Town reports 1.8 million impressions from $10,000 WildJoy influencer campaign

Town staff reported to the council that a $10,000 influencer campaign with WildJoy Experiences produced substantial online reach and correlated with measurable increases in visits and followers for the town’s social channels. Madison Garrett told the council the program produced three videos posted to Instagram and TikTok: a movie‑night promotion, a “day trip to Carefree” guide and an art‑night feature. The second video — the day‑trip guide — reached roughly 957,000 people and generated about 37,000 likes and 25,000 shares/saves as of August; overall the campaign’s reach was reported as about 1.8 million people. Garrett said the campaign target was the 24–44 age range (millennial cohort) to diversify the town’s visitor base. She reported a 130% increase in profile visits and a 155% increase in follows on the town’s social accounts after the campaign period, and she said software used to track retail‑center visitors showed increases in newer and less‑frequent visitors compared with the prior year. Physical visitation metrics showed growth in visitors with 25‑plus minute commutes (interpreted as people coming from farther away), and average durations of stay edged higher; Garrett said the most common visit durations were around 60 and 150 minutes, suggesting both short visits and longer stays for dining or events. Local businesses tagged in the videos reported they used the content on their own platforms and provided generally positive feedback to staff. Council members praised the campaign’s measurability and discussed repeating or adapting the approach. Garrett said some of the content is “timeless” and will remain on the town website as a guide; several posts and bonus reels from businesses were noted as additional unpaid promotion the town gained from the effort. Ending: Staff presented the results for council review and signaled interest in future, targeted digital marketing experiments tied to events and seasonal promotion.