Valuing RoundHere® Guides

Look, when I decided to invest $5,000 in several thousand RoundHere® guides, I admit it felt like a big spend at first. I was relieved to discover that these guides go absolutely everywhere: in our visitor center, in local hotels, in area Airbnbs, and in the hands of every visitor who might otherwise breeze through town on their way to a higher visibility city down the road. For less than a dollar per guide, I’m getting a powerful marketing tool that is guaranteed to reach my target audience.

Make no mistake, people still love their mobile devices. It's just that some unpleasant experiences with crowd-sourced websites, have made them appreciate a trusted local source of information.

It helps that our guide's branding looks like we created it in-house. It's 100% our logo, our colors, our style are a seamless extension of our brand. This guide stays relevant to every visitors all year long. Where else can I get that ROI?

Digital ads are great—until they’re not. I’m constantly updating content, managing ad spend, and hoping those clicks turn into actual visits. Meanwhile, my RoundHere® guide is literally in the visitor’s hand, guiding them straight to our local treasures—no algorithm needed. I'm thinking I may add an online version of the guide to our website—but I'm good for now.

Like any marketing professional, I am constantly reviewing my budget, looking for any cost I can cut. Things like the money I spend on local newspaper ads that never clearly justify the cost. Or my big yearly media buy in a regional visitor magazine that was here one month and gone the next. The RoundHere® guide isn’t just another item on my list; it’s a strategic investment. It may have the highest ROI of anything I spend.

The best part? Our local stakeholders love getting real-world results they can relate to.

Restaurants and retailers get the exposure they need without spending anything extra. No ads to buy, no hidden obligations—just loud and clear promotion. When they see a customer walk in with that guide, they know what brought them in. That translates to more support for my future tourism funding.

This guide doesn’t replace my other marketing efforts; it enhances them. It works seamlessly with our digital campaigns, social media, and billboards, complementing them perfectly. It’s a long-term benefit—a tool that will always stay relevant, useful, and effective.

The ROI on RoundHere® guides is unmistakable. It is an affordable expense for a proven guide that visitors instantly love.