INTRODUCTION
Cities want people to visit, stay, shop and eat in their downtown. But how can cities promote themselves in a way that is authentic but effective? Many downtown organizations (including BIDs) are turning to influencers to help promote their city.
Working with influencers provides mutual benefits. They get to try local experiences firsthand, and their followers view their recommendations as personal, not promotional.
Here is how cities can work with influencers to promote their downtown.
WHAT TYPE OF INFLUENCERS SHOULD DOWNTOWNS WORK WITH
Many downtown organizations start with micro-influencers. These creators often have smaller but highly engaged LOCAL audiences and typically don’t charge a fee.
Look for local creators who already post about:
- Restaurants and coffee shops
- Family activities
- Shopping and boutiques
- Travel and hidden gems
- Community events
Some ways to find local influencers include searching city-specific hashtags, checking geotagged posts at downtown locations and reviewing who is already tagging or mentioning local restaurants and shops.
Remember, a creator with 1,000 engaged local followers may provide more value than a creator with 100,000 followers located outside your region.
HOW CAN YOU CREATE A SUCCESSFUL INFLUENCER VISIT
The best downtown influencer campaigns focus on experiences instead of advertisements. Consider organizing fun events for them, such as a restaurant crawl, a shopping tour, date-night itineraries or family-friendly activity guides.
Also provide parking details, social media handles, hashtags and any graphics you’d like included. Allowing influencers to bring a guest can also help create more natural content and be easier for the influencer to say yes.
When reaching out, most downtown organizations start with direct messages on Instagram or TikTok to initiate contact. Review the influencer’s bio, as some will list an email address, which can be more of a direct way to get in contact rather than your note not being seen on social platforms. If the creator is interested, the conversation typically moves to email so details can be shared more clearly and professionally.
Here is a sample influencer invitation:
“Hi [NAME], we’d love to invite you to explore downtown [CITY] and share your experience with your audience. We can provide a complimentary visit for you and one guest, along with parking details, graphics, hashtags and a suggested itinerary featuring some of our favorite downtown businesses and photo gems. Would you have some availability in the next few months to come visit [CITY]?”
SHOULD DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATIONS PAY INFLUENCERS
If your budget allows, paid partnerships with macro-influencers (someone who has between 100,000 to 1,000,000 followers) can help promote major festivals, tourism campaigns or downtown events.
Before committing to a paid partnership, ask influencers where their audience lives. If most followers are outside driving distance from your downtown, the partnership may not be as meaningful.
WHAT MISTAKES SHOULD DOWNTOWNS AVOID
Common influencer marketing mistakes include:
- Choosing influencers based only on follower numbers
- Over-scripting content
- Failing to communicate expectations
- Ignoring audience demographics
- Not building a long-term relationship
Track engagement, website traffic, event attendance and social shares to help measure success. Once the campaign is complete, make sure to save/take screenshots of the influencer’s content to place in a report.
Influencer marketing works best when downtown organizations view creators as community partners rather than a one-time promotional tool. Building relationships over time (not just a one-off) can turn into ongoing awareness for your downtown businesses.