Ten easy steps to promoting trails in your area
1. Work from your community outwards
Make sure key community members know about your walk, from its starting point to special features along the way. Talk to pub and B&B owners, bus hire and taxi companies, the local churches, Macra na Feirme, teachers, and local special interest groups.
2. Build the buzz with a good website
Capture people’s hearts and minds with great pictures, engaging text and lots of news about upcoming events. You’re promoting experiences so consider adding video clips to showcase your beautiful walk.
3. There are so many benefits
Describe various benefits of your walk to attract different groups of people. For families it’s a great day out together; for others it’s a chance to get fit and healthy; for nature lovers, a walk gives them a chance to discover the landscape.
4. Time for strong language
A tourism product is bought. A tourism experience is remembered. Communicating your own tourism experience calls for a different type of language and imagery.
5. Iconic images
What are the most famous images associated with your area? A famous historical monument? A captivating natural view? Use something instantly recognisable to promote your walk.
6. The people behind the places
Create a sense of place with a great walking guide. If you are lucky enough to have a local historian or a storyteller who can enthuse people about the walk, then this is your very best spokesperson to work with local and national media.
7. Working with the press
Create strong links with the press – including freesheets - by getting to know your local journalists and editors, their deadlines and their particular news interests.
8. Talk radio!
Talking about walks on the radio is very much a trend so approach your local radio stations and offer to do an interview about your new walk.
9. Social media – a great free marketing channel
Choose one or two social media tools and do them well. Set up an account for each trail so that you can build a group of followers. Search for local people you might like to become friends of the trail.
10. Work smart – identify key support groups
Work closely with Fáilte Ireland and other tourism support organisations to get your message out. We will provide you with great marketing support, maps and route descriptions.