Skip to content

Tourism Best Practices – Virtual Reality, Sports and Hot Air Balloons

  • 2 min read

Tourism professionals at Convention and Visitors Bureaus – CVBs (or Destination Marketing Organizations – DMOs) are implementing some innovative programs to increase visitation in their destinations. We call them Tourism Best Practices: Las Vegas Invests in Virtual Reality, Lifestyle Content to Attract Conventions Skift Interview: Las Vegas is striving to increase its convention business further with new content platforms and a series of virtual reality videos. Youth Sports Targeted to Draw More Visitors to Springfield The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to establish a youth sports complex and target amateur athletics to increase tourism. Plano Unveils New Hot Air Balloon: City Considers it Key… 

Read MoreTourism Best Practices – Virtual Reality, Sports and Hot Air Balloons

Oklahoma Conference on Tourism Summary

  • 2 min read

The Oklahoma Conference on Tourism was held yesterday in Oklahoma City. Great sessions on branding, social media, customer service, motorcoach marketing, festival and events marketing, agritourism, destination development, and attracting Gen Y (millennials) to your destination. Naturally, quite a few ‘little nuggets’ of take-aways… Secret to #socialmedia #marketing per @SheilaS of @TourismCurrents: “Work your butt off!” 3 times to market on #socialmedia: before, during and after. Too many forget last two and (social media) account goes cold. @SheilaS Your #CVB is not reaching #millennials. No app. Website (is) not mobile friendly. (You need to) treat #socialmedia like traditional media. “Don’t discount a… 

Read MoreOklahoma Conference on Tourism Summary

Social Media – Checklist, Acronyms, Budget and Helpful Apps

  • 2 min read

You’re told you can market your business for no money on social media. (In this collection, we have a link to a video that says that.) So you want to get started. Start here: Your Essential Social Media Checklist Replace “actor” with your industry and go through the “essential social media checklist… (that) will help you create social media accounts that more clearly reflect who you are, help grow your fan base, and build lasting industry relationships.” Now learn these: Social Media Acronyms That All Marketers Should Know (The) comprehensive list of the latest social media acronyms will help you survive your… 

Read MoreSocial Media – Checklist, Acronyms, Budget and Helpful Apps

Customer Service – Can It Be TOO Friendly?

  • 2 min read

These weekly collections of how-to articles are intended to improve customer service in your small business or destination. But it may be rockin’ already! Your shop may be known far and wide for its exceptional customer service. Have you ever thought “is it too friendly?” We start with that question. When Customer Service Gets Too Friendly How familiar should the relationship between customer and server be? Kim Knight considers the issue. Transform Your Customer Service And Customer Experience In 12 Steps The first part of simplifying customer service and customer experience transformation is to have a list. Here’s such a… 

Read MoreCustomer Service – Can It Be TOO Friendly?

Email Marketing – 11 Tips and How Email is Like Elections

  • 2 min read

Your email marketing campaigns are underway! You have a well-designed email with a call-to-action or two. Creative, well thought-out subject lines. Are your campaigns working? Wait! You’re not utilizing email in your marketing? Huffington Post recommends email as one of 3 Places to Put Your Marketing Dollars Instead of Social Media Social media ROI isn’t close to the effectiveness of email marketing. Period. To help with your campaigns… 6 Email Marketing Challenges And How To Overcome Them Let’s take a closer look at the biggest issues plaguing marketers and the solutions for each. 5 Ways a Patient E-newsletter Will Make Your… 

Read MoreEmail Marketing – 11 Tips and How Email is Like Elections

Tourism Best Practices – Detroit Mobile VC, Chicago Cable Car and more

  • 1 min read

Tourism professionals at Convention and Visitors Bureaus – CVBs (or Destination Marketing Organizations – DMOs) are implementing some innovative programs to increase visitation in their destinations. We call them Tourism Best Practices: ‘D-Rover’ Mobile Visitor Center Unveiled in Detroit A black and white van with a big yellow stripe will be at upcoming metro Detroit events this year as a mobile beacon for things to do here. Second story on the D-Rover. Could Airborne Cable Car Boost Chicago Tourism? Imagine sitting in a sleek, modern-day cable car zipping over the Chicago River to Navy Pier, perhaps even Millennium Park. Columbia State, Visitors Bureau… 

Read MoreTourism Best Practices – Detroit Mobile VC, Chicago Cable Car and more

Social Media – 25 Trends and Sites to Watch; 38 Other Tips

  • 2 min read

As they say, “why recreate the wheel?” and when it comes to social media practices, it’s okay to watch popular or successful accounts, see what they’re doing and try to emulate. If you truly struggle with your campaigns, take a look at these first two articles to learn how you might “do” social media better: 20 Popular Social Media Sites Right Now (The article) profiled 20 most popular social media websites so you can now make informed marketing decisions. 5 Trends from Social Media Marketing World 2016 Here are five of the biggest trends discussed at Social Media Marketing World.… 

Read MoreSocial Media – 25 Trends and Sites to Watch; 38 Other Tips

Customer Service – Lessons from Big Brands; 5 Metrics

  • 3 min read

Customer service is at an all-time low and customer satisfaction in dealing with a product or service issue is just as low, about 40 percent. Two of three consumers are likely to experience rage during an interaction with a customer service rep. In addition, 63 percent of consumers are likely to experience no satisfaction whatsoever in dealing with a product or service complaint. For retailers the outcome is not good as it is putting about $202 billion in revenue at stake and can slash consumer repeat business and loyalty to shreds. Here are tips to help you improve your customer service, increase… 

Read MoreCustomer Service – Lessons from Big Brands; 5 Metrics

Dealing With Woodward

  • 3 min read

As I started with the Norman, OK CVB, one of the first “issues” I faced was our local Bob Woodward. Remember the reporter that broke the Watergate story? Each community has a reporter looking for their Pulitzer! I had mine. She wanted everything and quoted the Open Records Act as easily as her kid’s names and birth dates. Colleagues offered suggestions: 1. Make public notice your meetings and make all of your records available for public review. If reporters want to come to your meetings, welcome them! You can help educate them. The only thing you shouldn’t open are personnel… 

Read MoreDealing With Woodward