Ashley Pettay, Content Manager at Destination Madison, starts most days the same way. She checks messages, takes a quick pulse on how content is performing, and scans what’s happening across channels.
Then she opens the CrowdRiff Content Planner.
“I pop into the Content Planner to see what we have going live today and if I am tasked with any day-of content like Reels, TikToks, broadcast channel updates.”
That quick check-in gives Ashley a clear view of what’s happening and what needs her attention without jumping between tools, spreadsheets, and documents.
One Place for Planning, Drafts, and Partner Coverage
Destination Madison has used CrowdRiff since April 2022, but Content Planner brought everything together in a way that finally matched how the team works.
With content plans across channels, drafts in progress, and partner coverage all living in one place, the team no longer needs to piece together workflows across multiple tools.
“Having worked at a different DMO where we did not have a Digital Asset Management platform or any UGC sourcing tools, I found having access to CrowdRiff made it so much easier to do my job,” she said. “Having done this type of job with and without CrowdRiff is a big reason I advocate for the platform. It is genuinely a massive improvement.”
Having the tool built specifically for DMOs also mattered.
“Knowing that Content Planner was inspired by conversations with DMOs across the US and Canada was a big motivator in trusting it would meet our needs, even if not all at once.”
From Spreadsheets to a Streamlined System
While Content Planner is still being rolled out across departments, Ashley is already seeing the impact. “We’re learning in real time how the platform is helping and how it will continue to support our content planning,” she said.
“Getting started was simple! I think the biggest thing when taking on any new platform is to set clear internal processes for how to use and integrate your tools.”
Here’s how Ashley and the Destination Madison team are using Content Planner.
1) A centralized content calendar
Destination Madison’s monthly content calendars now live entirely inside Content Planner.
Ashley describes the workflow as “significantly streamlined” and estimates it already saves the team two to five hours every month.
Key features include:
- Channel-based calendar views to stay focused and reduce clutter
- Sending content drafts directly to teammates for review or approval
- Quick-add entries to capture ideas without breaking momentum
- The option to fill in content gaps with ideas generated by CrowdRiff AI
“Our content calendar previously was a color-coded Excel spreadsheet laid out in a calendar format in which we had to have separate Word docs for captions, notes, and actual details about the content. Now, having almost everything in one place is a huge time saver.”
2) Faster content production, with visuals built in
For Ashley, the difference isn’t just having a calendar. It’s having the content and the visuals connected in the same workflow.
“It’s so nice to be able to access our CrowdRiff visuals right in a content piece rather than creating tons of share links or downloading assets into Word docs,” she said.
Now the team can:
- Easily pull related visuals into drafts as they work
- Build CMS-ready blog layouts with images and galleries
- Send drafts for review without switching tools
- Use smart drafts, powered by CrowdRiff AI, as a starting point when helpful
“Even if I don’t use the final smart draft, it’s nice to have a rough idea as a starting point.”
3) Clearer partner tracking and reporting
Partner tracking is where Content Planner becomes more than a planning tool. It becomes a shared source of truth.
“Partner mentions and visual integrations are the most valuable features by far,” Ashley said. “The partner tracking is so helpful, I’m excited to use it to identify gaps in coverage and future partner opportunities.”
To track partners effectively, the team:
- Adds Places to content so partner coverage is tracked automatically
- Applies Tags by tier, geography, or relationship type for easy categorization
- Filters partner mentions by: channel, date range, or campaign
- Can view and share a complete content history for any partner or location
“Tracking partner and non-partner mentions is the biggest benefit, followed closely by the time saved having everything in one place.”
Ashley’s Advice to Other DMOs
“I think it’s a very wise investment to put your dollars into supporting platforms and tech being made with DMOs so closely involved and in mind.”
A few practical ways her team is making that investment pay off:
Start by centralizing one repeatable workflow.
For Destination Madison, that was the monthly content calendar. “Our monthly content calendars have been created and approved entirely in Content Planner for months and that process has become significantly streamlined.”
Use a real project to test the full workflow end-to-end.
Pick a single campaign or deliverable and run it through Content Planner from draft to final. For Destination Madison, the Very Merry Madison Gift Guide was the closest example so far. “All our content pieces were created in Content Planner first, which was exciting.”
Set clear internal standards early.
Decide what gets added to the calendar, how drafts move into review, and when Places and Tags are required so tracking stays consistent.
Make partner coverage part of the workflow, not an afterthought.
Build the habit of adding Places to content items and using Tags to group partners, so you can spot gaps and show coverage without rebuilding it from spreadsheets later.
“I think it is a really great tool! I am excited to see how it evolves!”
Thank you Ashley, for sharing your team’s experience with us!
