The objectives of our marketing is to balance demand across the islands, reconnecting with our core customers and targeting new visitor segments. Our marketing messaging is around our six stories; Our Gaelic Culture and Communities, Our Wildlife, Our Landscape, Our Food and Drink and Our History and underpinning these stories are our responsible tourism messages. We promote these messages on both the national and international stage and mainly through a media mix of website, socials, campaigns, marketing collateral, media partnerships and trade shows.
Our Destination Website is the main source of information and inspiration for visitors wishing to holiday in the Outer Hebrides, with over 2 million page views each year and over 1k email enquiries from visitors. The image-led design showcases the best of the islands and provides all the essential details for planning a trip, as well as providing a broader range of promotion opportunities for members to highlight their business. We have the widest choice of accommodation on the islands and offer the convenience of online booking, video and social media feeds on member listings.
Our Socials - we engage with about 130k followers across our visitor social platforms. Our content calendar is aligned with our destination stories and we focus on different themes each month. Here is our content calendar for 2024.
Video - we have an extensive video channel on You Tube channel. Feel free share videos on your channels or embed in your website.
E-marketing - Our mailing list (25k) enables us to retain a connection with our most regular visitors, who return year after year.
Campaigns - Through regular social media and digital campaigns we raise the profile of our islands with our target audiences in Scotland and beyond. Each campaign highlights a different aspect of what makes the Outer Hebrides such a special place to visit - from our Gaelic culture and language to our adrenaline sports. Our campaigns tend to tend to be digitally based and run through the autumn/winter booking season. The objectives of each campaign vary between balancing demand across the islands, reconnecting with our core customers and targeting new visitor segments.
E-commerce - we have an online shop stocking Hebridean Way merchandise, maps and official guides. For wholesale enquiries, please contact Eileen. Her contact details are here.
Marketing Collateral - we maintain a wide range of leaflets (hard copies and downloadable) to help people plan their holiday and make the most out of their time on the islands. These can be found in the iCentre and Welcome Points around the islands. If you would like a stock, please contact us.
Media Visits and Opportunities - we often work with journalists around the world who are writing for magazines, guide-books, newspapers, bloggers.
Partnerships - we partner with organisations to promote new products such as Uist Unearthed App and Geotourist Audio Tour App.
Trade Shows - we regularly attend VisitScotland Expo and other trade shows to promote the Outer Hebrides attracting more boutique tour operators from around the world to offer the Outer Hebrides as a destination.
