Newsletter : December 2011
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz December 2011 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this December newsletter:
NZ Wildlife Attracts Carwardine Back
Two years, British zoologist and TV presenter Mark Carwardine visited New Zealand with Stephen Fry and made the antics of a randy Kakapo famous. (The clip from the New Zealand episode has been the most viewed video on the BBC website and had more than 3 million hits on YouTube.)
Carwardine is back in New Zealand on a 2 week tour to highlight New Zealand's Small 5 (as opposed to Africa's Big 5): Hector's dolphins, tuatara, kiwi, kea and yellow-eyed penguins/hoiho. (Perhaps we should be hoping for a similar incident of nature to occur...)
Carwardine's wildlife tour includes:
- Tuatara on Tiritiri Matangi Island (Hauraki Gulf)
- Muriwai Gannet Colony
- Hector's dolphins in Akaroa
- Kea in Arthur's Pass
- Fiordland-crested penguins at Lake Moeraki
- Kiwi on Stewart Island
- Yellow-eyed penguins near Dunedin
Keep an eye for the YouTube clips for the wildife attractions near your business – it's easy to add a link to these films on your website and tap into the huge interest in New Zealand's natural world.
Generate Free Online PR for Your Business
Written by Steph Kendall
When you look at the search engine results pages to see what coverage your website has, it may be limited to listings featuring only your website home page or sub-page/s. There are several ways to increase the coverage given to your website by search engines simply by getting your website seen via other websites. These include:
- Listing your website on a directory website (e.g. www.tourism.net.nz or yellowpages.co.nz)
- Getting your website mentioned in a blog or forum (e.g. travellers' online diaries or 'chat' website)
- Creating a Twitter presence or a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/your-business-page) – Read more about setting up a facebook page for your business.
- Distributing press releases via PR websites.
Writing Your Own Press Releases
You do not need the services of a specialist PR firm to promote your website through online press releases. Creating search engine coverage for your website through online press releases does not need a relationship with real people in the media. You simply write your release, open an account with a press release website and submit your content.
What is News in Your Business?
Advertorials or opinion-orientated releases are not news and if you try to submit them to legitimate press release websites, they will not get published. Stick to genuine and current news which could include:
- The launch of new websites, products and services
- Upcoming events, special offers and competitions
- Staff appointments, sponsorship announcements, refurbishments and so on.
What to Include in Your Press Release
There are many PR templates freely available online for you to use, but broadly speaking most PR websites require the following content:
- Release date – In bold letters, 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE'
- Headline – Make it as interesting as possible (about 15 words long)
- Place and date – Use DD/MM/YYYY format
- Sub-heading – One or two sentences outlining the key event in your release
- Opening paragraph – Include the most important facts about the event. Answer the questions: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY and HOW. Refer to your business in the third person e.g. 'it' not 'we'
- Additional paragraphs (2-4) – Include more details and a quote from a relevant person
- Photo – Include a photo and details of what or who it shows
- Your company details – Business name, active link to your website, location, description of your core business
- Contact details – Name of the contact person in your business to be contacted for more information, telephone numbers, postal and email addresses
- Ending – End your release with the word 'END' or the symbols '####'
- Notes to Editors – If you want to, you can add more information for editors
What to Do with Your PR
Open an account with reputable press release websites and follow their guidelines for submitting your PR. All of the websites below offer a free service and the first two are particularly relevant to New Zealand businesses:
- http://www.stuff.co.nz/
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/
- http://www.free-press-release.com
- http://www.openpr.com/
- http://www.1888pressrelease.com/
You can find additional PR websites using search engines. Some will offer a free service, whilst some may charge for the inclusion of pictures and links.
Enquiry Buttons for Accommodation Providers
NZTG members have exclusive use of our Enquiry (Non-Payment) and Payment Buttons. By using these buttons you enable your customers to make secure, encrypted enquiries and give them the confidence and peace of mind to supply you with their credit card details in order to make payment to secure bookings with you.
Why Add These Buttons to Your Website?
- You'll save time and money - No need to develop a secure payment system yourself.
- The enquiry pages are encrypted with SSL technology - Your customers can be assured that their private information is safe.
- Credit Card details are not sent via email. They are stored safely and securely (and for a fixed period only).
- You will be linking to your own enquiry form with details of your business and displaying your logo or image.
- We have several versions of the buttons to suit your website.
View more about New Zealand Tourism Guide Enquiry Buttons.
Top Tourism Site of the Month
This month's Top Tourism Site Award goes to Skydive Lake Wanaka
This website has instant appeal to a wide audience – its bright orange background is uplifting and cheerful, reflecting the 'good feel' vibe of the activity. The website has a simple, uncluttered home page with a clear navigation, but the real drawcard is the photography. At first glance, these 'beautiful strangers' seem like models posing for the camera, but check out the gallery – the people, the instructors, the smiles – it's all real. And who could resist the strapline, 'Strap Yourself to a Beautiful Stranger...'
This website is also getting great search engine coverage with listings for its own domain as well as coverage via Google reviews, New Zealand Tourism Guide, Trip Advisor, Twitter and YouTube.
SkyDive Lake Wanaka offers a variety of tandem skydiving packages above Lake Wanaka from 12,000 or 15,000 ft.
Nominate a Site
If you think a New Zealand travel or tourism website deserves a 'Top Tourism Site Award', let us know about it. (View further information about the award criteria.)
About the Top Tourism Site Award
The New Zealand Tourism Guide confers a Top Tourism Site Award to websites that:
- Enhance New Zealand as a travel destination
- Publish useful and informative content
- Are laid out in a professional and aesthetically-pleasing manner
- Are designed effectively for the World Wide Web
- May demonstrate easy functionality, interactivity, originality, outstanding graphic quality and marketing reach.
We welcome any feedback — send your comments to: news@tourism.net.nz
Kind regards,
The Team
Ph 0800 14 65 49
www.tourism.net.nz
New Zealand Tourism Guide
Head Office: Level One, 534 Colombo Street, Christchurch