Spring is our bridge season, the moment when travel intent turns into real itineraries, booked lodging, and guest arrivals across the Black Hills and Badlands. Running March 1–May 15, our spring marketing work is designed to do two things at once: inspire travel and reduce trip-planning friction so visitors feel confident committing to dates, routes, and experiences. 

As the Black Hills and Badlands Tourism Association, our role is to serve as the region’s primary trip-planning and conversion hub. In practice, that means building a clear path from inspiration to arrival and supporting our members by driving itinerary-ready traffic to the places to stay, things to do, and events that help extend stays and strengthen in-region spend. 

 

The narrative we’re constructing: Green Light to Adventure

This spring, our seasonal narrative is Green Light to Adventure, a storyline built around confidence, clarity, and momentum. The messaging is intentionally itinerary-ready, with a few consistent pillars: 

  • Early-season confidence: what’s open, what to expect, and what to pack 
  • Early-season value: more space, a slower pace, and spring energy 
  • One trip, many experiences: simple ways to connect multiple communities, attractions, and days 
  • Rejuvenation as an add-on: opportunities to explore, relax, and unwind 

This narrative is not only inspiration. It is a commitment tool. When travelers feel certain about timing, access, and options, they move faster from browsing to building, and that is how spring marketing translates into arrivals. 

 

How we build trust (and planning confidence)

Trustworthiness is a core part of arrival-building. In spring, we emphasize utility content that travelers actively use to make decisions, including: 

  • Seasonal opening and closing dates to support confident routing 
  • Verified event details that help visitors choose the right travel window 
  • Clear, scannable planning tools that reduce friction on mobile and desktop 
  • Member referrals through accurate listings so the next click is a meaningful one 

When planning feels easy, travel feels doable, and doable becomes booked. 

 

Our spring system: building the pipeline, not just posting content

Our spring efforts are built as a connected system, not a set of one-off pieces. The goal is to meet visitors at every step of the journey, then keep them moving toward arrival. 

 

The planning backbone (always on)

These are the tools that consistently support conversion: 

 

The conversion assets (commitment tools)

These pieces are designed to help visitors finalize the trip: 

  • A Spring Itinerary that offers a clear, confidence-building starting point 
  • Niche itinerary support (like wildlife-forward routing) that reduces “what do we do each day?” uncertainty 

 

The stabilizers (weather-proof, low-friction wins)

Spring travelers often want flexibility. That is why we pair outdoor inspiration with practical options, including: 

  • Museums, arts, and historic sites (strong itinerary anchors when weather shifts) 
  • Guided tours that make planning easier and help visitors fill gaps 
  • Scenic drives that connect experiences and encourage longer stays 

 

Tactics by channel: how each one supports guest arrival 

We’re taking a coordinated approach across owned, earned, and paid channels, with the website as the central conversion hub. 

 

Website: the planning and conversion hub 

Our website supports the full visitor journey, with spring emphasis on content that’s immediately useful: things to do, places to stay, itineraries, events, maps, and guides. The primary outcomes we design for are: 

  • Outbound clicks to member websites 
  • Itinerary engagement 
  • Guide views and downloads 
  • Event listing engagement 

 

Email: nurturing high-intent planners 

Email helps move interested travelers into action with scannable planning content and one clear next step. The goal is simple: bring people back to BH&B planning assets, where they can build a trip and follow through. 

 

Social: inspiration that points to planning

Organic social is where we build emotional connection and create momentum, then route that attention to planning content. Spring content leans into scenic storytelling, short-form video, and saveable tips that reduce uncertainty. 

 

Paid media: scaled awareness plus high-intent return

Paid placements extend the reach of the spring narrative and drive traffic to the right landing pages. Prospecting introduces the destination and seasonal storyline. Retargeting brings high-intent travelers back to planning tools and itinerary content that supports conversion. 

 

How members can plug in

This system works best when our planning content stays accurate, current, and itinerary-friendly. The most helpful ways to support spring arrival-building are: 

  • Keep your web listing updated (hours, seasons, booking links) 
  • Submit events early for the calendar 
  • Share spring updates and fresh visuals 
  • Provide itinerary-friendly details (timing, reservations, accessibility notes)