social media successes! nope! learn from social media flops

Adam Johnson | VP of Marketing | Visit Saint Paul

[EAT]

[TWEET]

[RE ]

Social Media Successes! Nope! Learn from Social Media Flops

The Denver Dares

SoMeT13USNovember 8, 2013

Background

Shannon Paige (spaige@visitdenver.com)Director of Interactive Marketing and Web Operations

Background

VISIT DENVER• Launched our first app in July 2010• 2011 – 39,000 App Downloads• Jan 2012 – Begin redesignDecided to add Badging Capability to the app to highlight our “Dares”

Why Badges?

Gamification of experiences

1,826 badges awarded during Denver Restaurant Week: Jan 19 – March 9, 2012

Social Media Strategy - Get users to share info about us on their social media sites

The Denver Dares

• 10 Badge categories• 10-15 “Dares” per Badge• Check-in to an dare – earn a badge

The Denver Dares

Results

First 6 months (April-Sept)• 42,000 downloads• 64,000 active users• 205,000 sessions• 1.6 min average session

length• 202 Badges awarded

What Went Wrong

•Complicated Directions– Didn’t distinguish

between “checking-in” and “badging” thus one action had two results

What Went Wrong

•Complicated Directions– Didn’t distinguish between “checking-in” and “badging”

thus one action had two results•No incentive to earn a badge

– Badges are only fun if there’s a level of competitiveness to earn them.

What Went Wrong

•Complicated Directions– Didn’t distinguish between “checking-in” and “badging”

thus one action had two results•No incentive to earn a badge

– Badges are only fun if there’s a level of competitiveness to earn them.

•Wasn’t challenging to earn a badge– While trying to keep the threshold to earn a badge low,

we took the fun out of it. Could earn a badge anywhere/anytime.

What We Learned

2012

Badges Awarded 202

Sharing (email) 1,137

Favorites 4,956

Users were NOT using the badging capability, but they were big fans of being able to “favorite” a dare or member listing in order to access it later.

What We Learned

2012

Badges Awarded 202

Sharing (email) 1,137

Favorites 4,956

Users were NOT using the badging capability, but they were big fans of being able to “favorite” a dare or member listing in order to access it later.

This was obviously being used as a “planning tool”, as opposed to an in-market guide.

We had to change our whole attitude about the app…..

What We Changed

1. Got rid of badges

What We Learned

We don’t need no stinkin badges

What We Changed

1. Got rid of badgesa) Turned them into categoriesb) Still allow people to check in, but now they have to be

at the location, so it’s similar to Facebook check in

What We Changed

1. Got rid of badgesa) Turned them into categoriesb) Still allow people to check in, but now they have to be

at the location, so it’s similar to Facebook check in2. Introduced a new category called “My Saved Dares” that

encourages users to add more favorites.3. Introduced a new category called “Top 10 Dares of

Denver” that allows users to see what other people’s favorites are.

What We Changed

1. Got rid of badgesa) Turned them into categoriesb) Still allow people to check in, but now they have to be

at the location, so it’s similar to Facebook check in2. Introduced a new category called “My Saved Dares” that

encourages users to add more favorites.3. Introduced a new category called “Top 10 Dares of

Denver” that allows users to see what other people’s favorites are.

4. Make users login to Facebook and share their hometown with us if they want to save favorites.

What We Get

April - September

2012 2013

Badges Awarded 202 0

Favorites 4,956 35,889

• Year over year the amount of “favorites” has increased 624%

• This gives us valuable insight into the dares, listings and events that our users are interested in

What We Get

April - September

2012 2013

Badges Awarded 202 0

Favorites 4,956 35,889

Facebook logins 520 2,435

• Year over year the number of users connecting the app to their Facebook account has increased 368%

• Allows us to collect demographic data• Out-of-market user using out-of-market• Out-of-market user using in-market• In-market user using in-market

Conclusion

• Make sure users want and will use the interaction you’re giving them.

• Figure out what action they are already taking and develop a strategy based around that.

Social Media Flops:Gear Up for a Getaway New York Jets

Sweepstakes

Social Media Flops:Gear Up for a Getaway New York Jets

Sweepstakes

David WestVice President of Marketing,

Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau

@DavidBWest

Gear Up for a Getaway! NY Jets Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes hosted on the NYJ Facebook Page

3-Monthly Sweepstakes with prizing from the Pocono Mountains

Participants prompted to “Like” the PMVB on Facebook to enter.

Goals

Gain 10,000 Likes on Facebook

Reach a large market of New York and New Jersey residents with their 1.4 million fans.

Introduce winter offerings to a nearby market.

Gear Up for a Getaway! NY Jets Sweepstakes

NYJ Sweepstakes Promotion

NYJ Sweepstakes Promotion

Results

3,048 Total Likes on PMVB page

Digital Stadium Signage Compensation

Contributing Factors

During the Jets’ Season• Controversial Topics: Tim Tebow, Bad

RecordOnly 1 sweepstakes winner per

monthJets would only post about the

contest once per week“Likes” were followed by “Unlikes”

Takeaways

Be mindful when selecting a partnership and the devil is in the details of the agreement

Difficult to refocus the conversation within a social community

Dealing with a big company also means dealing with big rules and policy

Contesting is a good incentive - Need a combination of small and big and higher frequency of winnings

Promotion is a key to success

Thanks a lot… Tebow!