Meet Melea Hames, the Social Media Manager for the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourism Association. For over a decade, she’s transformed her strategy from simple Facebook status updates to a robust storytelling content plan that includes blogs, podcasts, ambassador programs, and more. But Melea’s career path was anything but predictable.
An Unexpected Career Shift
Melea’s path to destination marketing was a winding one, full of serendipitous turns and surprising discoveries. After starting her career in advertising and communications, she felt a pull towards education and spent three years teaching middle school English and coaching cheerleading. When her teaching contract wasn’t renewed, she found herself at a crossroads, questioning her next move.
Melea took a job assisting her friend, a hairstylist at a salon in North Alabama. Little did she know that this seemingly unrelated role would lead her to her true calling. One day, while washing a client’s hair, she struck up a conversation and discovered that the client worked for Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. “We were just talking, and I mentioned that I had taught but also had a background in PR, “Melea says. “Suddenly, I had my next job.”
This chance encounter proved to be a pivotal moment in Melea’s career, launching her into the world of destination marketing just as social media was beginning its rapid rise. Melea’s diverse background in communications, education, and even hairstyling provided her with unique skills and perspectives that would prove invaluable in her new role.
From Status Updates to Stories
When Melea started her role, social media marketing was in its infancy. “It was mainly just status updates,” she recalls. “Soon pictures came into it, Instagram started becoming popular, then videos and telling the stories behind the places—not just ‘hey check this out.’”
Melea’s early strategy was simple but effective. On Instagram, she shared eye-catching photos of North Alabama’s scenic beauty and attractions, accompanied by concise and informative captions. Facebook became a hub for driving traffic to the Visit North Alabama blog, sharing longer-form stories and travel tips.
Always eager to explore new possibilities, Melea quickly expanded her social media presence to include Twitter and Pinterest. She recognized the unique potential of each platform, using Pinterest’s visual nature to create mood boards showcasing itinerary ideas, road trip possibilities, and other inspiring content.
As social media evolved, so did Melea’s approach to storytelling. She began incorporating authentic photos sourced through CrowdRiff’s user-generated content (UGC) platform, enriching her blog posts and website galleries with diverse experiences from across North Alabama. She then started tapping into CrowdRiff Creators, “We have 16 counties that we promote—a large territory to cover by myself. So that’s where the creators come in handy—I can tell them what kinds of shots I need to tell a story.”
Building a Community of Ambassadors
As social media’s influence grew, Melea recognized the opportunity to expand her storytelling efforts beyond traditional platforms. She spearheaded the development of new initiatives, including the Ambassador Program and the Unexpected Adventures of North Alabama podcast.
Launched in 2018, the Ambassador Program enlists passionate locals to create authentic content showcasing their favorite spots in North Alabama. “We wanted to tap into the genuine love that people have for their communities,” Melea explains. The program provides compensation and support to twenty ambassadors each year, empowering them to share their unique perspectives and experiences with potential visitors.
The program’s success extended beyond content creation. It also fostered a valuable partnership with Leave No Trace, an organization dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor recreation. “One of our ambassadors reached out to me and said, ‘Do you mind if I do a video to promote people picking up their trash?” Melea recalls. “And I said, ‘What if we partner with Leave No Trace to get this message out?'”
This collaboration blossomed into a full-fledged initiative, including a dedicated landing page, social media campaign, and podcast episode focused on educating visitors about responsible tourism practices.
Unexpected Podcasting Adventures
In 2020, as the pandemic was changing everything about work, social interaction, and destination marketing, Adam Stoker, the host of Relic Media’s Destination Marketing Podcast, invited Melea and a few of her local partners to participate in a podcast story on local recovery. After it was over, Adam encouraged her to start her own podcast.
“I thought, ‘I’m not doing a podcast, it’s outside of my comfort zone,’ but then a few months later, my boss came to me and said, ‘Hey, I think we should do a podcast,’ which meant I was going to do a podcast. And I absolutely fell in love with it.”
Now, with over 75 episodes of Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama, she interviews a diverse range of guests, from world-renowned chefs and historians to rocket scientists and rising stars, uncovering hidden gems and sharing captivating stories that showcase the region’s rich tapestry of experiences.
Through her podcast, Melea tells authentic and engaging stories that capture the essence of North Alabama and inspire visitors to explore. She highlights two key benefits of podcasting:
- Engaging a captive audience. “What’s so great about the podcast is that you’ve got the story going on in your ear that’s telling you about your destination, and you can keep doing what you’re doing and listen,” Melea says.
- Uncovering hidden gems. Podcasts allow Melea to dive deep into the unexpected stories that make North Alabama unique. Like in the episode, she interviewed the owners of The Hatter Cafe, an Alice in Wonderland-themed restaurant, who shared how the region’s warmth and hospitality convinced them to relocate their lives.
Podcasting has become more than just a content format. “It has been such a confidence builder for me,” she shares. “It’s improved my public speaking and has helped me think more strategically about the stories we’re telling to market the region.”
Lessons Learned
Melea Hames’ journey exemplifies the power of embracing unexpected opportunities, adapting to change, and fostering authentic connections through compelling storytelling. Her work with the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association demonstrates how destination marketers can leverage various platforms and tools,like CrowdRiff,to share the unique stories that make their destinations special.
And for those starting their journey or looking for some guidance, Melea offers this advice:
- Build connections. “Do an internship,” she says. “Find people in the industry to keep in touch with, and find a way to get out and meet them. The more people you meet within your industry, the more people they will be able to connect you with.”
- Never stop learning. Attend industry events and conferences to stay inspired and up-to-date on the latest trends and strategies. “I like to walk around and see what other people do with their brochures and bring home samples,” she says. “You can borrow ideas since you all have a similar goal—we all have so much in common.”
- Embrace community. Melea recommends getting involved with organizations like the Southeast Tourism Society. “They have a fantastic marketing college that meets once a year for a week during the summer. It’s a great place to learn and network.”
Thank you, Melea, for taking the time to share your story with us!
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