Bootstrap Marketing for Your CVB

April 22, 2008WV Assoc. of CVBs

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Pre-Work - While Waiting

1. Find a blank index card on table2. Front – write the name of the best CVB

marketing tactic or project you’ve ever seen. Who did it? What made it great?

3. Back – write your question for me. What do you want to learn from this morning?

4. Write your name somewhere on card5. Prizes awarded!


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Bootstrap MarketingOpportunities & Ideas for CVBs

Presented by Skip LinebergMaple Creative


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On Marketing• “What impression do you make, then,

when you appear to have invested very little in your own business? You are saying you lack confidence in your own enterprise. If you are not confident enough to invest in yourself, why would I spend money with you?”

Harry Beckwith – marketing guru, author


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What is Bootstrap Marketing?

• Limited budget• Limited resources• Marketing by your bootstraps• Creating impact on very little

investment• Leveraging zero-cost tactics


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Brand Identity


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Research – Find Out

• Who’s coming to your place?• Why are they coming?• What is their world view/ lens?• Are trends shifting … and why?


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Research – Helps You

• To evaluate your marketable assets• To define your target audience

(segmentation)• To test messages … see what

resonates• Become more effective


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Research Tool - Zoomerang

• www.Zoomerang.com• Free, online research application• Create custom surveys• Up to 100 questions• Up to 1,000 invitees

http://www.zoomerang.com/


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Other Research Tools

• Exit survey – feedback cards• Clipboard capture – man on the

street• Focus group• What else?

How did you hear about us?


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On Marketing

• “Marketing is a circular process, which can begin almost anywhere and never ends.”

Craig Hartsell, Azimuth


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Question from Question from AudienceAudience


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Earned Media• Local relationships = local

coverage– Get your news & events covered

• Regional & national press– Think big – are you “swinging for

the fences?”– Tie your story to recent coverage

and world events or trends


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The Power of National Press

Canaan Valley, WV


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Earned Media – Other Ideas

• Editorial Review Board Session• Press Conference• Invite a travel writer to visit

– Do you know who’s on the travel beat?

• Invite an influential travel blogger to visit?

We offer spokesperson & media training.


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On Marketing

• “Tell me a story. Make me say, ‘Hmm-I did not know that’.”

- Don Hewitt, founder and long-time producer of “60 Minutes”


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Internet – Electronic Marketing

• You Tube• Flickr• Blogger• Twitter


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Internet Marketing – Why Bother?

• Low cost• Tremendous reach• Two-way conversation – engages

customers• Content tags – makes it specific• Measurable – you can track it


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Flickr• Leverage your scenic beauty• Post photos of your place• www.Flickr.com• Comment on other scenic photos;

invite contributor to come visit and photograph your place

• Start a Flick photo group – scenic photos of your area

http://www.flickr.com/


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Twitter• Micro-blogging• www.Twitter.com• Free• Quick & easy• Attract the early adopters• Followers can spread the word

http://www.twitter.com/


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Twitter – Elkins example

• www.twitter.com/visitelkinswv• Promote upcoming events• Spread good news• Invite folks to visit• Offer suggestions• Offer facts and trivia

http://www.twitter.com/visitelkinswv


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Search Engine Visibility

• Travelers pre-shop on the Internet• Internet #1 source of travel

planning and purchasing• Majority of leisure travelers (66%)

now use the Internet exclusively for planning a vacation.– 2007 National Leisure Travel Monitor


26Things Have Changed!


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Google Search Results

• Page 1 or Page 2 (100% … 82% … 2%)

• Where do you rank?• For which search phrases?• What are your critical search

phrases?


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Evaluate Search Phrases

• Your own research• Google Suggest, Google Trends• http://labs.google.com/• You can’t be “all things.”• You can’t afford to market your

place as “all things.”• Find your niche.

http://labs.google.com/

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WV Assoc. of CVBs April 22, 2008

How Google Sees Your Site– Connections on the Web very

important to search engines - hyperlinks in/out, blogroll, partners, reciprocal links

– Relevant, fresh content can boost your rankings with spiders, bots & Web-droids


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How to Rank Higher on Google

• Relevant content• Connections• Fresh content• Use content tags and

meta-data


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More on Electronic Marketing and Web 2.0

• Statewide training series• Beginning in May• Five WV locations• www.MarketingConference.

org

http://www.marketingconference.org/

http://www.marketingconference.org/


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Blogs & Blogging• Create a conversation• Create fresh, relevant content• Give customers a voice

– They have more credibility than we do.

• You are the publisher. You’re in control.

• Tag your content• Build traffic and connections


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Blog Drives Traffic to Your Web Site

The Maple Example


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Closing• Blogs

– Marketing Genius from Maple Creative

– See our blogroll – other great blogshttp://MarketingGenius.blogspot.com

http://marketinggenius.blogspot.com/


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Key to Marketing, Especially Marketing

Places• Stories are memorable – “sticky”• Powerful, persuasive stories• Powerful, persuasive images

– Find and organize– Begin to cultivate and build– Put them out for customers to discover


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Maple’s Marketing Plan• Leverage our strong brand• Feature talent and creativity• New Web site – promote launch• Continue to feature our blog• Some advertising – very targeted• Sign boards at airport• Speaking engagements, publish articles• New print materials – folder, biz card,

note cards• Community service


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On Leadership

• "You can either take action, or you can hang back and hope for a miracle. Miracles are great, but they are so unpredictable."- Peter Drucker


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Closing

• Bibliography – recommended reading list

• Let’s start a [email protected]


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Thank You!Thank You!


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Bootstrap MarketingOpportunities & Ideas for CVBs

Presented by Skip LinebergMaple Creative

Business

Bootstrap Marketing for Your CVB