Reach 300,000 subscribers and 4,000 Facebook followers
The editor of Share Wales has been approached with an invitation to contribute to the e-newsletter of a US photographic retailer. The mailer has a circulation of 300,000. Each issue is archived in a permanent blog and some 4,000 Facebook followers are directed to the blog when new content is added.
The invitation was the result of photographs I had posted in the Share Wales Flickr Group. The projected article creates an opening to present images of the Welsh landscape and coastline to a considerable US and global readership by way of illustrating technical and creative advice for a mainly amateur audience. At the same time it presents an opportunity to draw attention to the more comprehensive photographic coverage of Wales on Share Wales Flickr. The exposure can only add to the destination marketing 'cloud'. Last but not least, and if our recommendations are followed, the Group may create interest in individual businesses and organisations.
A good time to join Share Wales on Flickr
Always assuming that the newsletter article is acceptable to the company, publication is targeted for winter of this year. This is to allow time for new members from Wales to join Flickr and the Visit Wales:Share Wales Flickr Group so that we reach a critical mass of content. Step-by-step instructions can be found here. Please be sure you follow the instructions and comply with the conditions, especially regarding tags and Creative Commons Licencing. And only upload the highest quality images.
In passing, it is worth mentioning that this is not the first time that the Share Wales Group has produced results for this writer. As example, shortly after joining the Group my photograph of Pentre Ifan was selected by Wales Online for publication in the Western Mail's 'Postcard From Wales' slot. The cloud works in mysterious ways!
Dawn at Pentre Ifan
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By Charlie Peverett June 20, 2012 - 9:39 am
Great example of the unexpected consequences of sharing content. It reinforces the point that ‘marketing’ is increasingly about ‘being relevant in public’.
And it also helps explain why sharing content is so addictive. Every time you post it’s like a entering a competition where you don’t know what the prize will be (or what the rules are, or whether there *is* a prize…)
By Barrie Foster June 21, 2012 - 10:30 am
… but unless you buy a ticket you’ll never win a prize. Thanks for this. Part of our mission is to encourage tourism operators in Wales to post as much content, as many types of content, via as many different channels, as is possible within their management capacity. Every individual post is a ticket in the lottery. The ‘cloud’ is amorphous and unpredictable and ‘chance’ has never been more a part of the marketing equation. The lesson is to expect the unexpected and be prepared to follow through. And, of course, it all adds to the destination marketing cloud.
By Charlie Peverett June 26, 2012 - 11:17 am
Thanks Barrie
It’s a tricky one – given how unpredictable the immediate benefits can be, and the number of other things on people’s plates, I think it pays to prioritise what content you put up, and where you put it. But even with the rise of Pinterest and Instagram, it seems that Flickr is a good bet.
There’s a lot to be said for sharing content as part of what you do day-to-day. Living in the cloud, perhaps :)