In this week's discussion, Emily chats with Rachel Greiner, the marketing and social media manager at Experience Grand Rapids. She joins to share her strategies for promoting the city and attracting both locals and out-of-town visitors. She discusses the Brewsader app, which highlights the city's breweries and encourages people to visit them all, and the Flights of Flavor program, which showcases food and drink flights at local establishments. Rachel emphasizes the importance of being a go-to resource for information about events and attractions in Grand Rapids, and she shares upcoming developments for the city. Listen in to hear more about how Experience Grand Rapids executes on a goal of fostering connections and community through digital marketing!

TUNE IN FOR TOPICS LIKE:

1:09 Rachel’s career history and landing at Experience Grand Rapids

3:53 Definition and explanation of DMO’s

4:45 Different audience tiers and catering to each of them through marketing

7:38 Brewsader App: highlighting Grand Rapids’ brewery scene

11:31 Flights of Flavor: sharing local food and drink flights

13:12 Evaluating growth and measurements of success

14:33 Strategy mix to attract visitors and locals alike

17:52 Trends in the destination marketing industry

19:38 Using a calendar of events as a marketing tool

21:59 What’s next for Experience Grand Rapids

Listen to this week’s Local Marketing School conversation!

Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Rachel’'s episode:

#1: The Power of Everyday People in Influencer Marketing | Charise Flynn & Emily Steele, Co-Founders at Hummingbirds

#9: Integrating Into the Community and Keeping Social Media Fun | Hannah Kirkpatrick, Fareway

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This podcast is produced by Hummingbirds. Learn more about Hummingbirds at hummingbirds.com.