A couple of online searches reveals that a huge number of destination marketing organizations have carved out a presence on Twitter and Facebook. But most of the information conveyed on these sites is aimed at leisure travelers or residents. Bureaus in New Orleans and Pittsburgh, for example -- both savvy users of the tools -- have yet to tap the group travel market via these sites.
A glance at many CVB social media sites tells the same story. But that story is changing in many cases. Representatives from both the Pittsburgh and New Orleans bureaus, among others, say targeting specific groups and planners through social media is a goal for the coming year.
Testing the waters For Tom Rowe, director of web marketing for Visit Baltimore, the effort to reach planners is a natural extension of his approach to marketing the city. "Right now, for us, Twitter is primarily for leisure travel," he admits. "But certainly, I've sought out people within the meetings industry to follow, and hopefully get them to follow me." A social media strategy is about establishing personal connections, Rowe explains, and planners in that sense are no different from the bureau's other followers. "As they follow us, they're seeing what's happening in Baltimore, and hopefully it appears and stays on their radar when they're thinking about where to hold their meetings."
Rowe's efforts are gradually becoming more proactive. He keeps tabs on conventions that are in town and monitors their Twitter conversations, observing how groups use the tool and jumping in when appropriate to answer questions or provide tips. For conventions with a public component like a parade, he helps market the event by tweeting about it. During the Professional Convention Management Association's annual event in January, which was held in Dallas, Rowe followed that Twitter conversation and inserted Baltimore into the discussion.
"We had a whole team there," recounts Rowe. "I posted, ‘Find someone from Visit Baltimore, take a picture and send it to me, and you'll win a prize.' " Not long thereafter, Rowe received a photo of a Visit Baltimore staff member with a planner attendee. (The prize: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special DVD, which Rowe just happened to have sitting on his desk.)
Rowe's communication with planners is helping the bureau develop marketing packages it can sell to groups. "Twitter is where we see the greatest impact as far as being able to communicate directly with planners," he says.
About face Other bureaus see things
differently. The San Francisco and Dallas DMOs, for instance, have
hundreds of followers on meetings-dedicated Facebook pages (facebook.com/sfmeetings and facebook.com/pages/Dallas-Meetings/116808472893, respectively).
"I
think there is a much stronger sustainable interest in Facebook updates
than there seems to be in Twitter," offers Leonard Hoops, San Francisco
CVB executive vice president and chief customer officer. "That's just
an assessment from talking to planners and asking what kind of social
media they really use."
The San Francisco CVB updates the
SFMeetings page about three times a week, says Hoops. "My focus is on
making sure we don't abuse it," he adds, "and that we really use it in
a smart way -- that it's really interesting and relevant." Hoops tries
to keep any obvious sales pitches out of the conversation, as he
believes that would decrease the site's value. He wants the Facebook
page to serve as a go-to resource for planners.
Packaging the tools
The Chicago Convention & Tourism Board is embracing both Twitter
and Facebook, with a clearly event-driven approach. Unlike most other
destinations, Chicago has made a significant investment in social media
for groups, having enlisted the help of a social media marketing agency
last fall. Even before establishing its Twitter presence (twitter.com/meetinchicago),
it began developing customer-specific programs. The first, created last
November for the Radiological Society of North America, was called Shop
Chicago and focused on the event's pre-holiday timing and many
international attendees. Local retailers contributed gift certificates
as incentives to drive traffic to specific booths and sessions. Raffles
for those certificates were announced via Facebook and Twitter.
The
Shop Chicago program was lucrative for the RSNA, notes Meghan Risch,
director of public relations for the CCTB, who attributes such success
to the group embracing social media communication. "You're not just
dipping your foot in and stepping out," she says. "It's a commitment."