Tell us your career path.
I worked as the region marketing director for an international life insurance company for many years and was rescued from talking about death and dying by the dot com boom of the late 90's. I was fortunate enough to get the position of marketing director for a start-up which is how I learned interactive. There were no rules and no history and we had VC money so we could test and learn. When the bust happened I lost 4 jobs in 2 years. After the 4th time I figured I had learned that lesson so I started my own company.
What is your organization?
Paramore|Redd Online Marketing is a full-service digital agency. We create websites and online media campaigns.
As an allied supporter of the industry, what is your take on tourism?
There’s no better industry to be in than tourism. You get to make people happy and be a part of their special memories. But it’s also tough. You have many people to please. Tourism is in a tough spot right now but I think it will come back strong soon. This reset can be a time for the industry to take a hard look at its value proposition. Are you providing the customer with something so valuable they can’t write it out of their budget?
Give us 3 ways organizations can improve their social media efforts.
| "There’s no better industry to be in than tourism. You get to make people happy and be a part of their special memories." |
Name that one common mistake you see CVBs/organizations make when it comes to social media.
That would be using social like every other medium is the biggest mistake I see. It’s not just about discounted hotel rooms and free tickets to events. Plus, things aren’t always great at your destination. When you’ve had a hurricane or major storm the city is NOT ready for tourists and putting that message out there on social will get you ridiculed – fast.
How do you measure social media success?
We use tracking codes for specific offers such as free vacation guides. We measure the traffic that goes to the destination website from the social platforms. And we measure engagement – how many people are talking back to us? How many fans or followers do we have? The ultimate measurement of course is in revenue.
Why did you join STS?
STS is the most important organization promoting tourism throughout the Southeast. Tourism is a focus for our company and we already had great relationships with members of STS. It is a great chance for us to give something back to the industry while helping us deepen relationships with current and future clients at the same time. We are a small company so it is important for us to focus our energies in places where we can make a difference.
What is that one piece of advice you’d give someone just starting out in their career?
Know that things will change. You aren’t going to be stuck (in one place), even if you make bad decisions in the beginning. Life is full of surprises.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I majored in classical piano and voice in college.
Name 3 CDs you would not want to part with?
You may reach Hannah Paramore at hparamore@paramoreredd.com
For more information on Paramore|Redd: http://paramoreredd.com.