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Marketing Update 16 February 2016
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2016 Publications: Include your business in our 2016 Familiarisation Passport
Advertising: Strong performance for our core marketing and City campaigns
PR: Coverage of VisitWiltshire's success in the 2015 TravelMole Awards
Website and Digital: News of blogs, apps, videos, e-newsletters, social media and more
Travel Trade: VisitWiltshire attends exhibitions at home and abroad
Wiltshire Association of Visitor Attractions: Next meeting is on Thursday 12 May at Marlborough College
2016 Publications
Core Publications
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Our three main publications for 2016 – the Time for Wiltshire Visitor Guide, Time for Wiltshire Visitor Map and Group Visits & Travel Trade Guide – are now available to download from the VisitWiltshire website. If you would like to receive a hard copy of any of them, please email Jenny with details of which one(s) you would like. Familiarisation Passport 2016
For 2016 VisitWiltshire will once again be producing its popular Familiarisation (Fam) Passport, although the format will be changing – details can be found here. If you would like your business to be included on the Passport by making an offer to fellow VisitWiltshire partner businesses (as well as journalists, tour operators, group travel organisers etc on reconnaissance visits pre-arranged with VisitWiltshire) please download the form here and email it back to Jenny by Monday 29 February.
Special Offers for 2016
Special Offers for 2016
Instead of producing a downloadable Special Offer pdf for 2016, all partner special offers will now be featured on the Special Offer page of our website. If you would like to include a special offer for your business, please email details to Emma. These offers will be available to everyone visiting our website.
Advertising
Core Marketing
Pay Per Click Advertising
Pay Per Click Advertising
Paid search is used to capture quality leads and deliver traffic to the VisitWiltshire website. The January Accommodation campaign performed strongly, receiving 4,661 clicks and achieving a high click through rate of 2.3%. High ‘time on site’, ‘page view’ and ‘goal conversion’ results were recorded for all advertising groups. The ‘Things to Do’ campaign also performed well, capturing 535 clicks and achieving a click through rate of 3.3%.
City Campaign
City Campaign
Our new year City campaign positioned Salisbury as a perfect short break destination, highlighting heritage, emphasising the range of independent accommodation, shops and food and drink, history and heritage, events, arts, culture and festivals, activities, days out and evening entertainment.
Offline activity included 175,000 copies of an inspirational fold-out mailer distributed via a range of lifestyle magazines and national newspapers; rail posters at locations within a two-hour drive time of Salisbury and a competition to win a weekend break. Online elements included digital display advertising; Facebook carousel advertising; a dedicated landing page on visitsalisbury.co.uk; an Instagram competition; and a social media campaign. The hashtag #visitsalisbury2016 was used.
Performance of the Display campaign was strong, with over 800,000 impressions served during January 2016. The display element of the campaign has been extended into February 2016 and will focus on the top performing audience segments.
The Facebook campaign served almost 280,000 impressions and generated 6,663 clicks, a click through rate of 1.6%. Facebook Ads also provided a considerable boost to Visit Wiltshire's social media engagement, with over 6,800 ad engagements and 56 new ‘page likes’ recorded as part of the campaign.
Personalised Partner Marketing
Offline activity included 175,000 copies of an inspirational fold-out mailer distributed via a range of lifestyle magazines and national newspapers; rail posters at locations within a two-hour drive time of Salisbury and a competition to win a weekend break. Online elements included digital display advertising; Facebook carousel advertising; a dedicated landing page on visitsalisbury.co.uk; an Instagram competition; and a social media campaign. The hashtag #visitsalisbury2016 was used.
Performance of the Display campaign was strong, with over 800,000 impressions served during January 2016. The display element of the campaign has been extended into February 2016 and will focus on the top performing audience segments.
The Facebook campaign served almost 280,000 impressions and generated 6,663 clicks, a click through rate of 1.6%. Facebook Ads also provided a considerable boost to Visit Wiltshire's social media engagement, with over 6,800 ad engagements and 56 new ‘page likes’ recorded as part of the campaign.
Personalised Partner Marketing
If you are interested in working with us on a bespoke marketing campaign, please contact Fiona.
PR
Press Releases
Press releases issued since the start of January include:.jpg)
Coverage of VisitWiltshire winning the 2015 TravelMole Award for Best Tourist Board Website was received on TravelMole itself, as well as Index Wiltshire and Spire FM.
Coverage of some of our north Wiltshire partners was received on National Express.
Print Coverage
Coverage of Chiseldon House Hotel and Restaurant was received in the Sun on Sunday 7 February as a result of our Valentine's press release.
There was extensive local coverage of VisitWiltshire winning the TravelMole award.
Blogger Visits
Blogger Visits
American blogger Freddy Sherman - otherwise known as Luxury Fred - came to Wiltshire for the day last month, visiting Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge. His transport was provided by Executive Connection. Coverage so far can be found here and here.A second American blogger - Lauren, from bonvoyagelauren.com - will be doing a three-night pan-Wiltshire tour later this month, staying at Wyndham Park Lodge and visiting Stonehenge, plus a range of attractions in Salisbury and north Wiltshire with the help of Heritage Holidays.
A big thank you to all the businesses involved in these visits for their help!
Website and Digital
www.visitwiltshire.co.uk
Unique visits to our website during January 2016 totalled 75,248. Unique visits for the whole of 2015 were +25% on the previous year.
Top referrers for January included: www.twitter.co.uk; www.visitsouthwest.co.uk; www.wiltshire.gov.uk and www.catalink.co.uk
Top content pages for January (excluding the main Home page) included: What’s On; Things to Do; Self-Catering; Longleat Accommodation; Walking
Top product pages for January included: Bowood House & Gardens; Avebury; Trowbridge; Longleat; Chippenham
Blogs
Top referrers for January included: www.twitter.co.uk; www.visitsouthwest.co.uk; www.wiltshire.gov.uk and www.catalink.co.uk
Top content pages for January (excluding the main Home page) included: What’s On; Things to Do; Self-Catering; Longleat Accommodation; WalkingTop product pages for January included: Bowood House & Gardens; Avebury; Trowbridge; Longleat; ChippenhamBlogs
Blogs added to our website since the start of January include:
Our apps continue to perform well. All our partners have an entry on the Wiltshire App, giving visitors and potential visitors an additional platform to find your business. The apps can be downloaded for FREE as follows:
Wiltshire: Apple and Google play
Salisbury: Apple and Google play
As at the end of January the two Apps had received 13,689 downloads between them (including downloads via tablets).
Both Apps have been refreshed, featuring a slightly different look, and both now offer geo-fencing notifications - if you would like more information on this, please email Emma.
Videos
As at the end of January the two Apps had received 13,689 downloads between them (including downloads via tablets).
Both Apps have been refreshed, featuring a slightly different look, and both now offer geo-fencing notifications - if you would like more information on this, please email Emma.
Videos
Our three Timeless-themed videos are available across three channels: YouTube, Facebook and Pre-roll. Together they have received over 98,500 views. Do take a look at them here and please feel free to add a link to them into any communications with your guests.
One of the benefits of being a Gold Partner is the opportunity to include a video on your own entry on the VisitWiltshire website. If you haven't already done so and you have a video you would like to add, please email Emma with the YouTube URL.
E-Newsletters
One of the benefits of being a Gold Partner is the opportunity to include a video on your own entry on the VisitWiltshire website. If you haven't already done so and you have a video you would like to add, please email Emma with the YouTube URL.
E-Newsletters
The following e-newsletters have been sent out to consumers in the last month:
Discover Some New Year’s Treats in Wiltshire in 2016
The VisitWiltshire database now stands at over 57,000 names... and everyone who has signed up is interested in Wiltshire! If you would like your business to feature in one of our regular e-newsletters we can include you for just £105. Contact Fiona for more information
Social Media
The VisitWiltshire database now stands at over 57,000 names... and everyone who has signed up is interested in Wiltshire! If you would like your business to feature in one of our regular e-newsletters we can include you for just £105. Contact Fiona for more information
Social Media
Social media is a great way of optimising and driving traffic to your website, as well as engaging with visitors. VisitWiltshire uses Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, You Tube and LinkedIn.
Now that the refresh of our website has been completed, Gold partners are able to feature their Twitter and Facebook feeds on their own entries - please contact Emma for more details.
Twitter
Now that the refresh of our website has been completed, Gold partners are able to feature their Twitter and Facebook feeds on their own entries - please contact Emma for more details.
• We currently have 17k followers
• Tweet impressions for January totalled 369k; tweet impressions for February to date stand at 118k
• Top tweets since the start of January include: BBC Countryfile at the Cotswold Water Park, seen by over 4k people; Brixton Deverill with 2,700+ impressions; our Instagram competition, seen by just over 1.6k people and Shaun the Sheep at Stonehenge as part of #museumselfieday
• If you are tweeting yourselves, it would be great if you could include the hashtag #timeforwiltshire
Facebook
• We currently have over 8,900 likes
• The most popular posts since the start of January include: the Vale of Pewsey seen by over 10k people; Malmesbury Abbey with snowdrops seen by just under 10k people; the mystery photo of Malmesbury, seen by just under 7k people; an English Breakfast Week post with a photo of breakfast at Blounts Court Farm, seen by just under 5k people; daffodils at Brixton Deverill seen by just under 5k people; top places to see snowdrops with a reach of just under 4.5k; the blog on February half term ideas which reached to over 3k people; the Wadworth Shire Horses seen by just under 3k people and the link to the 29 ways to propose this leap year blog
• Our cover photo has been changed to one of snowdrops at Lacock Abbey
Instagram
• We currently have 2,395 followers
• Our first Instameet of 2016 – held at Boscombe Down Aviation Collection – attracted around 27 people and generated good coverage for the Collection as a result of the meet
• Two further Instameets have been confirmed for 2016: 7 May at Stourhead and 18 June at Old Wardour Castle – if you would like to take part, please register your interest here
• Entries are still welcome for our #visitsalisbury2016 Instagram competition, which runs until the end of March – just tag your photos with #visitsalisbury2016 on Instagram
Keep us in the Loop
We are always looking for fresh, new, inspiring content, so please keep us up to date with all your news. Also, if you have any offers or promotional ideas that you would like promoted we can add them onto our Offers section. Please email Emma with the details.
Travel Trade
Exhibitions
Over the next couple of months VisitWiltshire will be attending the following exhibitions and events:
Thursday 3 to Friday 4 March: Explore GB, Liverpool
Wednesday 16 to Thursday 17 March: British Tourism & Travel Show, Birmingham
Wednesday 27 April: Great for Groups, Kempton Park
VisitWiltshire will also be attending the following international exhibitions and events representing South West England:
VisitWiltshire will also be attending the following international exhibitions and events representing South West England:
Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 March: ITB, Berlin
South West Tourism Growth Fund
South West Tourism Growth Fund
VisitWiltshire is leading on the travel trade strand of the South West Tourism Growth Fund activity, offering a range of valuable international trade opportunities to partners.
Travel Trade Package
Travel Trade Package
VisitWiltshire has a Travel Trade Package for those interested in the groups/travel trade market. Three levels of participation are available – for further details please contact Florence.
Wiltshire Association of Visitor Attractions (WAVA)
Our next WAVA meeting will take place from 2-4pm on Thursday 12 May 2016 at Marlborough College, courtesy of Marlborough College Summer School. The aims of the group are to:
• Share ideas, tips and best practice
• Communicate market intelligence and business trends
• Generate opportunities for cross promotion amongst attractions, including special offers
• Enable collaboration on projects of joint interest, such as videos and photoshoots
• Work together to give visitors reasons to explore outside London
If you were unable to attend either of the previous two meetings, but would like to receive further information about WAVA and/or further details of the next meeting, please contact Jenny.
If you were unable to attend either of the previous two meetings, but would like to receive further information about WAVA and/or further details of the next meeting, please contact Jenny.
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.