Objectives

What inspires you to travel? Stunning skylines. Drool-worthy dishes. A 110-ton "Bean" with infinite selfie options. There is no shortage of photo-worthy moments in Chicago. As the destination marketing agency for Chicago, Choose Chicago is responsible for attracting visitors to the city and help guide their experience.

It's no secret — the use of social media in a traveler's decision-making process has increased significantly. Travelers are deciding where to go and creating itineraries with the help of Instagram photos and videos. Our objective? To tap into that audience and bring Chicago into the conversation. With our Instagram series #TakingOverChooseChicago, we empower those that know the city best — the locals — as social media ambassadors.

While creating a strategy to reach prospective travelers on social media, #TakingOverChooseChicago was born. Every week, one photographer is featured on Instagram at @ChooseChicago. They take you on a journey Sunday to Friday by posting their favorite Chicago photos and the stories behind them. The entire #TakingOverChooseChicago process is done organically and cost-free. Photographers are given the freedom to select from photographs they've taken and feel best represent "their" Chicago. By posting it on our channel, we provide photographers with the opportunity to serve as Chicago ambassadors.

At the start of the series in June 2014, there were 2,558 followers. Choose Chicago finished the year with 13,390 followers by December 2014. #TakingOverChooseChicago is responsible for 423% overall growth of followers, plus 385% growth in average likes and 366% growth in average comments.

Strategy and Execution

#TakingOverChooseChicago successfully shows the diverse experiences a visitor can seek out by highlighting Chicago's beauty and uniqueness through the lens of those who love it most. The Instagram series has dramatically changed how followers engage with the @ChooseChicago account, and has resulted in 423% growth in followers over the course of seven months at no cost.

With a photographer's eye, Choose Chicago's Instagram followers are guided through a journey of Chicago's leading attractions, neighborhoods and most photogenic sights. With each photo, they are able to find inspiration for their own trips.

Through the #TakingOverChooseChicago series, Choose Chicago aims to showcase things to see, eat and do in the city. The end goal being to provide visitor resources, while simultaneously growing the account's Instagram followers and increasing engagement from both prospective travelers and locals.

Key features include:

1. Local Instagram community — Choose Chicago handpicks Chicago photographers, both professional and amateur, based on their body of work and number of followers. These influencers are already established and have a clear passion for the city.
2. Originality — Photographers are given full editorial freedom in selecting their photographs to feature. Their unique points of view bring a new perspective each week. Images have shown incredible range, from downtown skyscrapers to neighborhood street art.
3. 100% free campaign — Takeover photographers lend their talents at no cost. The partnership allows them to serve as a social media ambassador and they are honored to be selected. In return, they reach new audiences to grow their own following, and have received exclusive invitations to attend special events for additional photo opps from Choose Chicago partners.
4. Longevity — This is an ongoing series that will continue indefinitely with a new featured photographer each week, rather than a one-time engagement.

Choose Chicago created its Instagram account in November 2013, much later than its industry competitors, so the tremendous growth in such a very short time is remarkable. Prior to having a dedicated social media strategist, the number of followers in February 2014 was 556 and growth was slow.

There were 2,558 followers at the start of the #TakingOverChooseChicago series in June 2014. Choose Chicago finished the year with 13,390 followers by December 2014 — growing 423%. Also impressive during this timeframe was a 385% increase in average likes and 366% increase in average comments. In 2014, 30 photographers were featured and 460 photos were shared. Due to its popularity, the series has lined up 41 photographers through October 2015.

These successes are a result of a strategic plan that includes many elements. Because there was no budget for media buys or paid social, cross-promotion was key. To reach existing Instagram communities, we used the hashtag #TakingOverChooseChicago together with other well-known hashtags across various interests: architecture, travel, food, photography. We promoted across the Choose Chicago social channels, specifically Twitter, Facebook and Google+. We also integrated #TakingOverChooseChicago in a series wrap-up each Saturday that embedded the Instagram photos from the week into the Chicago Chicago blog, Chicago Like a Local. Photographers play a part in promotion by announcing their takeover to their followers at the start of their week, encouraging them to follow @ChooseChicago.

Once a photographer's takeover has been completed, they continue to be a part of the social media ambassador group. Partner organizations, such as museums, tour companies and special event organizers, have come to recognize their influence and have extended invitations for behind-the-scenes access and previews to get in front of new audiences.

Through the #TakingOverChooseChicago Instagram series, photographers bring Chicago to visitors around the world. The increased social media awareness has contributed to Chicago's record visitor numbers each month, including its record total of 50.2 million visitors in 2014.

Media