Podcasts are a growing medium allowing a destination to share its story, build and own an audience and unify the community and stakeholders into a brand awareness tactic everyone will love.
From a young age, people are drawn to stories of pirates and princesses, dragons and sea raging monsters. As we grow up, fantastical stories are still enjoyable but passionate stories of heroism, entrepreneurship and adventure grab our minds even more because they are relatable. Destinations have the unique opportunity to tell stories of travel and adventure that make life worth living.
The Digital Age of Stories for Destinations
When the digital age started booming, websites and blogs expanded the reach of stories to a worldwide audience. Destinations started utilizing the new technology to build a visual and virtual representation of the potential experience visitors could have. Websites became a required marketing tactic to have your audience experience your destination.
Now, technology is seeing another surge in the creation of podcasts and audio-based content. Younger audiences especially are drawn to the podcast medium for it’s multi-tasking capabilities, the ability to passively listen to content on the move and the ability to listen to everything and anything imaginable.
Relic CEO Adam Stoker said, “One of the main reasons that I recommend a podcast to destinations is because it provides content that can be consumed passively and allows newer audiences with different consumption habits to consume your content in the way they prefer to consume it.”
This new, powerful storytelling medium presents an attentive audience who listens to 80% of the whole episode and an audience estimated to double by 2023. So why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of this captive audience?
Relic’s Destination Marketing Podcast Story
Two years ago with no previous experience beyond listening to story-based shows on his own, Relic’s CEO Adam Stoker started a podcast.
Built to serve the tourism community, the Destination Marketing Podcast assists overworked and understaffed destinations to prioritize proven marketing activities and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technology. Going through case studies, hearing about campaigns and experiences from marketers all over the world accomplishes this.
Equipped with the success and podcast knowledge, Relic created the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. The network has additional podcasts for marketing positions within the destination as well as destination-specific podcasts for consumers to learn about the various places they can visit across the country!
For marketers, you can learn about beneficial, social media partnerships through the “Influencer Marketing for Destinations Podcast” or hear about the latest industry news on “The Travel Vertical Podcast.” Relic is also excited to announce the “Architects of Destination Advocacy” Podcast, a collaborative effort with Destinations International.
Your Destination’s Podcast Story
For destinations, joining the network means a podcast for your destination. Share what makes your destination unique similar to how “The Hola Laredo Podcast” verbally illustrates the bicultural blend of American and Mexican culture from food to fashion. Take a story from “The Inner Coastal Podcast,” as stakeholders each share their business’ contribution to the low-country lifestyle culture from historic landmarks to the movie filmed in the location.
“One of the things I love about a podcast is that if you’re consistent and do a great job of storytelling, you’re going to build your own audience and you no longer have to rent it,” said Stoker. “You own it.”
Your destination’s story can be heard. Your tales of trails and the roller coaster ride of adventure in your area has the same chance to plant desire and inspire your audience as your competitors. Even better, once the story is verbally shared, it takes flight to new opportunities such as blog posts with transcribed episodes, social media quote posts, stickers, and more! Think of updating your travel guide with the podcast episode stories, that like a virtual travel guide, can bring your destination to life.
“Storytelling will allow the visitor to have a more well-rounded view of what they want to do when they get to the destination,” said Stoker. “An additional benefit to being able to grow and nurture your audience is to engage and inform your stakeholders as well.”
Craft the creative narrative of your story with a podcast — Relic can help. Invest in a marketing tactic that can deliver to audiences dream excursions and adventurous anecdotes right into their ears. Because once they’ve heard the stories, they’ll want to experience it for themselves.
Adam Stoker is President/CEO of Relic. He's been working with destinations for nine years, consulting with leisure travel, stakeholder engagement, destination branding, and convention/meetings marketing. He has been featured in the Utah Business and Utah Valley Business Magazines' 40 Under 40 issues. He now speaks on different industry subjects at tourism conferences across the country, most recently including Utah Tourism Conference and the Texas Travel Summit. As one of the up-and-coming industry thought leaders, Adam's impact on the industry is just beginning.