2021 Marketing Plan Final

L E I S U R E MA R K E T

CHANNELS There are a variety of channels that we are expecting to employ in the execution of our paid campaigns, including: • Google Ads – Search • Google Ads – Retargeting

GOALS We have a variety of goals for our campaigns, including: • Bringmessaging back tomarket after a year with limitedmarketing • Drive brand awareness for our target audience, motivating them to consider visiting Cabarrus County • Improve on-site engagement metrics, ensuring users are finding valuable information and becoming educated about the region • Increase total overnight stays in Cabarrus County hotels • Increase the average length of stay in Cabarrus County hotels KPIs There are a variety of KPIs that we will track to ensure our cam- paigns are effective and improving over time. The metrics listed be- low increase in their importance from top to bottom. Put simply: It’s nice if a keyword has a low cost-per-click, but if it never leads to engaged users or key user actions, it’s not particularly valuable.

• Facebook Ads • Instagram Ads • Programmatic Display Ads • ConnectedTV Ads • YouTube Pre-Roll Ads • Pinterest Ads

In addition to these paid campaigns, we will also support organic search efforts through two primary methods. First, we will conduct a monthly SEO technical review of the site. This will ensure that no tech- nical errors arise that limit our ability to effectively drive organic traffic. Second, we will ensure that content we create is focused on driving or- ganic traffic. This will be accomplished by planning content around tar- get keyword terms from the start, then optimizing that content for those terms before it launches. DESTINATION PAGES Our goal is to make sure that users who visit our site arrive on pages that best meet their needs. Some common examples include the “things to do” and “places to stay” pages for keywords that align with this information. Additionally, we will develop specialized landing pages that align with a user’s search. For example, a user might search “fam- ily friendly activities in Concord,” and while the general “things to do” page can meet this user’s need, a better user experience would be to arrive on a page that is fully dedicated to fami- ly-friendly activities in Cabarrus County in the form of a top-10 list or an itinerary. This is just one example, but there are many places where focused landing pages could ensure a better user experience, drive greater engagement and lead to more visits to the region from travelers.

Traffic Metrics: • Sessions • Users

• Ad cost-per-click/cost-per-completed-view

User Quality:

• Time on site • Pages per session • Bounce rate

User Actions:

• Destination Guide downloads • Page visits and actions on Places to Stay

We have partnered with Casual Astronaut to assist us in achieving our digital media goals. Casual Astronaut is a content marketing/ media and digital agency that will help us develop deeper and more meaningful relationships with our visitors. They marry strategy, design, content and digital know-how to attract prospective visitors at key moments in the consumer journey.

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