By Sean Dixon, CVB Interactive Media Manager
Representatives from several Missouri destinations were in Springfield recently for for an in-depth discussion of digital tips, trends, and tactics. In attendance were representatives from Kansas City, St. Louis, Branson, Lake of the Ozarks, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, and the Missouri Division of Tourism. The four-hour meeting featured discussion around four major topics: best practices, reporting and analytics, emerging technologies, and collaboration. Here are a few takeaways from the session:
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Facebook is king. The day-to-day routine for many of us involves promoting our destinations on Facebook. Other networks are involved and vary by destination, but the fans of our destinations have been mostly cultivated thanks to the rich targeting a platform like Facebook offers. Twitter was also a major network for us but with different audiences (local media).
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Goals and Key Performance Indicators vary. Each destination measured things a little bit differently from the next. The common ground was an emphasis on overall media impressions and engagement. Looking forward, the group will explore ways of generating and measuring engagement further along the vacation planning process.
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Collaboration is possible through VisitMO.com. While we each have of our individual destinations at the forefront of our efforts, we did recognize the ability to support the awareness of tourism for the entire state. The social media efforts of VisitMO and the Missouri Division of Tourism are a neutral playing ground for all destinations inside the state. We’ll be supporting them through content ideas, rich media submissions, and sharing of VisitMO social media.
The most rewarding part of the retreat will undoubtedly be the continued communication of this group moving forward. The group recognized the commonality of the issues they all face as digital professionals and the tendency to work in isolation while solving them.
