As motorsports fans flock to Cabarrus County, North Carolina, for marquee racing events, we’re helping Explore Cabarrus show off the fun they can have beyond the track, too.
Challenge: A close-knit collection of five North Carolina communities neighboring Charlotte, Cabarrus County is renowned for its motorsports heritage, with fans flocking there for premier NASCAR, drag- and dirt-racing events. Explore Cabarrus wanted to inspire this consistent stream of visitors to stay longer and explore areas off the beaten track.
Solution: Our content-driven work for Explore Cabarrus highlights all that’s available to visitors in this North Carolina gem:
- New website tailored to the DMO. Knowing the needs of Explore Cabarrus, we built a custom WordPress site that elegantly shows off the destination while being easy for the client to update.
- The Drift: A content hub built to drive bookings. Our robust editorial content program drives users to discover Cabarrus in person by sharing marquee events, hidden gems, curated itineraries and more.
- Smart digital campaigns. Through segmented digital marketing, we run search and social campaigns that serve families, couples and motorsports enthusiasts with beautiful landing pages that appeal to their interests.
- Email marketing that fuels awareness. After designing a branded template in their email marketing platform, we work closely with Explore Cabarrus to write monthly newsletters to push the latest content to subscribers’ inboxes, providing regular inspiration to visit to the destination.
Website Redesign
After debuting new branding elements, along with a new tagline, “There’s More to Us,” Explore Cabarrus was ready for a refreshed digital presence that reflected the new direction. C/A set out to create a new website that not only supported the updated brand direction, but also infused trip-planning content across the user experience. This ensured that no matter where users landed on the site, they would be able to access content that encouraged them to extend their stays and explore areas beyond the racetrack.
From building the sitemap to defining a content strategy to establishing a look that was fresh but faithful to the destination, C/A worked with the Explore Cabarrus team to design and build a custom WordPress website that enables their team to easily manage ongoing content and site updates.
Results Since WEBSITE LAUNCH
Content Creation
Keeping in mind our core objectives of driving visitation and in-market spending, C/A conceives an annual editorial plan that focuses on driving travelers to take action. The monthly articles produced for the new website’s content hub, named “The Drift” in a nod to the area’s racing heritage, invites users to dive deeper into the site and plan their visit.
Digital Marketing
With content front and center in its campaigns, as well as audience-specific landing pages, C/A uses diversified tactics to build destination awareness, drive website traffic, increase search visibility and improve onsite engagement for Explore Cabarrus. This approach allows us to make real-time adjustments based on data, while shifting budgets across channels to deliver the most effective campaigns. The result is incredible year-over-year site visitation and engagement improvements.
Digital Marketing Results
Email Marketing
In addition to our ongoing digital marketing and content support, C/A spearheads the DMO’s monthly newsletter. From designing the template to curating the content, we work with the Explore Cabarrus team to ensure that each month’s newsletter puts content in front of subscribers that generates excitement about the area and encourages them to plan a visit. We also provide support in building the newsletter subscriber base through targeted social media ads. This tactic has resulted in a 147% increase in subscribers year-to-date.
From Our Client
— Julie Hinson, Communications Manager
— Donna Carpenter, Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO