My Client Is Trending on Twitter

I never thought I would write  a blog post with this title.  Three weeks ago #i5bridge and #skagitbridge were trending on Twitter as the I-5 Skagit River bridge collapsed into the Skagit River.  Once it was discovered there were no serious injuries, the marketing work began.

Just several weeks before the I-5 bridge collapse and trending on twitter, I had met with Skagit County Chamber Executive Director’s Association (SCCEDA).  This group heads up Skagit County’s only destination marketing organization (DMO), while also each directing their town’s chamber of commerce.  We were meeting to go over Skagit Marketing’s proposal for an updated DMO website for Skagit County.  They gave me the go ahead to get started on the project.  Seven years ago I created the website as a volunteer project.  The site was outdated and lacking many new updated features including a dynamic content management system and a SEO strategy.

After the bridge collapse, launching the website ASAP became critical as Washington state Governor Inslee directed $150,000 in marketing funds to Skagit County.  Skagit County leaders including SCCEDA made a wise decision to invest this money in content marketing with the new website as the vehicle.  Starting this week, for the first time ever, the website and social media sites will have a paid marketing point person posting on facebook, updating twitter, updating a county-wide calendar and providing Skagit Marketing with content for the new blog.  A commercial was filmed last weekend which will be integrated into the new website and social media sites.

VisitSkagitValley.com is a work in progress because of the speed it had to be launched.  But isn’t that the case of the dynamic and content rich websites of today?   Trending on twitter was just the beginning.