Nashville is Music City USA. Visitors come here to hang out in the honky-tonks, listen to the buskers on Lower Broadway and cruise around Music Row looking for their favorite singers. (Country music superstars don’t live on Music Row, but let’s not tell the tourists; why spoil their fun?)
But once the out-of-towners get here, they find that there’s plenty more to see, and do, thanks to some serious marketing and promotion by the members of Nashville’s attractions community.
- The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau works tirelessly to bring major conventions to town, but it also spend some serious time and energy plugging the area’s tourist attractions. Coupons and other specials are available through the CVB’s visitor’s centers in the Bridgestone Arena and elsewhere downtown, and package deals are also showcased on the CVB website.
- Now, back to the music. For the history of country music, not to mention some good guesses about where it’s going, look no further than the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. A hard-to-miss presence downtown, the CMHOF has leveraged its unique expertise online in multiple ways, including a robust Facebook and Twitter presence, as well as a website that continues to gain followers as it evolves along with the industry it showcases. (And for the record (get it?), the blog is a history lesson with every posting.)
- One of the city’s biggest and best family-friendly attractions is the Nashville Zoo, which has grown over the years in every way imaginable. A robust membership campaign utilizes social media platforms, and well-maintained Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels keep residents and visitors alike plugged into daily activities and special events.
- Old times there are certainly not forgotten at Carnton Plantation, an antebellum estate that sits smack in the middle of the Battle of Franklin site, one of the Civil War’s most deadly episodes. Along with the Carter House, the plantation is operated by the Battle of Franklin Trust, which keeps the site busy by strong marketing to Civil War buffs, as well as promoting it for weddings and other special events, including the 2012 Sunset Concert Series.
- Did you honestly think I’d chatter on about Nashville’s attractions, musical and otherwise, without mentioning the Grand Ole Opry? For shame. Whether in its current home on the east side of town or during the winter stint at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, the Opry is the spot for country music, period. The venue takes advantage of a robust website, which offers virtual tours and much more, to stay plugged in with fans. The Opry also gets word out about contests and other events through Facebook and Twitter, and uses ongoing email campaigns and its very own app to keep the fires stoked as well.
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Nashville is a thriving creative hub of local pride and talented businesses. As marketers by trade and Nashville enthusiasts by choice, Parthenon wants to celebrate organizations employing creative marketing, advertising and social media efforts in our hometown!
This story is the ninth in a series that highlights excellent Facebook pages, Twitter handles, YouTube videos and Pinterest boards that show Nashvillians contribute much more than honky tonks, hot chicken and country music. Check back to see who you should be following in Parthenon’s Socially Savvy 5 to Follow.
