Tourism Winnipeg

mediums. Digital display ads placed on high-traffic sites can be used for image, branding and lead generation. Tourism Winnipeg will explore online advertising as a means to target specific markets, either by interest or geography. Tourism Winnipeg will increase targeted traffic to the website through online publications (e-zines) through direct advertising, QR Codes, sponsorship, submission of articles and distribution of press releases. Display ads will also be targeted by IP locations in order to target meetings and conventions, sports and special events, travel trade and leisure markets. The implementation process will include the following: Design effective landing pages for the ads/sponsorships by target market to increase sales conversions or the number of customers who act on the offer Consider placements with the top three pay-per-click (PPC) programs adopted by most travel organizations including Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing Solutions (formerly Overture), Microsoft adCentre and Trip Advisor » Social Media Marketing The term social media describes the technology and methods used by people to share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives. It can take numerous different forms, including text, images, audio, video, etc. Social media is an increasingly important online distribution channel for destination marketing organizations to connect with leisure travellers. Social media generates high exposure for a destination, improves traffic to a website, raises search engine rankings, generates qualified leads and reduces marketing costs. Trip Advisor, Expedia, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, FlickR, Four Square, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and Panoramio are some of the top social media outlets used by marketers. Destinations should increase their Internet social network marketing to embed messages within networks that influence travel decision making. Although destinations may not have control over content, participation in social networks, either directly or indirectly is essential. In addition to helping destinations generate online conversations about their destination, social media can also drive traffic to the website through link referrals. Tourism Winnipeg will collaborate with stakeholders to develop a social media strategy to expand social media activities. This strategy will introduce new platforms to increase brand awareness for Winnipeg, while building a loyal and growing fan base. Tourism Winnipeg will increase engagement in social media networks including through photo reveals, tagging posts, contesting, responding, providing content, YouTube videos, etc. to position Winnipeg as an attractive, four-season destination. » Blogs A blog is a type of website or part of a website that contains a writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations and A Master Tourism Plan for Winnipeg | 2011-2015 | 2013 UPDATE opinions; it often has images and links to other websites. A blog is a personal online journal. They also enhance search engine capabilities. Tourism Winnipeg will develop a Winnipeg persona for a blog that will feature the city's tourism activities, events and experiences. The persona will talk, listen and interact with consumers to increase travel conversations about Winnipeg that will motivate travel. Tourism Winnipeg will also enhance PegCityGrub.com, a culinary blog promoting all aspects of Winnipeg's food scene. » Online Uploads "Locals Know" Concept In 2009, the Canadian Tourism Commission launched "Locals Know," a $20-million two-year domestic campaign comprised of print, television and blogs. It encouraged Canadians to uncover unique travel experiences within their own backyard and share their discoveries on a campaign website. The website attracted millions of page views, with consumers sharing more than 4,800 locations. Final results indicate an estimated 2.7 million Canadian travellers took or booked a domestic vacation as a direct result of the "Locals Know" campaign. Tourism Winnipeg will build on the successful footprint of the Canadian Tourism Commission's "Locals Know" campaign to make it easy for visitors to find and enjoy local hot spots and hidden gems. Tourism Winnipeg will develop an online program incorporating the "Locals Know" concept and invite residents and visitors to upload photos, stories and videos of their favourite Winnipeg locations and experiences. This will create an interactive forum highlighting Winnipeg's popular attractions and best-kept secrets. » Contests Online contesting is a form of promotion that uses the Internet for delivering marketing messages to attract customers. Tourism Winnipeg will use website contests and social media networks to build relationships and expand an online base of fans, followers, and subscribers, while promoting Winnipeg's tourism partners and activities to increase visitation to Winnipeg. » Permission-Based Email Marketing Email continues to be a cost-effective, trackable means of encouraging new and repeat visitations to a destination. Permission marketing techniques can be integrated with many Internet marketing tools and repeat traffic generators, including newsletters, surveys and contests. Tourism Winnipeg will use its website to attract people to its subscription e-newsletter and blogs to build an extensive email database. The e-newsletter and blogs provides subscribers relevant information and offers, such as contests, fun promotions, packages and deals. Permission-based email marketing to target markets and website visitors is the first step in building relationships. It allows Tourism Winnipeg to engage users with relevant information and offers to boost tourism visitation. 33

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