The West Australia (WA) is unique for its flora and fauna, reef and rock, outback, history, culture, and white beaches that attract ample visitors each year. These facts are fairly portrayed by Tourism Western Australia through its campaigns while engaging consumers via social media marketing.
Tourism WA is the State Government agency accountable for the promotion of WA (Tourism Western Australia 2017). Its brand positioning campaign started in 2010 “Experience Extraordinary”, promotes WA as a unique destination, while its 2017 campaign “Just Another Day in WA”, encouraging campers to explore WA. These campaigns entail persuasive content for Tourism WA’s social media platforms and having major significance in gaining consumers’ attention, creating interest and desire for WA, and persuading to opt Western Australia as a touring destination.
Experience Extraordinary in WA
(Western Australia 2013)
(Western Australia 2016)
In doing so, the notion behind these campaigns is to elevate brand awareness, expose WA, and influence tourist consideration to visit WA.
Social media engagement is increasing dramatically; consumers now seek two way of communication and social media platforms integrate consumers with industries. This notion is well penetrated by Tourism WA, that is evident through the likes of its followers on social media. Having said that, possessing over 7K Youtube subscribers with hundreds of thousands of their video views, 123K followers on Twitter, and 600K of Facebook followers are pure value to brand, as well as WA.
How Tourism WA utilizes these social media networks as a communication tool? It will be explicated through its Twitter and Youtube accounts in the next two paragraphs.
Twitter: The main reason of success behind Tourism WA’s twitter account is due to its’ content, and stakeholders’ engagement. Along with short descriptions, it proffers amazing pictures and short videos of various activities and destinations within WA, those not only entertain people, but also expose the unique activities and destinations available to them. In addition to that, encouraging the public to share their stories, and hashtag Tourism WA adds to its content and amplifies public’s engagement. As seen in the picture below, it asks public to share their experience and Luke Wormald has shared his experience in William Bay National Park.
Figure 1: Screenshot from Tourism WA’s Twitter Account
Youtube: Tourism WA’s efficacious communication through its Youtube channel is also due to its high-quality content and public engagement, however, on Youtube it is purely based on videos. These videos communicate nature, beauty, relaxation, wildlife, culture and heritage, marine life, and much more that connect to the audience’ emotions and feelings. Pertaining public engagement, the videos are based on public experience which makes them interactive. Furthermore, consumers can comment under videos and share their own experiences and opinions. As seen in the video below it bestows a feel of connection that makes it bloom.
Tourism WA continues to amplify its brand awareness and showcase WA as an extraordinary destination through its social media accounts.
Reference:
Western Australia. 2013. 1001 Extraordinary Experiences in Western Australia. YouTube Video, 1:42. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPJeuO4AClI
Western Australia. 2016. Gorges, Hot Springs, Boab Trees, Beaches. YouTube Video, 0:30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNgAFrohFSY
Western Australia. 2014. Perth at Festival Time. YouTube Video, 2:07. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRaroTrCq2s
Western Australia. (2017). Just Another Day in Western Australia. Retrieved from http://www.westernaustralia.com/au/Pages/Welcome_to_Western_Australia.aspx#/
Western Australia’s Twitter page, accessed May 19, 2017,
https://twitter.com/WestAustraliaref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Safar Ali 