Elevate your social media strategy Social media management can sometimes feel like you’re building the plane while flying it, so maybe you could benefit from calling in creative reinforcements. 📞In this age of ever-evolving social algorithms, creators are your key to producing high volumes of short-form content that really connects with your audience. When you outsource, you have more time to digest your metrics and make sure your DMO’s social strategy takes off.Not sure where to start? We’re here to help! This FREE eBook will enable you to: 👯‍♂️ Find creators that are a perfect match for your destination🙌 Produce the most engaging, authentic content possible💸 Avoid hefty influencer fees Plus, get a PDF creator checklist to keep you on track throughout the year! ✅  

For CrowdRiff founder Dan Holowack, it doesn’t matter whether video content is created by an influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers, a professional photographer with big-name clients, or someone with a knack for storytelling through video. What matters most is authenticity. “It’s not really about their following,” Dan says. “It’s more about their local impact, their presence in the community, and their ability to create videos and photos that feel real—not overly polished, but appealing to actual travelers.” For years, destination marketers have struggled to quickly produce high-quality short-form videos for blogs, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. Content that feels like it comes from someone who truly knows a region inside and out is crucial to showcasing what makes it special. These marketers need richer, more sustainable storytelling that can’t always be captured by sending products to influencers with massive followings. “There are so many people creating incredibly compelling and authentic content who only have a few hundred followers,” Dan adds. “They’re being overlooked, but their work is beautiful.” This is where CrowdRiff Creators, an offshoot of CrowdRiff’s popular User-Generated Content (UGC) product, comes in. The program enables Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to request vertical video assets, with CrowdRiff’s team deploying local creators to produce them. Who Are CrowdRiff Creators? CrowdRiff Creators are a mix of full-time professional photographers and videographers, as well as talented individuals passionate about creating vertical videos that tell great stories. In today’s creator economy—where many creatives juggle multiple pursuits—CrowdRiff empowers anyone with talent and energy to share their voice and monetize their skills. This real, everyday perspective helps travel marketers succeed. “I’ve met creators who are computer programmers by day but spend their weekends adventuring,” Dan explains. “Or a dancer in L.A. who loves brunch and captures all the best spots. That local perspective is invaluable. These creators know their terrain intimately—even things as subtle as the best lighting at specific times.” The Origin Story Dan conceived of CrowdRiff Creators in 2020, as the pandemic reshaped how people connected and local businesses struggled to stay afloat. “Local businesses became the real heroes of their communities,” Dan says. “Locals went out of their way to support them, and we saw an opportunity to spotlight these stories in a new way.” Local creators became key to helping DMOs share authentic narratives about these businesses. “As a local creator, you know best—you know which taco place always sells out because everything is made fresh every morning. It’s these little nuances that make the difference. And we thought: how can we tap into that?” As communities began to look inward, local creators emerged as uniquely suited to communicating these rich, authentic stories. Boosting Local Economies, Sustainably “I think a lot about how CrowdRiff Creators are helping to create a better future for destinations through the tourism economy, making it more sustainable,” Dan says. Their storytelling aligns with local values—creators know their communities and can capture them in ways that respectfully promote them. “They’re less likely to promote a tourist trap,” Dan notes. “And they might choose not to promote a treasured local hike that could be damaged by overuse.” For Dan, creators and local marketers are equal stakeholders in tourism, responsible for ensuring their promotional efforts help destinations grow sustainably. “We’re working toward a balance where locals and visitors share space and both thrive.” Filling the Gap Left by Organic UGC While CrowdRiff’s UGC product gives marketers access to pre-existing content, Creators enables them to stay ahead of trends by providing clear guidelines, needs, and shot ideas through simple creative briefs. “It’s like a directed extension of UGC,” Dan says. “For example, if a new exhibit opens at a local museum, a creator can capture the experience in real-time, giving you a story to tell rather than waiting to see what UGC might surface.” CrowdRiff users can reuse and remix these vertical videos for years, making the content a long-term asset. Creators are paid a flat fee for their work, and DMOs retain indefinite usage rights—removing the need to pay per use. “Marketers are constantly asked to stretch their content in countless ways, and this makes it easier,” Dan explains. Additionally, creators often capture more footage than initially requested. “You might only use a few clips for an Instagram reel,” Dan says, “but you can combine those clips with others to create a broader content package, like showcasing the best waterfalls or sushi spots.” Over time, this content becomes even more valuable, allowing marketers to repurpose it across thematic narratives. The Power of Vertical Video When CrowdRiff Creators launched, it met the growing demand for vertical video, fueled by platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. “Algorithms favor vertical content, and people are consuming more of it than ever,” Dan says. “But at the time, there wasn’t much UGC in vertical format. There was an acute need, and CrowdRiff filled that gap.” How CrowdRiff Creators Works Alongside Traditional Assignment Videography “Many brands already work with videographers for large seasonal shoots,” Dan explains. “But they also need content on a constant basis, sometimes with only a few days’ notice. Relying on just one or two people can be a challenge.” CrowdRiff Creators complements traditional videography, offering scalable, flexible, and efficient solutions. “The workflow is designed to make it as easy as possible for marketers,” Dan says. Through CrowdRiff’s mobile app, creators can upload tagged content, provide location data, and handle payments—all in one place. “I’m really proud of how CrowdRiff has streamlined the process of creating experiential content,” Dan adds. Helping Creators Help Marketers CrowdRiff Creators benefits everyone involved. DMOs receive high-performing, reusable content. Creators earn money doing what they love. Local businesses gain visibility. Together, they create a virtuous cycle of creativity, sustainability, and economic growth—all while respecting local cultures and environments. This version tightens the language, clarifies points, and ensures consistency and readability throughout. Let me know if you'd like further adjustments!

Tennessee is more than just whiskey and legendary country music. It’s full of award-winning chefs, beautiful beaches, and countless hidden destinations for kids, solo travelers, and couples alike. With over ninety-five counties, uncovering every memorable story—and capturing it on stunning vertical video—might seem daunting for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development's five-person destination marketing team. With CrowdRiff’s UGC and Creators content, they’re making it happen, swimmingly. The partnership with CrowdRiff, led by Senior Digital Media Manager Amanda Burton, has enabled them to create more authentic and engaging content that showcases the state's diverse attractions, from music heritage to culinary offerings. “To try and curate content for all of our counties was going to be a huge lift,” Amanda reflects. “You can’t be everywhere at the same time. CrowdRiff helped us fill that gap.” When Amanda’s team started working with CrowdRiff Creators, they were creating 1-2 reels a month, which increased to 4-6 reels toward the end of 2024, along with CrowdRiff-sourced UGC being used every time they post. Engagement and visibility significantly increased, with some posts–like this collection of 9 Whimsical Destinations In Tennessee– getting as much as 1.5M views and over 50K likes.  From UGC to CrowdRiff Creators: It's All About Authenticity. A few years ago, Amanda’s team started using CrowdRiff's user-generated content software to help increase the volume and local-ness of the stories they told. “It’s more impactful when you see someone who looks like you and has the same interests as you representing a brand, but authentically,” Amanda says. Tapping UGC libraries was an effective first step. But Amanda needed more people on the ground, capturing the landscape and culture with a specific direction – so she branched out to CrowdRiff Creators for custom UGC videos. “It was just another way to expand our storytelling with travelers,” she adds, “utilizing vertical video which has taken root and is so much more engaging." In early 2024, Amanda met with CrowdRiff to discuss new ways to ramp up content creation for the year. Her biggest goal: highlight Tennessee’s unique experience by creating an evergreen database of vertical videos that would celebrate and amplify all corners of the state. The first goal was for CrowdRiff Creators to produce enough videos to enable Amanda’s team to post 2-3 Reels and TikToks per week. Content Creation Begins: An Unexpected Day at the Beach One of Amanda’s first Creators shoots was A Day at a Tennessee Beach. “You wouldn’t think Tennessee has beaches because we’re landlocked but we do – and they lead you to our beautiful lakes.” In her creative brief, Amanda made it clear that she wanted content with a first-person point of view to give people a sense of what it felt like to be there. “What would it look like if a visitor packed up for the day, went to a state park, and enjoyed their time on the beach? What would you bring? What would you do?” Amanda recalls her notes for this early shoot were more extensive than most. “It paid off because the creators knew exactly what we wanted – we had so many details.” And, the videographer went above and beyond. “She brought her children, which is great because we now use the videos for a lot of the family content we’re planning for next year.” The content from this shoot has been used in many places and repurposed into a variety of formats, focusing on spring and summer travel in Tennessee. While CrowdRiff Creators shoot mostly vertical video for social, this creator also shot horizontal footage for Visit Tennessee’s website. Ramping Up Creators Projects This single shoot was so successful, it inspired Amanda and her team to work with Creators on batch requests, building out content requests for the entire year. Much of this included a focus on Tennessee’s undiscovered food and culture. Amanda recalls a favorite shoot that happened early on. “We have a creator who shot content at a variety of stops in Knoxville – a place to get ice cream, to get lunch with the kids, etc.” As it turns out, the creator’s multiple stops enabled Amanda to produce a seamless visual itinerary that performed incredibly, and like the earlier beach content, has a never-ending shelf life. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tennessee Vacation • #TNSoundsPerfect (@tnvacation) “We’ve used those pieces again and again – in reels where we’re trying to highlight as many locations as possible in engaging ways for families who are planning trips to Eastern Tennessee.” Amanda loves the diversity of perspectives and approaches. “Another piece that did really well was a white water rafting trip on the Coe River. I specifically requested a creator to have a GoPro because – especially when you’re outdoors – it gives you that true point of view.” The results inspired Amanda to request Go-Pro footage from nearly every following shoot. “It helps the visitor to step into it,” she says. “The creator just knocked it out of the park and he continues to create awesome content for us.” Another successful shoot, which will feed next year’s content strategy, is a story on The Mad Herbalist, a tea lounge, eatery, and blending lab in Clarkesville, Tennessee.  “We posted it in a ‘girls trip’ kind of reel and the content was so great with more than 3,000 plays – we didn’t have to edit it. We just added some text and sent it out and it performed really well.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tennessee Vacation • #TNSoundsPerfect (@tnvacation) And, Of Course, The Music Tennessee's destination marketing wouldn’t be complete without a heavy focus on music. One of Amanda’s favorite recent shoots was a self-guided tour of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, showcasing the history of such an iconic music venue – the mother church of country music. What was so special about this shoot wasn’t just the music. It was the focus on the venue’s beautiful architecture. ”It’s all about the stained glass windows in the auditorium. Those always just serve. It's such a unique feature too. And the legendary memorabilia shots. But the most special part is that you can just show up - you don’t have to book a tour. You can just come and experience the place yourself. And the creator shows us that.” Beyond CrowdRiff’s quality, volume, and flexibility, Amanda keeps returning to the power of local stories told by local creators. “We get the best content when we ask a creator to take us to their favorite coffee shop. We want to see them share their own experiences and favorite spots. We’ve done that for waterfall hikes and state parks to see the best views. I love to let creators take ownership because I know they’ll do a great job. I think we’re harnessing that authenticity more with each shoot.” In the coming year, Amanda and her team will work with CrowdRiff Creators to highlight Tennessee’s culinary offerings. “There are so many amazing chefs that people may not know about,” she says. “We’ll cover high-profile chefs and local mom-and-pop restaurants – great experiences that offer a true taste of Tennessee culture.” With many shoots already in production, Amanda plans to work with creators to highlight distilleries and explore whiskey traditions, rooftop bars, and rural eateries. We can’t wait.