2023 MARKETING PLAN

Welcome to our neck of the woods! Take a look at the Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau’s 2023 marketing plan, outlining our objectives and strategies for the year. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email us at info@visitmercercounty.com.

TARGET AUDIENCES

Mercer County seeks to attract individuals, couples and families for weekend getaways to participate in its unique offerings, as well as encourage those traveling through the area to stop and explore the county.

The audiences are broken into three personas:

  • ATV
  • Hiking
  • Local Traveler

Additionally, the geographical target market segments include:

  • West Virginia
  • Virginia
  • Kentucky
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • DC Metro Area

The ATV audience is expanded to other states within the southern, northeastern and midwest regions shown in analytics to engage with Mercer County ATV content.

TRAVEL GUIDE

20,000 Mercer County travel guides featuring area attractions and lodging will be distributed. This is our largest direct-mail response and is available throughout the county. A digital version can be requested on our website at visitmercercounty.com/travel-guide-request.

ADVERTISING MIX

To keep in accordance with the target markets and overall industry trends, we are maintaining a solid mix of advertising outlets, including:

  • Print and digital advertising
  • Social media
  • Email marketing
  • Boosted blog content
  • Google Analytics 4 strategy

BRANDING AND MESSAGING

We are introducing our new “Uniquely Appalachian” messaging. The theme was chosen to reflect the distinctive character and culture of Mercer County. The goal is to create a stronger connection with potential visitors by highlighting the region’s Appalachian heritage and unique attractions. This messaging…

  • Builds on the established Mercer County branding and creates a new, but familiar way for visitors to connect with the region.
  • Allows for increased brand awareness and visitor engagement.

CAMPAIGNS

The campaigns will promote local attractions and activities, including hiking, biking, fishing, dining, shopping, arts and culture, berry and apple picking, unique lodging, Lake Shawnee and ATV riding, as well as the county’s annual holiday festivities.

  • Winter 2023 Campaign
  • Fall 2023 Campaign
  • Holiday 2023 Campaign
  • Spring 2023 Campaign
  • Winter 2023-2024 Campaign

PHOTO & VIDEO SHOOTS

To add to our asset library, we are executing the following photo/video shoots in the spring, summer and fall of 2023…

  • Arts & Culture Photo/Video Shoot with a focus on Mercer County’s arts scene
  • Summer Photo/Video Shoot with a focus on dining, lodging and attractions
  • Fall Photo/Video Shoot with focus on outdoor activities and ATV riding

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Our overarching goal is to boost tourism’s economic impact on Mercer County by increasing the tax base, thereby improving the quality of life for both residents and visitors.

We are striving to increase these measurable objectives:

  • Website traffic by 15%
  • Guide requests by 10%
  • Newsletter sign-ups by 20%
  • Social media engagement by 20%

Last updated: June 11, 2025