Reality check: your best brand ambassadors aren’t usually affiliated with the tourism bureau or visitors’ center. They’re usually the baristas, small business owners, and mamas on the playground who love where they live and want to share their excitement with others. These unofficial brand ambassadors are the most effective marketing tools a community can have, because they create something no billboard or Instagram campaign can: a genuine connection.
When visitors set foot in your community, who do they actually meet first? It’s probably not your mayor giving them the ceremonial key to the city. It’s the front desk clerk at the bed and breakfast, the server at the local diner, or the person working at the gas station who responds to the question “What’s there to do around here?” seventeen times a day.
These folks are your secret weapon. Most of them don’t even know it, so it’s time to tell them!
Do You Roll Out the Digital Welcome Mat?
What happens when someone Googles your town at 11 PM from their hotel room, trying to plan tomorrow’s adventure? What do they find?
If you’re like most destinations, you probably have a website that links to visitors’ guides in .pdf format and stock images of your community that are five years old. Sure, marketing budgets are lean, but there are ways to do better. To assess the warmth of your welcome, do the following:
- When you Google “things to do in [your community],” what shows up?
- Does your website have current, engaging blogs with sample itineraries?
- Does your Instagram show more than the same three photos?
- Can visitors easily map out a day or a weekend from the resources you provide?
Here’s the thing: people don’t just want information, they want inspiration. Your website display, content, and images need to communicate what they have to try, with options curated for visitors of different ages, backgrounds, and interests.
Are You Spreading the Word?
The best communities I’ve visited don’t just accommodate visitors; they embrace them. They make you feel like you’ve been let in on the best-kept secret, not like you’re intruding on something private.
This starts with the people in your community. Empower the folks who are already there: the shop owners, restaurant staff, and hotel clerks who are natural ambassadors for your community.
Your outreach can be simple, like a regular weekly email to business owners and residents stating: “Hey, here’s what’s happening this weekend around town!” or “The new bakery on Elm Street just opened and their brioche is life-changing.” Maybe it’s a one-page cheat sheet with local favorites that every business can keep behind the counter.
The goal isn’t to turn everyone into a tour guide. It’s to give them the tools to share what they already love about living there.
Ready for Your Community’s Next Chapter?
Here’s my challenge for you: Take a walk down your Main Street this week. Stop into a few businesses. Ask the simple question: “If a visitor asked you what they should do while they’re here, what would you tell them?”
Listen to their answers. Are they excited? Informed? Do they have ideas, or do they look at you like you’ve asked them to solve quantum physics?
When people feel like they belong, even for just a moment, that’s when the magic happens. If you need help creating that seamless visitor experience online and on the ground, we help communities design marketing strategies that work hand-in-hand with hospitality. If you have brilliant strategies to share, drop me a line. Let’s make your community a place people can’t stop talking about!
