Santa Maria City Council
February 18, 2025

JULY - DECEMBER 2024
FY 25 Mid-Year Marketing Report
Attachment B
WEBSITE OVERVIEW & GOAL SNAPSHOT Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼ Primary Goals: FY24-25
Highlights + Key Takeaways
Hotel Referrals
4,630Goal: 11,500
Newsletter Signups
1,039Goal: 3900
KPIs by Focus Area
• While our primary goals (hotel referrals and newsletter signups) are currently underpacing, we are condent we can hit these in the second half of the year. Further, all KPIs by focus area will remain unchanged except for the increase in our social media follower KPI, mentioned below. • Paid search generated 3,010 hotel referrals, a 40% increase year-over-year. • We're on track to surpass our social media follower goal (20k) and will increase that goal to 21k with a stretch goal of 22k.
• Our Instagram amplication rate is 13.66%, well above industry average and our goal range of 2-4%, meaning our followers are sharing our content to their connections at a high rate. • Newsletter signups from paid social media are up 48% year-over-year since we've started to prioritize this KPI as part of the larger media strategy.
• Since July, we have generated 1,039 newsletter signups and our unsubscribe rate is at an all-time low, with less than half the number of unsubscribes we saw between January and June. • In the rst half of the year, we gained 12 new CA Trip Planning keywords in the top 10, including central coast hidden gems.
• So far this year, we've hosted three FAMs and attended two media events, securing meaningful coverage and connections through those efforts.

Goal: 1.5+%Goal: 55%+
Goal: 1-2
Goal: Flat Y/YGoal: Flat Y/Y
Goal: 0.33% or less
Sessions
64,432 -10%
Creators
0 IG Followers
18,871
Organic Social Media + Inuencer Marketing
Paid Digital Advertising
Goal: 20k
Goal: 8,300 Goal: 3,000
Goal: 3-5% Goal: 2-4%
Public Relations
Goal: 225
Stretch Goal: 300
Goal: 18% Goal: 4-6
Organic Search Marketing
IG Engagement Rate

4.81% IG Amplication Rate

13.66%
FAMs
3Stories Placed by KPS3
118
Paid Hotel Referrals
3,497 Newsletter Signups
605 KW's in Top 10
190 10%
Open Rate

49.74% Click Rate

2.07% Unsubscribe Rate

0.23%
Email Marketing
See details
Looking Ahead
We have a lot to look forward to in the second half of the year! Below is a sampling of what's in the plans:
• We'll attend the International Media Marketplace (IMM) in January, as well as Visit California's Outlook Forum in March.
• We will be refreshing several of our paid social media campaign assets for the Spice campaign, email subscriber campaign and our remarketing campaigns.
• Justin Walter will be returning to Santa Maria Valley (with three of his cousins) for a visit in May as we've negotiated a strong inuencer program with him after his assets from the rst visit were very successful. • In addition to Justin, we'll host another social media inuencer in February or March, an effort that is sure to amplify our social media presence.
• Continued optimization of our hotel referral and email campaigns will be critical as we round out the year, applying our learnings from the rst six months to ensure we start pacing toward those goals. • Keeping a close pulse on organic search trac is also a huge priority, between content optimizations, net new content and gaining both AI overviews and SERP features where relevant. • Now that we've completed the content and structure optimization of our various email programs, we'll start to gain a better understanding of how those changes are pushing the needle as we continue to strive for creativity and providing value in our bi-weekly tourism emails.

Paid Search KPIs
Hotel Referrals Hotel Referrals (previous year)
Jul 2024 Aug 2024 Sep 2024 Oct 2024 Nov 2024 Dec 2024
0 200
400
600
800
Hotel Referrals
3010 40%
Sessions
29K 21%
Spend
$49K 22%
Clicks
33K 30%
CTR
10% -7%
CPC
$1.50 -6%
Impression (Top) %
74% -15%
CTR CTR (previous year)
Jul 2024 Aug 2024 Sep 2024 Oct 2024 Nov 2024 Dec 2024
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
CTR Over Time
Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼PAID SEARCH
+40%Paid search generated 3,010 hotel referrals,
a 40% increase year-over-year. This
yielded an exceptional hotel conversion
rate of 10%.

The 7% decrease in CTR is due to the sheer volume of impressions we are now generating with the introduction of the paid search remarketing campaigns. While both impressions and clicks increased, impressions increased more, leading to a decrease in CTR.

Despite this, the CTR is still a strong 10%.

Hotel Conv. Rate
10% 15%
These impressive increases are based on
increased spend, continuous optimizations
and the introduction of search remarketing
campaigns.

Year-Over-Year
Social Media KPIs
18,871In just six months, we’ve gained
2,295 followers, putting us on track
to exceed our initial FY KPI of 20K
followers. With this momentum, we’re
raising the bar to 21K with a stretch
goal of 22K.

13.66%While this number is down signicantly
due to posting 40% less than the prior
period,  it remains well above our
benchmark KPI, conrming we’re on the
right track with shareable content.

The most shared content is barbecue,
original content (like trends, comment
responses, etc.), restaurants and hidden
gems.
482Hotel referrals declined signicantly
compared to the prior period due
mostly to the remarketing campaign,
as well as the lack of the Midweek
Break campaign we ran last year that
boosted hotel referrals. We've made
signicant optimizations to the
remarketing campaign which has
been trending upward since October.
+48%We prioritized newsletter
registrations as part of our media
strategy this year and integrated
the Spice campaign to create
cohesive messaging across ad
sets. This resulted in an
impressive increase year-over-
year.

Paid Social Engagements
Top-performing Posts
Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼SOCIAL MEDIA
INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS AVG. AMPLIFICATION RATE NEWSLETTER SIGNUPSHOTEL REFERRALS Paid Social KPIs (Y/Y)Organic Social KPIs (P/P)
Clicks
217K 5%
Spend
$47K -14%
Family Weekend Getaway (Day 1)
Boosted Posts - Hotel Referrals
Girls Budget Trip
Boosted Posts - Hotel Referrals
Barbecue Image
Newsletter Signups - Remarketing
Top-performing Social Ads
Top-performing Organic Posts
Santa Maria v. Santa Maria ValleyBBQ Restaurants in SMV You Have to Try
(Reshare)
Orcutt Burgers
(Voiceover)
Hotel Referrals
482 -34%
Newsletter Signups
518 48%
Hotel Conv. Rate

0.35% 5%
Newsletter Conv. Rate

0.37% 26%
IG Amplication Rate

13.66% -72.6%
IG Engagement Rate

4.81% -12.8%
IG Followers
18,871
CTR
2% 10%
CPC
$0.33 -20%
CTR CTR (previous year)
Jul 2024 Aug 2024 Sep 2024 Oct 2024 Nov 2024 Dec 2024
1%

1.25%

1.5%

1.75%
2%

2.25%
Email Subscriber Data
Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼EMAIL MARKETING
Active Subscribers
9,479 1%
Net New Active Subscribers
107 -24%
Total Subscribers
35,546
Open Rate

49.74% -8%
Campaign Send Date Open Rate Click Rate UnsubscribesUnsubscribe Rate July Emails Jul 1, 2024 49.32% 2.00% 46 0.25%
August 2024 Email #2 Aug 21, 2024 51.80% 2.00% 26 0.28% August 2024 Email #1 Aug 21, 2024 52.30% 2.10% 31 0.32% September 2024 Wine Month + Air Fest - SubjectLine AB Test | Combo 1 Sep 11, 2024 54.30% 2.10% 6 0.26% September 2024 Wine Month + Air Fest - SubjectLine AB Test | Combo 2 Sep 11, 2024 53.40% 1.70% 4 0.17% September 2024 Wine Month + Air Fest - SubjectLine AB Test | Winner Sep 12, 2024 50.90% 1.50% 13 0.28% September 2024 - Hidden Gems Eblast Sep 25, 2024 57.80% 3.10% 22 0.23% October 2024 - Fall + Spooky Newsletter - VariantB - Without Logo Header Oct 16, 2024 56.70% 2.50% 5 0.21% October 2024 - Fall + Spooky Newsletter - VariantA - With Logo Header Oct 16, 2024 57.10% 2.20% 10 0.42% October 2024 - Fall + Spooky Newsletter - HeaderAB Test | Winner Oct 17, 2024 57.30% 2.00% 10 0.21% October 2024 - Podcast Cookbook - Mon/WedDelivery Test (Variant A - Wednesday) Oct 30, 2024 50.60% 2.30% 14 0.30% October 2024 - Podcast Cookbook - Mon/WedDelivery Test (Variant B - Friday) Oct 31, 2024 44.90% 2.60% 11 0.23% Nov. 2024 3UP Newsletter - Headline PlacementTest (Winner - Variant B) Nov 7, 2024 49.00% 2.30% 9 0.19% Nov. 2024 3UP Newsletter - Headline PlacementTest (Variant B - Headline Above Image) Nov 7, 2024 46.90% 1.90% 2 0.08% Nov. 2024 3UP Newsletter - Headline PlacementTest (Variant A - Image Above Headline) Nov 7, 2024 49.40% 1.81% 2 0.08% November 2024 - Affordable Lodging Blog Nov 20, 2024 54.31% 4.34% 29 0.30% December Newsletter - Time of Day Test - 7pmSend (Variant B) Dec 3, 2024 37.00% 0.88% 9 0.19% December Newsletter - Time of Day Test - 10amSend (Variant A) Dec 3, 2024 35.50% 1.12% 6 0.13% December 2024 - Key Card Promo eBlast Dec 18, 2024 36.50% 0.95% 28 0.30% ▲
Click Rate

2.07% 8%
KPIs by Newsletter & eBlast
Hidden Gems eBlastAffordable Lodging Blog
Bi-Monthly
Newsletter KPIs
Unsubscribe Rate

0.23% -28%
• Since July, we have generated 1,039 newsletter signups. With 107 of those being net-new, this means 932 total users unsubscribed. Between January and June, we had 1,809 unsubscribers and an unsubscribe rate of 0.33%.

Since July, our unsubscribe rate has been at an all-time low, which is attributed to the work we have done on our newsletters and eBlasts. • The Affordable Lodging Blog eBlast is the top performer so far this year with a 54.3% open rate and a 4.34% click rate. The Hidden Gems eBlast was in close second, with a 57.8% open rate and a 3.1% click rate. • The decrease in open rate is attributed to the December emails, which yielded two of the lowest open rates this year (around 37%). This is likely due to the holidays and users' inboxes being inundated with a lot of holiday shopping noise. While a 37% open rate is still well above the industry average of 30%, next year we will consider sending less emails between late- November and early January.
• From September through December, we tested multiple content variations, subject lines, and send dates to maximize the performance of our campaigns. Heading into the second half of the year, we will perform fewer AB tests and focus more on content.

True Crime Podcast & Cookbook eBlast
Top Performers
Period-Over-Period
New Keywords in the
Top 10 Positions
Hotel Referrals
570 -7%
Sessions
64K -12%
Newsletter Signups
143 -32%
Hotel referrals have decreased due to
declined trac to the homepage and the
California's Cut blog. Because we hold the
sitelink extension SERP feature for "santa
maria valley," users are clicking onto the
Things to Do page instead of the homepage
when searching this term, and aren't
converting as well. We've made
optimizations to the Things to Do page and
other sitelink pages to address this.

KW's in Top 20
228 9%
KW's in Top 10
190 10%
KW's in Top 3
108 -4%
#1 Rankings
69 8%
Average Position
Jul 2024 Aug 2024 Sep 2024 Oct 2024 Nov 2024 Dec 2024
10 15
20 25
Organic Search KPIs
Keyword Position Previous position
santa maria beaches 1 4
wine tasting santa maria valley 1 4
wine tasting near santa maria 1 5
santa maria wines california 1 5
santa maria wine tasting rooms 1 4
santa maria cycling 1 4
santa barbara wine regions 1 4
santa maria winery 3 4
central coast cycling routes 4 6
wine tasting santa maria california 4 5
wine tasting santa maria ca 4 5
wine tasting near santa maria ca 4 5
zaca mesa 4 12
santa maria ca wine tasting 4 5
santa maria lodging 5 4
restaurants in santa maria 5 6
▲
san francisco to los angeles road trip 1 22
best wine weekend getaways 4 6
backroads wine country weekend 5 86
central california road trip 5 11
california central coast road trip 6 11
california wine country weekend getaways 6 4
central coast getaways 6 12
central coast road trip 6 9
Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼ORGANIC SEARCH
KW's in Top 10
21 110%
KW's in Top 20
37 48%

CALIFORNIA TRIP PLANNING

KEYWORDS
#1 Rankings
64 8%
KW's in Top 3
85 5%

BRANDED

KEYWORDS
WINE

KEYWORDS
KW's in Top 10
109 4%
KW's in Top 3
74 -5%
Keyword Rankings
Period-Over-Period
We gained 12 new CA Trip
Planning keywords in the top 10.

Amongst them was  central coast
hidden gems, which is now
ranked #8, previously #36.

Event pages, the homepage, and the
California's Cut blog are all contributors to
the 10% decline in website trac. We've
made optimizations to both the California's
Cut blog and the tri-tip recipe page to
remedy this.

Newsletter signups are down 32% due to
decreased trac to the wine trolley page
since it's not running this year.

Public Relations KPIs
20 Ways to Celebrate
California Wine Month
Pair Wine With Horseback
Rides at Fess Parker and
Presqu'ile Wineries
Key Placements
Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼PUBLIC RELATIONS
Additional Features & Mentions
Alphabetical Guide to
California Pinot Noir
Different Regional Styles Of
Baked Beans, Explained
The 4 Cuts Of Steak You
Should Always Marinate
Before Grilling
12 Types Of Heirloom Beans
And How To Use Them In Your
Cooking
The Best Wines for
Every Zodiac Sign
Exploring California's Diving
and Wine Scene
This fall, good music
and ne wines await in
Santa Maria Valley
Travel expert Justin Walter
shares hidden U.S. gems
15 Underrated
Vineyards To Visit In
California
One of Napa's Biggest
Winemaking Consultants Has
His Own Stellar Wine
Vintners Give Back: Biennial
Auction Raises Money for Direct
Relief and Local Health Services
27 California Sparkling Wines
to Toast the New Year
% of Stories with Backlink

5.66%
Stories Placed by KPS3
106
Where Did You Travel To This
Summer & Santa Maria
Valley, CA
This California Valley
Copyrighted the Region's
Whole Barbecue Menu
20 Other Terric Terroirs
• We have facilitated three FAMs so far this year: Carrie Bacon and Alex Ayling, Carole Twellinger and Fiona Chandra. Carrie and Alex's trip was a partnership with Visit California. • Ongoing relationships with media have resulted in quality placements. Justin Walter, who we hosted for a FAM last year, mentioned Santa Maria Valley in September on NBC Chicago. After meeting at IPW, we worked with reporter Tim Wagner to facilitate interviews resulting in a story in The Matador Network. • We attended two media events, Visit California's Los Angeles Media Reception and Travel Classics, to connect with writers and hear from top editors and travel media. We have been following up with media, pitching different story angles and inviting key reporters interested in experiencing Santa Maria Valley.

The 2-Step Method To Get
The Best Flavor In Picanha
Steak
FY25 Goal: 225
FY25 Goal: 18%
Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Carole Terwilliger Meyers, a native San Franciscan,
has authored 18 books, including nine editions of
"Weekend Adventures in San Francisco & Northern
California." Her work has appeared in publications
including Sunset Magazine, Via and Expedia.

Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼PUBLIC RELATIONS
View the full media log here.

Fiona Chandra
Fiona Chandra was born in Indonesia but currently calls Los Angeles home. As a freelance travel and food writer, she's always on the hunt for good food and unique
experiences around the globe. She has written for Food
& Wine, Thrillist, and more.

Carrie Bacon and Alex Ayling
Carrie Bacon and Alex Ayling are a husband-and-
wife inuencer duo with more than 130K Instagram
followers combined. Both have partnered with Visit
California in the past, and have ties to the California Central Coast. They recently moved to New Zealand
to start raising their family.

FAMs
3FY25 Goal: 4-6
Media FAMs
Media Activity, Outreach and Trends
• Thanks to in-depth wine reviews, winery experience recaps and wine industry news, wine is responsible for more than half (55%) of our placements. Barbecue follows with culinary mentions as Santa Maria Style barbecue rises in prominence, especially within our Tier 2 and Tier 3 targeted outlets.
• Off-the-beaten-path and "calmcation" destinations are trending for 2025 as travelers look for less busy, more affordable places to visit. As a result, we continue to tailor Q1 media pitches to these trends—with Santa Maria Valley as THE Central Coast’s hidden gem, value-add destination. • With many media working several months out, we have also actively been pitching Barbecue Month to Tier 1 and Tier 2 media. • We are actively reaching out to key media from the LA Media Mission and Travel Classics. IMM planning is also underway. • In the industry, editorial layoffs have been everywhere. Vox Media, DotDash Meredith and Hearst all laid off employees in Q4 of last year. Smart and well-timed pitches, as well as fostering established relationships will be key in the year ahead.

Jul 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024 ▼PUBLIC RELATIONS SCORECARD
Features
Tier 1: Features
2 Tier 2: Features
6 Tier 3: Features
9 Mentions
Tier 1: Mentions
12 Tier 2: Mentions
32 Tier 3: Mentions
45 Total: Features
17 Total: Mentions
89 FY24 Goal: 62
FY24 Goal: 141
Tier 1 - National and Key
Target Markets
Tier 2 - Regional
Markets, impacting
trade, travel, and special
interests.

Tier 3 - Niche Markets,
Specialty media outlets
non-region based.

FY25 Goal: 30 FY25 Goal: 15 FY25 Goal: 25
FY25 Goal: 40 FY25 Goal: 40 FY25 Goal: 75