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Marketing director reports strong digital growth; trolley tours, influencer campaigns and billboard buys ramp up
Summary
Marketing staff told the Jefferson County Board of Tourism that paid social and organic traffic rose year over year, influencer visits are generating content for broader promotion, and paid trolley tours and billboard placements will expand outreach this season.
Jefferson County tourism’s marketing director provided a wide-ranging update on campaigns, metrics, influencer visits and upcoming promotional placements, saying paid and organic channels have produced notable gains and that the county’s new paid trolley tours will launch this month.
Why it matters: The board heard data the marketing team said shows increased online engagement and targeted ad placements in regional outlets — information the board tied to visitor-center traffic, tour bookings and partner promotion.
What staff reported: Sarah (Marketing Director) said major campaigns produced measurable engagement: "All of our paid socials really just, increased... Over 1,800 sessions came from just those ads, 335% over year year over year." She said impressions were up 28% year over year to about 1,310,000 and reach was "1.16" million. Sarah reported that 68% of impressions for the trails-and-tours/outdoor-recreation sector came from those images and that top feeder cities included Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis. She also said the team ran a Google display campaign and that paid social spending was "getting up there" at roughly $2,200 per month for multiple campaigns.
Influencers and earned media: Sarah said the office hosted a content creator with about 400,000 followers and expects to leverage the creator’s assets; a micro-influencer is scheduled for early June under a seasonal contract. Staff also said they secured digital placements tied to the America's River Roots guide and planned a dedicated digital reach of more than 1,000,000 people through a Chicago Tribune digital insertion.
Trolley and visitor services: A tourism staff member described operational progress on the Madison trolley: paid tours will launch with two departures per day on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, plus Fourth Fridays, summer Sundays and private-event runs. The comfort station funded in part by JCBT has opened and staff reported positive visitor feedback, with brochures and staff presence at the station.
Measuring impact: Staff noted limits to measuring direct conversions from billboards (I-65 vinyl reported to reach up to 3,000,000 drivers a month) and said anecdotal reports at the visitor center are one indicator of effectiveness. Sarah also said statewide trends suggest web numbers may decline in the future because of AI-driven search changes; the marketing team is monitoring those trends.
Ending: Staff said a brand and image study will be presented in July and that more campaign results and creative assets will follow as the team measures the trolley launch and influencer activity.
