WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Those charged with bringing more visitors to Prince William County got a lesson in social media on Wednesday.
In the Fashion District at Potomac Mills mall, representatives from local government, parks, hotels, and others in the tourism business gathered to kickoff National Travel and Tourism Week. This was the third year Discover Prince William / Manassas held the kickoff event, which this year focused on marketing the region online and via social media.
Social media tourism expert Shelia Scarborough urged destinations in Prince William to increase their appeal by using search engine optimization, so local businesses and attractions are easier to find by those using the web to search for information about the area.
“If I don’t live in this area but am planning a visit, chances are I’m not searching for ‘things to do in Prince William County,’ but rather looking for ‘things to do in Washington, D.C.,” said Scarborough.
When it comes to social media marketing, Facebook, by far, is the most popular with audiences, followed by Twitter, and the YouTube video sharing service owned by Google, according to inforamation from W20 Digital distributed at Wednesday’s event.
More than 50 people gathered at Potomac Mills Wednesday to hear Scarborough’s presentation. During previous National Travel and Tourism Week events, Discover Prince William / Manassas highlighted events for the sesquicentennial celebration of the Civil War, and the roll out of a new website for the tourism agency.
National Travel and Tourism Week is recognized each year during the first week in May. This year’s week runs from May 4 to May 12.
