Visit Kingston
Our social media program is a key part of our marketing plans. As the Destination Management Organization for Kingston, Tourism Kingston is responsible for raising awareness of the city, encouraging visitation, and sending leads to operators. Our social media blends awareness initiatives with tactical trip-planning information and inspirational imagery.
Objectives
- Connect travellers and residents with Kingston
- Support and drive sales for local businesses
- Support the recovery of Kingston’s tourism industry from the COVID-19 pandemic
Target audience
The Kingston brand was in part developed to uncover the city’s appeal to a millennially aligned traveller – showcasing authentic experiences and “off the beaten track” places. Kingston is well positioned to deliver through our craft breweries, live music venues, local food, local shops.
Primary audience – couples
- Couples of all kinds across various demographics including LGBTQ+
- Food lovers seeking local, authentic food, wine, and brewery experiences
- Nature lovers looking to combine a city break with light outdoor activity
Secondary audience – families
- Families that are looking for short getaways and activities
- More likely to travel during the summer months and weekends
Target markets: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal
Content approach
We anchor stories, posts, videos, and influencers visits to these pillars:
- Makers: Authentic stories about Kingston’s creative community
- Food & drink: Kingston’s dynamic culinary scene
- Arts & culture: Kingston’s creative industries and unique arts and culture scene
- Sport & wellness: Anchored by health-focused and active exploration
Stories & posts
To appeal to different audiences, we use various types of stories including long-form highlighting makers, listicle roundups, and itineraries. Content is written in-house by our team. Photography is refreshed regularly through curated shoots featuring Kingston locals. When blogs are published, they are posted through our social media channels both organically and as boosted content, as well as through our monthly consumer newsletter.
Reels & TikTok
Instagram Reels and TikToks are based on our blog content calendar. We select four to five pieces to feature each month. The content ranges from evergreen pieces such as itineraries and business highlights to event-specific like our monthly roundup of events and festival. To further the reach, videos are embedded into stories on the website and evergreen TikToks are boosted.
Influencers
Aligning with our target markets, we host influencers and media in Kingston. Media are supported with booked accommodations, attractions, and meals. Media are briefed and provided sample language to use in their coverage. We created a welcome box featuring local maker’s products and branded itineraries to provide a warm welcome.
Chinese social media
Weibo and WeChat feature content written by our International Travel Trade Coordinator. WeChat features three to four long-form stories per month. Weibo shares photos of local attractions, experiences, and hotel packages that resonate with the Chinese audience both domestically and internationally. We include select Chinese stories in our paid marketing campaigns, boosting them within their native platforms.
Results
July 2022 – June 2023
- Social media impressions: 42,011,663
- Social media engagements: 1,034,342
- Social media link clicks: 451,015
- Website sessions: 1,597,162
- Website pageviews: 2,210,069
- Referrals to partners: 199,888
- Total influencers and media hosted: 16
- Total followers: 113,397
Reels and TikTok stats
- Impressions: 3,510,288
- Reach: 3,145,435
- Likes: 39,744
- Comments: 1,155
- Shares: 8,098
- Saves: 3,227
