SITUATION

Visit Salt Lake had been an established member-based organization with strong membership services and participation for years. However, as the organization's online presence and users' need to have relevant search results delivered to them increased, Visit Salt Lake was faced with the question: should they remain a member marketing organization (MMO), or transition into a destination marketing organization (DMO)? Either way, Visit Salt Lake's ultimate goal was to become more relevant to visitors, while further recognizing the importance of maintaining member engagement.

SOLUTION

After more than six months of Membership Committee meetings, facilitated stakeholder discussions and Simpleview consultations, the hard work had finally paid off. Visit Salt Lake not only transitioned into a destination marketing organization, but it also implemented Simpleview's Inclusion Model.

In doing so, the model provided a unique way for Visit Salt Lake to obtain business data and determine what information to feature on its website. Simpleview created the destination listings on Visit Salt Lake's website, which allowed the DMO to track impressions, clicks, and conversions. Once all of the businesses were imported and uploaded into CRM, the DMO could simply maintain the listings and update on an as-needed basis. 

RESULTS

The Inclusion Model positioned Visit Salt Lake as the destination expert by showcasing a wide-range of businesses on their website, which not only increased website traffic, but helped them out-rank Yelp for the search term, "Salt Lake Restaurants." The DMO also expanded their categories for destination listings, and now includes supplier partners, leisure recreation, and meetings. In addition, Visit Salt Lake's member retention has increased by 2% since the initial import, and they rank in the top 3 in organic search for relevant search results. 

The Inclusion Model provides a powerful tool for visitors and locals alike to utilize and enhance their experience when in-market. In switching to this model, Visit Salt Lake has taken a significant step closer to achieving their goals of keeping members engaged via governance and community building, increasing membership prospects, and establishing relevance as an information source for their destination. 

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