5:15 PM - 6:30 PM
[O02-P02] Short-Term Effects of SNS Marketing: a Case Study in Hakusan Tedorigawa Geopark
Keywords:SNS, Marketing, Facebook, Instagram, Geopark, Tourism
Hakusan Tedorigawa Geopark, located in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is located near Kanazawa City – a famous and popular tourist destination. With the aim of increasing the number of tourists to the Geopark, from August 2020 we began a Social Network marketing campaign using the paid advertisement functions of Facebook and Instagram.
Online ads can be made to target certain areas, and we targeted Ishikawa Prefecture and the surrounding prefectures. From August to November we excluded the two prefectures directly neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture. As a result, views from Ishikawa Prefecture were the highest, with views becoming less frequent further from Ishikawa. This was also evident in views to the website, with the majority being from Ishikawa, with an increase in views from nearby prefectures.
As a result of the campaign we saw an immediate, but short-lived increase in views to our website as a result of advertisement clicks, which gradually decreased over time. Our Instagram account went from 302 followers in July, to 827 in February – a 174% increase. We noticed that advertisements containing pictures of scenery had high click rates, and advertisements were most popular with middle-aged people. As expected, advertisements concerning education and activities for children were most popular with middle aged women.
In addition to the effects to our website views, we also saw a small effect in the field. During September we conducted a survey at several key sights in the Geopark, and 2 people of the 168 people surveyed said that they came as a result of the advertisement, proving that although small, the advertisements had an effect. However, after running a campaign for approximately one month, where visitors were encouraged to visit a museum in exchange for a discount coupon, no visitors came to receive the coupon. Therefore it is believed that an instant response from viewers requires a greater reward and/or a longer run time.
As we continue this campaign we will continue to measure the effects both through online analysis and in-field surveys. Not only do we hope to see an increase in tourists, but also an increase in awareness of the Geopark.
Online ads can be made to target certain areas, and we targeted Ishikawa Prefecture and the surrounding prefectures. From August to November we excluded the two prefectures directly neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture. As a result, views from Ishikawa Prefecture were the highest, with views becoming less frequent further from Ishikawa. This was also evident in views to the website, with the majority being from Ishikawa, with an increase in views from nearby prefectures.
As a result of the campaign we saw an immediate, but short-lived increase in views to our website as a result of advertisement clicks, which gradually decreased over time. Our Instagram account went from 302 followers in July, to 827 in February – a 174% increase. We noticed that advertisements containing pictures of scenery had high click rates, and advertisements were most popular with middle-aged people. As expected, advertisements concerning education and activities for children were most popular with middle aged women.
In addition to the effects to our website views, we also saw a small effect in the field. During September we conducted a survey at several key sights in the Geopark, and 2 people of the 168 people surveyed said that they came as a result of the advertisement, proving that although small, the advertisements had an effect. However, after running a campaign for approximately one month, where visitors were encouraged to visit a museum in exchange for a discount coupon, no visitors came to receive the coupon. Therefore it is believed that an instant response from viewers requires a greater reward and/or a longer run time.
As we continue this campaign we will continue to measure the effects both through online analysis and in-field surveys. Not only do we hope to see an increase in tourists, but also an increase in awareness of the Geopark.