When you’re part of a small team, everyone wears a lot of hats, and every tool you use has to pull its weight too. That’s especially true for Lindsay Pieters, Marketing Director at Experience Waterloo, who knows firsthand how the right tools can make all the difference.
“I’ve been with Experience Waterloo for six years,” Lindsay says. “What I love most about my job is connecting deeply with our community to share our story. It’s incredibly rewarding to shape and change perceptions and to invite people to personally meet the individuals and see the places that define who we are.”
At First with CrowdRiff
The team’s first experience with CrowdRiff was all about discovery. “It was an exciting opportunity to find and share the assets people were already posting,” Lindsay recalls. “We used it for our socials and website, and it was great to run campaigns and invite the public to share their photos.”
At the time, CrowdRiff helped the team capture authentic community moments, everything from local events to everyday experiences that brought the city to life online. But as priorities shifted and budgets tightened, Waterloo eventually stepped away. “We left because of the price compared to our level of use,” Lindsay explains. “We were also getting other cities’ UGC in our feed, which made things more complicated.”
Stepping Away
The team didn’t switch to another platform right away. Instead, they took a step back. “We didn’t go with another company,” Lindsay says. “We just wanted to see what was out there and what we really needed.”
Still, they missed the way CrowdRiff helped them see their destination through other people’s eyes. So when the chance came to take another look, they were open to it.
A Fresh Start Together
Coming back felt like starting a new chapter with an old friend. “What stood out right away were the improvements,” she says. “The UGC from our own locations has gotten so much better. We no longer have to totally rely on hashtags or business tags. And we added the DAM, which we love.”
Now, the Experience Waterloo team can easily combine user-generated content with their own visuals, creating one central home for everything they need. “The galleries are flexible and easy to customize for different pages on our site,” Lindsay adds. “We’re seeing more great UGC come in naturally without having to ask people to tag us or use a specific hashtag.”
Saving Time and Staying Authentic
Like many small DMO teams, Experience Waterloo juggles a lot with limited bandwidth. That’s where CrowdRiff comes in.
“CrowdRiff helps us save time by ‘looking’ out in the community for photos of what activities people are doing, what they’re eating, how they’re having fun,” Lindsay explains. “It’s the most authentic way to highlight our city. We’re a small team, and having an extra set of eyes helps!”
The improved discovery tools and integrated DAM have made it easier to find, organize, and share visuals. “The seamless way we can now combine our DAM visuals with user-generated content is a game-changer for building out new features,” she says.
Since returning to CrowdRiff, the team has also integrated CrowdRiff Content Planner into their daily workflow for content planning, event discovery, tracking mentions, and more. Content Planner has helped them streamline planning, work more efficiently, and strengthen collaboration across their team.
“Crowdriff has become an invaluable tool for us, significantly enhancing how we connect with our local community and partners. We like the ease with which we can plug in our partners, attractions, and restaurants to visualize and curate content that truly reflects what’s happening around town. This functionality alone saves us countless hours and provides a dynamic view of our destination.”
Real, Live Support and Inspiration
But it’s not just the platform that stands out, it’s the people behind it. “Our Customer Success Manager, Sydney, is genuinely helpful and highly proactive,” she shares. “She’s great at answering questions, showing us new features, and helping us align the platform with our goals and campaigns. Plus, she always sends detailed follow-up notes with links and tips. It really shows she cares about our success.”
The team also loves exploring the Inspiration Showcase, which highlights how other DMOs are using CrowdRiff. “It’s such a great resource for new campaign ideas,” Lindsay says. “It’s inspiring to see how other destinations use CrowdRiff creatively to tell their stories.”
Lessons from the Road Back
Here are some tips from Lindsay and her team:
1. Embrace authenticity. Let your visitors and locals show your destination through their lens. UGC captures the spirit of a place in a way that polished photography can’t.
2. Make your DAM work harder. Integrating your DAM with UGC gives you the best of both worlds: quality and authenticity, all in one place.
3. Lean on your CrowdRiff team. Your Account Manager is there to help you make the most of the platform. Ask questions, explore new features, and use their insights to inform your strategy.
4. Keep an eye on inspiration. Visit the Inspiration Showcase and follow CrowdRiff on Instagram for ideas, templates, and trends that can spark your next campaign.
Thank you Lindsay for taking time to share your story with us!
Get in touch to discover what CrowdRiff can do for your destination.
