Targeting travelers via social media is one of the best ways for your destination to remain at the forefront of their minds as they plan for their next trip. But don’t just shoot in the dark! Put together a research-based social media editorial calendar to help your DMO visualize the audiences and target them appropriately with content relevant to their interests. In the third installment of Stamp's “Encouraging the Conversation” vlog series, David Allred and Victoria Belton share the seven components you should consider as you build an editorial calendar to guide your social content strategy.
Social Media Editorial Calendar Planning for DMOs
Video Transcript
David: One of the topics we discussed today at our workshop related to encouraging the conversation was the importance of developing a social media editorial calendar. There are seven primary parts to this editorial calendar that we recommend when working with DMOs. Part 1—Personas. This is who you’re talking to. Leverage your research to see who’s visiting your destination so you can curate your content to reach them. You will want three to five personas in equal rotation so that you’re speaking to the Foodie, the Meeting Planner, the Bucket Lister, et cetera on different days.
Victoria: Part 2—Categories. This is what you are saying. Again, leverage your research to identify what people are most often doing in your destination, and talk about those things. Think about categories such as art, entertainment, excursions, food, and my favorite—shopping. Part 3—Holidays. Think about leveraging some national holidays as well as choosing some fun but relevant days, such as Tequila Day, Hotdog Day, Pizza Day—whatever’s relevant to your destination.
David: Part 4—Partners and Stakeholders. They are critical to your success. so you should periodically feature them in your social plan, but only when you can relate their offering back to a persona and category or a holiday.
Victoria: Part 5—Experiments. Plan for some spontaneity. This is when you try new things—think back to Facebook live, Instagram stories or SnapChat filters. But again, relate it back to a persona and category or a holiday. Part 6—Articles. Many publications and blogs have already written great things about your destination. Leverage this independent content and do some humble bragging! When personas and categories line up, showcase relevant articles on your social channels. And don’t be afraid to repeat them if their content is evergreen.
David: Part 7—Bounce Forwards. Like most destinations, yours likely has peaks and shoulder seasons. Drive visitors to your shoulder seasons when hotel occupancy is at its lowest by featuring things visitors can do, places they could go in three to six months.
Victoria: This editorial calendar can work across all your social platforms. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others, as well as encouraging a stream of diverse content to feature on your own website.
David: And as an added bonus, once a social media editorial calendar is set, this can be an excellent tool to review the performance of your destination’s social media curator, formerly known as your destination’s social media coordinator. Watch our video here to find out the difference.