Jenny considers influencer marketing a 'paid advertising' tactic, not just a PR play. She argues that we need to look at influencer marketing the same way as we look at billboards, radio, or any other form of advertising. 

Influencer marketing as paid advertising means...

1. We need to determine a budget and develop a strategic plan like we would with radio, TV, or any other ad investment. 
2. We can proactively find influencers that align with the audiences we want to target. 
3. Secure usage rights to use the influencer's video content 
4. Run that content as paid ads on TikTok and Instagram 
5. Measure and report 

Get our Free Guide to Nano Influencers for Nonprofit Attractions here. 

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

One of the pain points for marketing teams always seems to be their organization's ticketing system. They can't get the customer data and/or they can't attribute back online ticket sales to online advertising.

We brought in Michelle Paul from BackOffice Thinking to get her thoughts on how marketing can get the most out of their ticketing system. 

We cover:

• A few good and not-so-good reasons to switch ticketing systems 
• The common mistakes organizations make when looking for a new system 
• Many ticketing systems can cover our 'marketing wishlist', but we need to know how to utilize it

Sign up for BackOffice Thinking's e-book on successfully changing technology here.

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

Scott McPherson takes a 'noses-in-roses' approach to selling tickets and weddings at Royal Botanical Garden. 

Scott joins us to talk about creating and marketing events to bring new, diverse audiences to the garden. We dive into how and why he uses influencer marketing in his advertising strategy.

Scott shares...

1. Tailoring Content to Audience Segments: Scott explains the importance of designing events for various demographics, from elderly visitors to young families, using seasonal and unique experiences to draw in different groups.
2. Working with Micro-Influencers: Scott discusses the benefits of partnering with local micro-influencers who, despite having smaller followings, offer authentic content and effective local engagement at a lower cost compared to high-profile celebrities.
3. Authenticity Over Polished Content: Emphasizing that influencers should share genuine experiences rather than adhering to scripted content, Scott highlights the value of authentic, relatable content in building trust with audiences.
4. Navigating the Influencer Landscape: The episode covers the challenges of inconsistent pricing and professionalism among influencers. Scott shares how to use social listening tools and geographic insights to find the right local influencers.
5. The Importance of Research: Scott advocates for investing in research to understand and attract new audiences, ensuring that programming aligns with visitor interests and maximizes marketing ROI.

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

Google wants to give every nonprofit attraction $10,000/month in free advertising. But, some zoos, aquariums, museums, and gardens don't maximize this program...or...don't utilize it all.

Jenny and the team cover these 10 questions about the Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits program:

1. What is Google Ad Grants
2. What’s the catch?
3. Can I use it to sell tickets?
4. What are the rules to ensure I have a compliant campaign? 
5. What is the strategy to maximize the grant?
6. Can this grant replace my paid advertising with Google? 
7. What should I do if we’re not spending the $10k?
8. What happens if I get canceled?
9. What about Bing?
10. What’s this going to cost me? 

 
Get our free Checklist for Google Ad Grants here. 

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

Recently one of Jenny's marketing clients - a large botanical garden - invested in creating an online map. So, we asked Anna Busby from Engage by Cell to help us understand the pros and cons of creating an online map for non-profit attractions. 

We discuss...

• Costs - time and financial - for developing an online map 
• Ideas on getting your visitors to use your maps 
• Customizing maps for your special events 

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

Tim Morrow shares his perspective on how ticket revenue can help spread the mission for non-profit attractions. He aims to make San Antonio Zoo not just the top zoo in Texas but the top attraction in the state. He spent 18+ years with SeaWorld and talks what he's brought from the for-profit side to the non-profit side.  

We talk about...

• How zoos can learn from how theme parks are marketing and selling tickets and guest experiences
• The power of 'repeatability' and creating a year-long calendar of events 
• Different pricing packages to enhance the guest experience and increase revenue 

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

We talk with Alyssa Fagien from ATL Bucket List to learn some best practices on how influencers want to work with nonprofit attractions. We talk about what makes a good brief for a creator, sharing your attraction's 'hidden gems,' and whitelisting creator content for ads.  

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

Jack Stevenson from Cedar Fair Entertainment Company produces 50+ events at theme parks. He shares his ideas on how non-profit attractions can increase attendance by focusing on events. 

We discuss...

1. What goes into creating an event from scratch
2. Using variable pricing to generate value for events 
3. Selling memberships (or, season passes as they call it) 

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

Jenny shares strategies and ideas to help zoos, aquariums, gardens and museums plan their advertising for their 2024 holiday events. Political ads will flood the media market which will drive up ad costs.  And, many attractions are looking to increase attendance after record-setting years further. 

We discuss...

1. Buying non-preemptable ad inventory on TV and radio 
2. Using programmatic out-of-home to drive ticket sales on 'off nights'
3. How Pinterest can drive ticket sales in early November 
4. Using Influencer Marketing to set guest expectations when your attraction is at capacity 

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com

Jim Bartoo from the Nashville Zoo joins the show to talk marketing. 

We discuss...

• The value of relationships with local TV, radio and newspaper outlets 
• His approach to getting earned media
• A plan to spend ad dollars outside the Nashville market 

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com