In the first week of October, guests from all over the world will come to Albuquerque for the largest annual international event held in the United States – the International Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
With almost 600 balloons hailing from 16 countries, an estimated 800,000-plus visitors from all over the universe world will descend upon Balloon Fiesta Park for this nine-day event.
While the visitors will definitely spend a lot of time onsite at the Balloon Fiesta grounds, there’s a pretty big chance they’ll want to explore the Duke City while in town. And they will likely go online to determine where to go.
We’ve put together some tips to make sure your internet presence in ABQ rises to the top of the pack.
Albuquerque Website
A well-built website will help you catch the eye of out-of-towners and should be your company’s central online destination. You can take a few steps to help get your site ready now before tourists roll into town:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Be sure that your website is optimized so that it can be found in the search engines. The sooner you start this, the better. The benefits of SEO for your Albuquerque business can be huge.
- Content Updates – Make sure your content is up-to-date and that your contact information is prominently listed on the site. Content marketing is incredibly effective and can be a great way to reach your target audience.
- Images – If you need new photography on your site, start getting those images uploaded ASAP and consider getting some extra use out of your fresh images by sharing them on Facebook and Instagram.
- Be Mobile Friendly – If your site doesn’t look good on a cell phone or other mobile device (which is where you can bet the majority of web searches are conducted), you may be losing business. A website redesign may be a big project, but luckily, the Balloon Fiesta isn’t the only tourism draw for New Mexico, so start looking at redesign opportunities now so that you’ll be ready for next year!
The Balloon Fiesta is coming—just like it does every year so please try to hide your excitement—so if your website needs a refresher, you have a little bit of time to do a little bit of housecleaning. And if you don’t have a website, you need one. Now.
Get Listed
If your presence online is lacking, it’s going to be hard for visitors to the area to know about your Albuquerque business. Make sure it’s well represented on major social media, review, travel and, if applicable, reservations sites.
Make sure you claim your business listings and that all your information is up to date on sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Facebook. You’ll also want to claim your listing on Google My Business.
Get Social
Now’s the time to get your social media presence in order. Like your website, you’ll want to make sure your information and pictures are current on your social accounts.
Consider investing some dollars in social media advertising so you can easily target your potential customers.
Get your social strategy in order ahead of time and make sure you’re keeping a close eye on your accounts before, during and after the Balloon Fiesta.
Take advantage of hashtagging and following key hashtags so you can listen to your audience and identify influencers who can help boost your presence online.
Get Camera Ready for Social Media and Review Sites
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is one the most photographed events on earth. You would be safe to assume that some (many) of those Balloon Fiesta attendees will have their cameras (and definitely their phones) while visiting your establishment.
Whether you place a small sign at the cash register or add a call to action on your website, be sure that you’re promoting your presence on review and social sites so that your patrons can easily find and interact with your business online.
Let your guests know that you are on Instagram so that they can tag your social media account in the pictures they share with their friends. Encourage them to leave pictures and reviews of your products on Google My Business.
Online Reputation Management
Claiming your listings on these sites will allow you to have more control over the information that is being shared about your Albuquerque business. So now that you’re listed, you’ll need to make sure you’re actively maintaining your online presence.
- 88% of consumers say reviews influence them in discovering a local business
- 23% of consumers have read an online review in the last day, and 65% have read one in the last week
- 83% of consumers say that reviews must be recent and relevant in order to care about them
This is significant.
Gone are the days when your guests’ customer service experience ends when they walk out the door. You’ll need to stay on top of your social and review sites to keep those interactions going, whether they are positive or negative.
For example, if a customer has a bad experience, keeping an eye on these accounts will allow you to reach out to them and quickly attempt to address their concerns. Your guests and visitors to your online sites will appreciate that you’ve taken the time to listen to them. It’s just good customer service. And it shows you care.
Create Your Own “Albuquerque Box” Online
The Albuquerque Box, a combination of upper and lower level winds created by the Rio Grande Valley and enhanced by the Sandia Mountains, is famous in the ballooning community for creating ideal flying conditions for hot air balloon pilots, allowing hundreds at a time to launch into the air with great control.
Before this year’s Balloon Fiesta, make sure the conditions for finding your business online are also ideal for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will be making their way to Duke City to witness this breathtaking display.
Albuquerque Digital Marketing and Web Design
If you need help getting your online presence in order, you’re in the right spot. Whether your business needs a website design, or some help with digital marketing, we can help.