Destination marketing is vital to tourism, especially when you consider there are thousands of UK visitor attractions to visit. The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions alone has more than 2,200 tourist sites as members. That’s why getting awareness for your venue can be tough, whether you use a PR consultant, or not. But there are some things you can do to maximise your chances. I’ve put together some simple strategies to increase the chance of your attraction being covered in the press based on my experience in promoting tourism clients and knowing what assets the media need. These can work whether you’re responsible for marketing a museum, gallery, racecourse, castle, heritage site or even a zoo.
Prioritise pictures
It might seem obvious, but one of the biggest pain points for journalists are good quality pictures and at the right size. Any picture must be 300dpi especially if you want to maximise your chances of being picked for a print edition. If your picture quality is less than 300dpi then the quality won’t be good enough for print.
Back in my journalism days one of my responsibilities was sourcing pictures for a colour themed spread each month in an interiors’ magazine. One such theme was ‘Mellow Yellow’ and the company I chose to have as the lead picture – a full A4 page – was because they had a lifestyle shot of a bedroom featuring a variety of yellow tones in the furnishings. I did have another company in mind originally, but they couldn’t provide a large enough pic in time for publishing, so the spot went to my second choice.
As well as quality, when you take a picture make sure you have both landscape and portrait versions. So, if you’re showing off a hotel bedroom, take the picture from the same angle in both portrait and landscape mode. Again, this gives a journalist more choice and makes it easier to choose your content to fit their page layout.
Consider seasonality
Journalists need content so make sure you’re top of mind when it comes to regular calendar dates like Valentine’s Day or Father’s Day. I’ve also put together a handy PR and social media calendar here to help you plan. Journalists will be looking for deals created for these calendar dates, but also don’t forget your photography! If a journalist is writing a feature about couple’s breaks, it helps to have some photography of couples at your venue. While a family friendly destination will need good pictures of a family and make sure you ensure diversity in the models you use.
I once secured coverage for a racecourse client in a Mother’s Day travel feature in the Daily Mail, which I believe was on the strength of my image. The picture was of a mother holding her young daughter as they watched the horses together and ended up being the lead image for the feature taking up a large proportion of the page.
Find your facts
One of the quotes that always stuck with me when I was a journalism student was this one attributed to the Manchester Guardian editor C P Scott in 1921 “Comment is free, but the facts are sacred.” Statistics make a story stronger, so if you can find a way of including stats in any of your pitches, it can help. This could include how many visitors you welcome daily and any increases in numbers, or even less well-known facts about your attraction. Creating a key facts doc, especially if it includes anything weird and wonderful, could even spark story ideas for journalists, which is why it’s such a great tool for destination marketing.
If you’re on social – be social!
Social media is one of the best places to build awareness with your audience who could very easily include journalists. But as well as posting about your attraction, make sure you interact with your audience. If they need answers to questions even if you’re not able to provide it in that instant, at least acknowledge their question so they feel heard. Lots of unhappy customers taking to your social media handle to complain about something can get you press coverage you don’t want.
Finally, if you’re planning on running a competition on your social media handles be aware of scammers targeting your audience. To avoid the chance of your followers being duped, warn them not to share their bank details with anyone, as it’s something you would never ask winners for. If possible, announce any winners in a video that is harder for the fakers to emulate in addition to announcing in your posts.
If you’re looking for more PR or social media support for your company and would like a free consultation, email Karolina@iden.global or take a look at our free travel resources for travel businesses or those involved in destination marketing.