Almost 5,000 tweets and over 1,000 Instagram pictures have been uploaded since the launch over one month ago of Sligo’s novel marketing campaign, ‘Sligo - Who Knew?’ 
 
The campaign, which aims to attract visitors to the county this summer capitalises on Sligo’s very active social media communities and passionate fans, encouraging them to share their tips, recommendations, current happenings and quirky facts on Sligo using the #SligoWhoKnew hashtag. The image and text updates - mainly uploaded to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - are then featured on whoknew.sligotourism.ie, a digital board which showcases the hashtagged content.

The campaign was this week confirmed as a shortlisted finalist in the Net Visionary awards for Best Overall Digital Marketing campaign.
 
Denise Rushe, Social Media Manager for the campaign speaks of the response “Locals and visitors alike are really embracing the role of Sligo ambassadors – initially lots of Sligo businesses and adventure providers got involved but soon  we had individuals with a real passion for Sligo, either as visitors or locals, spreading the delights of the county. Hundreds of recommendations are coming in for the great things Sligo has to offer and the wealth of quirky, less known Sligo facts being posted are certainly making interesting reading. We anticipate that with the tourism season in full swing, the rich bank of content will continue to flood in and lure visitors to the county.”

Speaking of the impact the campaign is having on tourism numbers Paul Keyes, Chief Executive of the Sligo Chamber of Commerce and part of Team Sligo, the collaborative network behind the campaign says: “Practically every accommodation provider that we’ve been talking to in Sligo has reported a substantial increase in bookings. We will have official figures to report in August but the campaign is most definitely having the desired effect.”
 
Ongoing activities to encourage engagement in the campaign include free social media workshops for local businesses as well as a weekly Instagram challenge.  This is run every Friday giving locals and visitors the chance to tag their pictures with a specific Sligo theme, from beaches to landscapes, adventure and culture. Great local prizes including restaurant vouchers, event tickets, adventure trips and more are offered to the challenge winners.
 
As well as social media the €170,000 marketing drive encompasses PR, print, radio and television and targets the weekend getaway, activity holidays and family breaks’ markets looking for unique and diverse experiences.
 
The campaign is coordinated by a joint public and private sector collaborative network – Team Sligo – and funded by contributions raised from tourism, retail and service business interests with support also from Fáilte Ireland and the LEADER programme.