It’s no secret that travel and tourism giveaways help promote destinations, drive traffic to websites, and capture new leads; however, not all destinations know how fruitful it is to take the giveaway game into the social space.
According to Experian, 25% of consumers on social networks use them to find product and travel recommendations. For destination marketing organizations that seek to develop leads for their partners, the viral power of Facebook to boost results on travel and tourism giveaways makes the network a very effective marketing tool.
Check out these five recommendations that will help you make Facebook work for you to enhance your DMO promotional campaigns.
- Create a Custom Facebook Application with a Great Prize - Facebook applications are Web apps loaded in the context of a Facebook page. A sweepstakes application can communicate a branded message while providing benefits such as capturing opt-in email addresses for future marketing efforts and creating more “likes” for your Facebook page. The key to a successful sweepstakes application is a prize with high perceived worth–one that will communicate the value of your destination.
- Put Facebook Ads (Pay-per-Click) in the Budget - Facebook advertising is one of the best ways to target your campaign to specific users and their friends. Facebook ads yield a low cost per lead, making them an effective way to drive traffic to your promotion page. As with any advertising, the quality of ad content can affect the success of your ads.
- Maintain Your Page with Facebook Status Updates - Your Facebook page is an invaluable tool when it comes to spreading the word about online promotions and for keeping you in the mind of the consumer. Provide regular, consistent status updates to inform and remind fans of your giveaway.
- Encourage Facebook Social Sharing - Facebook makes it easy for users to share content with friends who have similar interests. This social sharing takes place when a Facebook user mentions you in a status update on his/her own Facebook page, clicks the “Share” or “Like” button on your page or shares links to your content through Facebook messages to friends. Use creative graphics and messaging to make your Facebook promotion both worth sharing and easy to share.
- Use Your Other Assets and a Complimentary Landing Page to Drive Traffic to the Promotion - On the main page of your own DMO website, create a promotional graphic and complimentary landing page for the giveaway. A landing page can feature an entry form for your giveaway and provide visitors with detailed information. This is especially important if you are interested in reaching potential visitors who are not accustomed to Facebook. This page brings traffic to your website that can generate leads when users fill out the entry form or share the page. It is essential that your landing page and promotional creative have the same look and feel. If you have a Twitter account, tweet about the promotion to drive traffic to the Facebook app or landing page. Also use your e-newsletter to promote the giveaway.
Holiday Shopping Sweepstakes Promotion
The following case study illustrates the value of including Facebook applications that encourage sharing in giveaway campaigns.
To promote the Rowan County Holiday Shopping Sweepstakes, Aristotle developed an integrated marketing strategy that included a Facebook app promotion for Salisbury-Rowan Country CVB. Spanning a seven week period, the Holiday Sweepstakes campaign included:
- A custom Facebook Sweepstakes Application with social sharing options
- Landing Page with Search Engine Optimization
- Pay-per-click advertising
- Offline advertising – TV, Radio, Outdoor
Giveaway Prizes
The campaign invited consumers to enter the Salisbury / Rowan County Holiday Shopping Sweepstakes for a chance to win one of seven “exciting shopping getaways.” Each prize package included an overnight stay at a lodging accommodation of the winner’s choice, a gas card, VISA gift card, Salisbury Downtown dollars and a gift basket. Two of the packages also included an HD Flip video camera.
Goals and Results
The specific goals of the Facebook promotion were to increase the number of fans on the CVB’s Facebook page and to increase the number of e-newsletter subscribers. With clear sharing options and calls to action, the campaign performed very well for the CVB. Campaign results included:
- 1,444% increase in “Likes” for the Facebook Page
- 9,400 sweepstakes entries
- Over 3,500 new e-newsletter subscriptions
- Over 2,500 people shared the contest with their friends on Facebook
- Over 6,400 click throughs and over 2,200 contest entries via PPC
As Facebook continues to expand its membership and reach, the social network offers destination marketers with an excellent channel for creating brand awareness, generating buzz, and staying connected with existing and new audiences.
Aristotle develops Facebook applications and manages online promotional campaigns for clients of all sizes. Ready to take your promotional campaign to the social realm? Contact us now for online promotion solutions.