Having become the most trusted go-to social media brand for the Cotswolds in such a short space of time, it’s time to take a look back at where it all began.
Today, we’ll be sharing more on how this community grew so quickly, as well as insights into its potential power to showcase Cotswold businesses, both on social media and online.
Let’s jump in!
So, who is behind Visit The Cotswolds (VTC) and where did it all begin?
Well, it started as a hobby and here’s how…Born and bred in the Cotswolds, Maria Vitale has lived in this beautiful part of the world for most of her life. In 2019, she made the move to create a personal blog (Visit The Cotswolds) on Instagram and Facebook, as a place to log, share and enjoy her own photos from in and around the Cotswolds.
It didn’t take long for her to sink her teeth into the Cotswolds’ beautiful scenery even further, sharing photos from some incredible local photographers (with credit, of course!), with the aim of spreading the love for the Cotswolds and giving the photographers themselves greater visibility.
Meanwhile, Maria worked endlessly in the background in a full-time digital marketing job, taking her social media experience to new heights with Visit The Cotswolds’ ever-growing social media accounts.
When asked about the crazy and exciting growth of Visit The Cotswolds, Maria said:
“I couldn’t believe how quickly the social media pages were starting to grow! They picked up pace really quickly, and soon I was getting direct messages from all over the world from people who wanted to know more about the Cotswolds.
They even wanted me to help them plan their trips here, including recommending places to stay and things to do.”
Let’s say, things certainly went into overdrive! With an increase in direct messages and a huge amount of traffic to both Facebook and Instagram, Maria found herself giving advice, tips and insider info to those planning a trip to the Cotswolds.
It was at this point that she knew there was a gap in the market, especially in the social space. After building Visit The Cotswolds as the most trusted Cotswolds brand on social media, it was time to venture even further…
So, Maria ploughed her savings into building an amazing website, creating an online platform for businesses to grow and increase their visibility online. After building a website with regular blog content, featuring travel hotspots and plenty more, it was time to add a new layer to Visit The Cotswolds, developing a booking engine that would allow eager businesses to sign up and get themselves featured, and users to create their own accounts and save all their favourite places to stay and things to do.
But it didn’t end there… As Visit The Cotswolds also ventured into creating their own merchandise with the help of talented local designers and friends at Suki Marketing. Not only will you not find VTC designs anywhere else, but taking home a piece of the Cotswolds has just become easier than ever!
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The power of social media
Social media has a huge influence on buying decisions. Did you know that 81% of people decide what to buy based on social media? With the potential to get instant exposure at the tap of a button, social media has become the future for businesses across the world, and that includes the Cotswolds!
Whether it’s potential visitors looking for the best places to eat in the Cotswolds, seeking accommodation, or even the best routes to cycle – Visit The Cotswolds is here to answer all your queries and help you plan a trip to remember.
We’re so pleased to have become a trustworthy source of information, even for Cotswolds locals looking for new hidden gems to explore!
Where next for Visit The Cotswolds?
Maria is on a mission to help leisure and tourism bounce back on its feet post-Covid, whilst increasing visibility for the lesser known areas across the Cotswolds. She explains:
“Some of the most popular areas in our region experience a huge flurry of visitors and can get quite overcrowded. By promoting the lesser known areas, we can spread those wings further and provide sustainable travel so the whole of the Cotswolds will benefit.
There are endless incredible areas all over the Cotswolds and if we can help them to increase their economy, whilst reducing overcrowding in other areas, then we will be doing something right!”
How can we help your business?
As social media continues to rise as the go-to for eager travellers, finding travel inspiration through platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook have never been more popular.
While it still remains important, of course, to have your own presence online and on social media, with a little help from trusted and much-loved accounts, leads, sales and communities can quickly rocket.
It’s fair to say that no other Cotswold company can offer this instantaneous reach. Most recently, we published a post for a client and within 30 minutes they had four enquiries, while also growing their own social channel by a few hundred people.
But that’s not all… We’re also huge fans of collaborations, competitions and other types of promotional partnerships. We recently ran a competition online and received 2,500 entries and a reach of 50,000 people in just one day.
We’re excited to say that with a reach of around 13million people each month across our own social channels, the power of social media has never been so strong! But of course, we understand that ROI is important to businesses. Whilst growing an online community is crucial for spreading your message far and wide, we not only help businesses get the exposure that allows them to grow their own social media community, but we also drive traffic to their website in the form of leads, sales and remarketing opportunities.
If you want to be a part of a fast-growing online community, get in touch with us to find out how we can work together to showcase the Cotswolds.
