Civic Centre
10 Watson Terrace
(P O Box 56)
Mount Gambier SA
5290
P 08 8721 2555
F 08 8724 9791
Reference: AF14 /140
Enquiries: Team Leader
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The power of social media was demonstrated during a major tourism conference held in Mount Gambier last week, with a photo of Limestone
Coast seafood going viral thanks to a Facebook mention from a high-profile media personality.
Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello, from television show ‘South Aussie with Cosi’, was a keynote speaker at the 2015 Annual State Visitor Information Centre Conference, and a picture he shared with the comment ‘How good’s the produce in the South
East!!! #savic2015’ reached up to 30,000 Facebook users after attracting more than 1050 likes from followers. A separate “selfie” video about the tourism ambassador’s visit to the region has attracted almost 17,000 views.
Lisa Braes, from the Mount Gambier Visitor Information centre, said the public reaction to the posts, which included some terrific suggestions for local attractions worth visiting, has affirmed the key message of the ‘Connecting with the Future’ conference: that all tourism staff and operators must hop on board the information superhighway in order to better connect with the tourism marketplace. “It’s a highly competitive market, and it’s now imperative that we are social media-savvy when it comes to spreading the word about a region’s assets,” she said.
While the social media landscape is ever-changing, Facebook remains one of the most effective marketing tools, with 1.39 billion monthly active users (as of
December 2014). The conference delegates, who represented every SA region, were given tips on everything from getting connected to content creation and even appropriate ‘voice tone’. “We learnt that Facebook isn’t the place to be corporate – it’s more about being polite, engaging and conversational so as to make a good impression and maximise your reach,” Lisa explained.
Tourism eSchool guest speaker Rebecca White confirmed the significant reach potential, saying that Australians are checking Facebook 30 times a week on average. Twitter and Instagram have a smaller following, but offer the benefit of real-time news and visual stories. Delegates were given the opportunity to test these tools with their growing online audiences during guided tours of Mount
Gambier and Port MacDonnell.
“We set up our own conference Facebook page, and visitors have shared some terrific shots of the Blue Lake, the Cave Garden waterfall, Dingley Dell, The
Customs House and we even have a video on there for Feast’s Car Museum,”
Lisa said. “If people type #savic2015 into their social media search tools the gallery is there for all to see.”
The feedback from the conference has been highly positive, with delegates declaring it a valuable hands-on opportunity to up-skill and connect with the right audience.
For further information, please contact Lisa Braes, Team Leader - The Mount Gambier
Visitor Information Centre and The Lady Nelson Discovery Centre, on 8724 9750.
Mark McSHANE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER