and in-person events.

Keep these things in mind as you “slice and dice” your content:

1. Audience for each channel. What is most relevant to that audience? A newsletter subscriber is looking for more in-depth information than a person seeing your ad for the first time. Your followers on Facebook may be different than visitors to your website.
2. Key messages. No matter how you cut up the content, keep the key messages intact. Decide on the key messages up front so that everyone involved can agree on them.
3. Inspire action. What do you want the audience to do? Will the content inspire that action from your audience? Make sure you keep the content compelling and relevant even if it is only 280 characters. Always include a call to action on every message over owned and paid channels.

Key Ingredient #4: Consistent & Ongoing Campaigns

It is impossible to build relationships when you are only in front of your audience for one campaign. Successful campaigns come from the momentum of the campaigns that came before them. Consistently communicating with your audiences over all channels is the best way to see growth and success.

We have seen this time and again with PR campaigns that we execute. When building relationships with journalists, the more you are able to talk with them, share story ideas, provide contacts for stories they are working on or follow and interact with them on social media, the more success you will have in getting story placements.

The same is true for email marketing. The more consistent you are in sending out relevant messages, the more opens you will receive. Social media followers and interactions follow the same rule.

The bottom line:

1. Always stay in front of your audience.
2. One and done will not produce desired long-term results.

Key Ingredient #5: Review & Campaign Measurement

In the 2020 B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends report, marketers ranked the measurements metrics they use. They were conversions, website traffic, website engagement, social media analytics and email engagement. In order to make sure that our campaigns are meeting the business goals, we use the following metrics to evaluate and adjust campaigns:

1. Activity taken: sales conversions, downloads, newsletter sign ups, etc.
2. Website traffic
3. Impressions & reach
4. Followers gained and follower growth rate
5. Reactions, comments, shares
6. Social media engagement
7. Email click & open rates

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