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Just how money can’t buy happiness, expensive cameras can’t always capture good images.
Good photography has never really been about the equipment. Cheaper cameras are less durable, which makes them less reliable. That’s why professionals are willing to invest in nicer gear. But the secret to capturing amazing shots is actually all about techniques and perspective.
Sometimes budget limits small businesses from executing their marketing ideas, but not every successful strategy requires a lot of money. Here are six outside the box ways to market your small business that are both inexpensive and effective.
Customers love the opportunity to make something their own. Studies have shown that 56 percent of consumers said receiving a personalized incentive would improve consideration of the brand. Think Personalized M&M’S and Share a Coke. If there’s a way for you to allow customer customization, give it a try and see how your audience responds. Not sure how to add a personal touch to your business? Anything that gets your customer’s name on your product works — using frosting to write the order name on your donuts or offering free monograming on your inventory of purses or apparel.
Social media use is at an all-time high right now due to users consuming more content through the pandemic. Maintaining a successful social media presence throughout the pandemic and changing cultural and political landscape may seem daunting, but even during unpredictable times, some of the best content opportunities come when you least expect it.
In this webinar hosted by the Pennsylvania State Tourism Office, you’ll learn about updated social media practices (like how much you should be posting, what you should be posting, etc.) based on the current climate, content inspiration (seasonal and evergreen), new tactics and trends along with insights and forecasts from industry experts.
This webinar is geared towards those who have already have basic understanding of social media
practices. If you are not quite there yet with your understanding of social media, feel free to contact
Carl Whitehill, cwhitehill@destinationgettysburg.com, with any social media related questions.
After review of the Meetings segment of our destination, Destination Gettysburg found it was time to step back and take a new approach to conventions, retreats, meetings and events in the greater Gettysburg market.
It is still our goal to create greater awareness of Gettysburg as a meeting location and to increase bookings in Adams County. How we accomplish this goal will shift from a personal selling approach to a distribution marketing approach.
In working toward this goal, the team of Destination Gettysburg has developed a three-prong approach. The Communication team will work to earn stories in meeting publications, business journals and magazines. Paid advertising will be placed digitally to reach meeting and event planners. This will drive traffic to the meeting subsite and to our various member properties. We will continue to distribute our newsletter to meeting planners and respond to RFPs on Cvent.
These activities work to increase the number of proposal requests received in market. To turn those proposals into contracts, we will work with planners and partners to provide site visits and support services that include:
Distribution and response collection for the request for proposal (RFP)
Organizing and developing site checks – by showcasing the destination, we set Gettysburg apart from other meeting locations.
Connect planners with key member contacts from specialty tours to living history presenters, off-site networking event locations to caterers and transportation providers.
Assisting with marketing and promotion of the conference including providing photography, sales materials, public event postings to our online calendar and social media promotions.
Each planner and each event present a new set of opportunities. From car shows to tradeshows, board retreats to leadership development events, Destination Gettysburg will continue to support this important market segment. Our goal is to increase mid-week and off-season business with this specialized market.
In order to help you, our partners, welcome meeting groups and other gatherings to our area, Destination Gettysburg assembles custom welcome bags. Each welcome bag includes an Inspiration Guide, discounts and gift for each attendee.
For more information, or questions about the meetings market, contact Lindsay Methlie, Director of Sales, at lindsay@destinationgettysburg.com or call 717-338-3062.
Similar to marketing to leisure travelers, our efforts for the group market are very strategic. We are approaching tour operators that travel with both students and adult groups who have the tendency to visit cultural and heritage-based destinations. We highlight our agritourism and culinary assets, mixing in the history, when talking with adult groups. For the students, it is a heavy focus on the history, with a reminder of the interesting aspects of our agritourism experiences. In order to reach these audiences, we will attend industry trade shows and smaller tour operator shows that bring in group leaders. We also travel to tour operators to tell our destination story directly and invite them and their clients to visit Gettysburg for a personal tour highlighting what they can do as a group. We are here to offer you tools to help you be more successful in your business.
Leads from Group Tour Tradeshows and contacts are available on the partner portal. New leads will be added as requests come into the office. If you are interested in the Group Tour segment and have not recently connected with these leads, you are encouraged to download the contacts and notes. Creating a schedule of touchpoints is key to building awareness of your product within the larger destination story. If you need assistance in downloading the leads, contact Lindsay Methlie, Director of Sales, at lindsay@destinationgettysburg.com or call 717-338-3062.
Check out the resources below for more information.
To help you, our partners, welcome groups to our area, Destination Gettysburg provides a welcome gift for overnighting groups. For more information, or questions about group tour partner opportunities or group travel marketing efforts, contact Lindsay Methlie, Director of Sales, at lindsay@destinationgettysburg.com or call 717-338-3062.