Influencer Strategy & Travel South Dakota
Elevating Influence Into Strategy To Drive Tourism
Elevating Influencers Into Strategy: Our Approach
How do you evolve an influencer strategy inside an already-successful social ecosystem and still drive growth? For Travel South Dakota, we didn’t just refresh their influencer program. We reimagined it as an extension of the entire brand strategy.
A Strategy Built For Scale
Travel inspiration lives on social. So we embedded creators into the heart of Travel South Dakota’s content and paid strategy. Every influencer was selected based on audience data, content niche, and alignment with key travel themes; from fly fishing and family trips to food and national parks.
We handled it all: outreach, contracts, itineraries, performance tracking, and used real-time social listening to capitalize on emerging trends. Each creator was chosen to amplify campaign messaging, extend reach in priority markets, and support South Dakota’s mission of becoming a top 10 U.S. travel destination.
Influencers in Action
From macro creators like Boys With The Bus and Aki & Koichi to niche experts like Fish Like Mike, our partnerships brought the state’s beauty to life. Foodie collabs spotlighted local eats. Adventurous couples documented road trips and hidden gems. All content seamlessly synced with paid placements for full-funnel impact.
Each influencer was strategically aligned with Travel South Dakota’s broader content pillars, paid media strategy, priority markets, and campaign messaging, supporting the long-term vision of making South Dakota a top 10 U.S. travel destination.
The Results
In just under two years (May 2023–April 2025), we delivered:
- 3.4M+ reach in 2024 up 113% year over year
- 5% engagement rate exceeding benchmarks
- +55K followers organically grown
All from a refreshed influencer approach built on data, trust, and creativity.
The Bottom Line
We didn’t just send creators to South Dakota. We made them an engine for growth.
