427. Sustainable Marketing Through Pinterest, with Meagan Williamson
Release Date: 05/07/2025
445. Immersive Travel and Community Empowerment, with Florence Li
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, Florence Li, Director of International Development for Songtsam Resorts, shares how her family-owned luxury boutique hotel collection has built its reputation by opening hidden doors to remote destinations in Tibet and Yunnan. She explains how Songtsam differentiates itself by offering immersive cultural experiences, empowering local communities through creative staffing solutions, and staying deeply committed to sustainability. Florence also highlights how the brand’s mission to preserve Tibetan culture and protect the environment resonates with...
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444. Reclaiming Imagination in Business, with Susan Robertson
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Susan Robertson, Possibility Architect at Sharpen Innovation and Harvard instructor. Susan shares why so many of us lose our sense of imagination as we grow up and how we can get it back by embracing curiosity and being open to mistakes. We also discuss how even the wildest brainstorming ideas can lead to real breakthroughs and role-play through a few examples to demonstrate that creativity isn’t just for artists; it’s something we can all tap into to spark fresh ideas. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Susan Robertson...
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443. Helping Tourism Professionals Reach Gen Z Audiences, with Nathan Oyer
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with our summer intern, Nathan Oyer, who’s about to head back to Binghamton University. In this episode, you’ll hear a candid introduction with Nathan about his experiences as a TAP intern, then we’ll dive right into the training session Nathan led for our team. He shares his insights and research on what makes Gen Z tick, from their love of authentic marketing to the language and wellness trends driving their travel decisions. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why understanding the differences between generations is key when...
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442. Sacramento’s Farm to Fork and Festival Revolution, with Mike Testa
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, Mike Testa, President & CEO of Visit Sacramento, describes how his destination has diversified their focus to include festivals and events, sports, leisure markets, and culinary. He explains how positioning themselves as America’s Farm to Fork Capital has paid dividends, including booking a 10-year contract to host the Terra Madre Americas convention. Mike also discusses why tourism is not for tourists and how that plays into action through Visit Sacramento’s work and community partnerships. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why Mike’s...
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441. The Story Behind Hands Up Holidays’ Ethical Family Adventures, with Christopher Hill
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Christopher Hill, Founder of Hands Up Holidays. Christopher takes us inside his journey from a career in finance to launching a travel company focused on eco-luxury family volunteer vacations. In our conversation, Christopher shares the story behind Hands Up Holidays, and we discuss the company’s focus on family and ethical travel with a holistic approach that ensures each journey leaves a positive impact on local communities and their visitors. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Christopher built Hands Up Holidays by combining...
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440. Boosting Tourism Marketing Success with Owned Media Tactics, with Camille Zess
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Camille Zess, Vice President of Growth at TAP, who brings 14 years of wide-ranging expertise in digital strategy, website development, email marketing, and the ever-evolving world of AI. We discuss the “Owned” media segment of the —your website, blog, email marketing, and other assets you have complete control over. Camille shares practical tips on evaluating and optimizing these owned channels, from knowing when it’s time for a website refresh to the power of blog audits and list segmentation. Our discussion also explores...
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439. PESO Model in Action: Social Media and Shared Tactics, with Adrienne Currie and Brittany Lynn
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Adrienne Currie, Community & Marketing Manager at TAP, and Brittany Lynn, Senior Account Manager at TAP for the third installment of a special four-part series exploring the Model—a framework for creating integrated marketing plans that drive results in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Our conversation shines a spotlight on the “S”—shared media, and Adrienne and Brittany dive into the strategies behind creating impactful social media campaigns, from identifying your target audience to understanding the value of...
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438. Earned Media Essentials for Tourism Marketers, with Colleen Onuffer
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Colleen Onuffer for the second installment of a four-part series exploring the Model—Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media—in integrated marketing. Colleen shares more about earned media: what it is, why it’s critical for building credibility, and how organizations in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry can use it to tell their story more powerfully. From collaborating with influencers to maximizing media placements, she explains how earned media fits into the bigger picture and interacts with other parts of the PESO...
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437. Paid Media Tactics That Work in Travel and Tourism, with Colleen Senglaub
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Colleen Senglaub, Digital Account Manager at TAP, for the first installment of a four-part series exploring the Model—a foundational framework for integrated marketing plans in travel, tourism, and hospitality. We dig into the “P” of PESO—Paid Media. Colleen shares her expertise on digital advertising, breaking down today’s must-have channels, including Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google, programmatic, and connected TV campaigns. They also touch on emerging platforms like Pinterest and TikTok, offering fresh ideas for...
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436. Inspiring Confident Communication, with Karen Laos
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Karen Laos, a communication expert and confidence cultivator, about the most common mishaps that we make when communicating, and practical advice on how to avoid them. We discuss the importance of communication as a woman, the benefits of building strong relationships, and why being interested is a better strategy than being interesting. She also gives us easy phrases and questions to help us start creating deeper connections today. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Karen Laos discovered the power of confident communication, from...
info_outlineOn this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Meagan Williamson about Pinterest for travel brands. She shares actionable strategies for using this powerful, often overlooked platform to amplify discovery, boost SEO, and support long-term marketing success. In this episode, she breaks down how Pinterest differs from other social media, why its visual search engine is perfect for the travel and tourism industry, and how its evergreen content can drive results for months—or even years—after posting.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- How Meagan’s journey from travel blogger to Pinterest expert shaped her approach to digital marketing for travel brands
- Why Pinterest offers a unique advantage as a discovery-based marketing platform, especially for travel and tourism organizations
- What makes Pinterest content evergreen, and how it supports sustainable, long-term marketing ROI compared to other social channels
- How Pinterest can bolster your SEO strategy in the age of AI-driven search and why search-optimized social content matters more than ever
- Why understanding your audience’s planning and decision stages is key to creating high-performing, search-friendly Pinterest content
- What mistakes to avoid and best practices to follow when considering a paid Pinterest advertising campaign for your tourism business
Using the Power of Pinterest for Travel Brands
When it comes to digital marketing in the travel and tourism industry, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Google dominate conversations. But there’s another powerhouse that forward-thinking brands are using to drive long-lasting, discovery-based growth: Pinterest expert Meagan Williamson shares why travel marketers shouldn’t sleep on this visual search engine, and how a strategic Pinterest presence can generate lasting results.
Discoverability and Sustainability are Pinterest’s “Secret Sauce”
Pinterest isn’t just another social media channel—it’s a visual search engine where users plan, dream, and discover their next adventure. Unlike traditional social platforms with short content life cycles (think 48 hours for an Instagram post), a well-optimized Pinterest pin can drive traffic for months—or even years creating valuable, evergreen content that keeps working for you over time.
Travel brands and destinations are rich in visual assets, and using Pinterest capitalizes on this by connecting brands with users who are actively planning their next trip, whether it’s searching for family-friendly cruises or researching accommodations with accessibility features. The planning nature of Pinterest’s audience means they are open to discovering new destinations and businesses, making it a goldmine for travel marketers seeking sustained growth and discoverability.
Pinterest vs. Traditional SEO
As a visual discovery engine, Pinterest has always been optimized for search intent. With Google increasingly ranking social and visual content, Pinterest pins can act as “SEO juice” for your brand, sending positive signals to Google and boosting your authority.
Recent shifts in Google’s algorithms have given social content more weight in rankings. This means a Pinterest strategy isn’t just useful for referral traffic; it can directly boost your brand’s visibility in search results, especially as AI-generated search answers evolve. Every pin is a chance to link directly to your website, booking page, or resource library, without being penalized by the platform.
Resources:
- Website: https://meaganwilliamson.com/
- How To Create Pins That Attract, Grow + Convert Your Audience: https://meaganwilliamson.com/perfect-pinterest-image-guide/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meagan-williamson-pinterest/
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