By Gabrielle Diepenbrock and Dari Mullins

Microsites are rising in popularity for destination marketing organizations (DMO’s) as these organizations reach out to niche affinity groups.  Microsites enable DMO’s to promote their destinations to specific interest groups (like nature enthusiasts, foodies, music lovers, etc.) without having to overwhelm the main homepage with content about every single subject pertinent to their destination.

The Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) has launched a new microsite about Asheville’s music scene. I attended the pre-launch party at a local music venue. It was packed and the excitement about the site was contagious. The musicians and organizations that contributed their expertise to the site informed the audience how the partnership with the ACVB has been incredible. Sometimes it can be difficult for DMO’s to reach some of the specialty groups that visit. Having a microsite allows for collaboration to reach a common goal. The ability of the site to reach tourists and even locals is phenomenal.  The microsite will feature a live music calendar, artist profiles, venue guides, etc. The ACVB has already been successful with their microsite “Foodtopia.”

“Foodtopia” helps foodies gain a better understanding of what Asheville offers in the food arena and where they should go eat when they visit.  When the music microsite is launched, music lovers will also be able to see what is happening in and around Asheville.

So, what is an exact definition of a microsite?  A microsite is an individual webpage that companies and organizations use to promote a specific entity or aspect of their brand.  Typically they have a unique URL from the company’s website, but sometimes, like ACVB, the microsites live on the main site as a subdomain. By using microsites, DMO’s can reach out to specific groups and individuals that visit their area. An added benefit is the increase in web traffic by locals. This increases the visibility of an area and creates added buzz in social media that can drive others to visit the destination.

Here are some benefits of DMO’s having a microsite:

1. Allows for focused content - Rather than visitors having to search through cluttered content on a DMO’s site, they can go straight to a site with information that is relevant to them.
2. Great way to experiment - DMO’s can see what microsites and what aspects of their brand/destination are the most successful and most effective.
3. Permits providing more details - DMO microsites can go a little further on topics, providing pertinent details and specifics to the visitors of that microsite.
4. Allows for simplistic homepages - Instead of DMO’s having to fit everything on their one main homepage, they can split up their content with these microsites.
5. Increases brand awareness and buzz - As DMO’s launch new microsites, people get excited about the destination and the subject that the microsite is about causing buzz on social media, etc.
6. Can help increase SEO ranking - Microsites will have a rich amount of keywords around a certain subject, making it very likely that a DMO’s site will show up higher on search results based around that subject.
7. Gives more opportunity for newsletter signups - As different interest groups are drawn to different microsites of a destination, there is more opportunity for eNewsletter sign-ups for DMO’s.

Here is the link to ACVB's music micro site: http://www.exploreasheville.com/iconic-asheville/music/

Sources:
http://www.intechnic.com/blog/top-ten-benefits-of-having-a-microsite/
http://circlesstudio.com/blog/5-strategic-benefits-developing-microsite-marketing-program/

The Goss Agency is a full service advertising and marketing agency that specializes in consumer motivations and creating brand loyalists. To find out how The Goss Agency can help your brand, email Dari Mullens at dari@thegossagency.com or call (828)259-09910 x110.