VISIT CHEYENNE
Email Marketing
SITUATION
Visit Cheyenne had not established a running email welcome campaign for interested travelers who opted-in to receive email communications via sign up forms on the Cheyenne website. Web visitors have the opportunity to sign up to receive email communications either through direct signup via a newsletter form or opt-in to communications while requesting a visitor guide on the site.
Madden views welcome emails for new subscribers as a critical component of a successful email marketing strategy. By establishing a welcome series, or welcome email, subscribers are immediately engaged upon sign up; encouraging early interaction with the destination and providing a preview of the content subscribers can expect to receive. This initial contact with the subscriber is a key opportunity for the destination to guide the planning process and build anticipation by providing engaging content promoting resources and event information that is relevant to travelers as they plan their trip to the destination. Along with providing travel resources, a welcome email campaign can also build trust with travelers by offering social proof (links directing to destination social media accounts or hashtags) that showcases adventures and experiences that other travelers have posted as well as a direct line of information from the destination’s social media channels. All of these content pieces can be generated through an individual welcome email or in a series of welcome themed emails designed to deploy once a visitor has opted in to email communications.
APPROACH
To maximize outreach efforts for Visit Cheyenne, Madden implemented two separate, evergreen email series consisting of four email campaigns each. The first series targeted subscribers who signed up for a visitor guide and opted in for email communications, focusing on the important trip-planning-phase between ordering the guide and the guide’s delivery. This campaign leveraged anticipation and educated subscribers on things to do, places to stay, and itineraries available in Cheyenne, while also offering Cheyenne-branded merchandise and highlighting Cheyenne’s Bandwango Savings Passes and Facebook channel.
The second series targeted those who subscribed to the e-newsletter, leveraging immediate interest in the destination while emphasizing seasonal activities, accommodations, and experiences in Cheyenne, and similarly providing highlighted offerings to Cheyenne’s Bandwango Savings Passes and Social Channels. This strategic segmentation ensured that both groups received tailored information relevant to their engagement stage while guiding potential visitors with diverse content offerings through the initial stages of
trip planning.
RESULTS
