Not long ago, I found myself knee-deep in the wild and rugged terrain of southeast Arizona, helping BorderLands Gravel get their story out into the world. Sure, it’s a gravel race, but I see how it is also so much more. For me, the race is a window into a borderland region that’s often misunderstood or simply overlooked. What makes it resonate with riders isn’t just the gravel roads (though they’re world-class). It’s the story.

And that’s the power of content marketing. No, it’s not a buzzword. It’s your brand’s best chance to stand out, especially if you’re a small-town chamber of commerce, a new adventure tourism outfit, or a cycling race organizer trying to build something meaningful.

One of the biggest misconceptions about tourism marketing is that creating better social media content requires a bigger budget.

More cameras. More software. More staff. More equipment. All of the goods.

For small towns and rural tourism organizations, that can make content creation feel out of reach before it even begins. Also, we assume we need all of that to stand out online.

But there's good news. Some of the most useful tools for building visibility today are relatively inexpensive. Heck, some are even free. Others are probably already sitting in your pocket.

If you are exploring influencer marketing for your town or region, it is easy to assume success comes from follower counts or fancy production value. It does not. The real currency of influence is trust.

In a world flooded with content, people have learned to tune out anything that feels too polished or self-promotional. What they do not tune out is someone they believe.

If you are a small-town tourism director, a chamber leader, or someone working in rural economic development, chances are good you have heard the word influencer and rolled your eyes. Maybe you picture TikTok dances, product placements, or celebrities holding energy drinks. And if that is what comes to mind, you are right to be skeptical.

If you work in rural tourism, you’ve probably asked it (or at least felt it), "How do we compete with places like Sedona, Moab, or Bend?" Their Instagram feeds are full of sweeping drone shots, pro athletes, polished campaigns, and sponsored ads. Their budgets stretch farther. Their names are already on the map.

And yet, here you are. A small town with one part-time staffer, a tight marketing budget, and a whole lot of untapped beauty.

So what can you do?

You’ve defined your audience. You know you don’t need to speak to everyone, just the right people.

Now comes the next big question: What should we actually post?

For small-town tourism, there’s a common trap: trying to appeal to everyone.

You end up with vague messaging, generic photos, and a website that says everything … and nothing at the same time.

And I get it. When you’re tasked with promoting your whole town, every event, every season, every “hidden gem,” you want to cast a wide net. Maybe … just maybe, someone out there will bite. At least nibble?

But here’s the hard truth I even have to remind myself for the work I do: when you try to speak to everyone, you end up connecting with no one.

For a lot of small towns and rural communities, social media feels like a chore. Something you’re “supposed” to be doing. So you post the event flyer on Facebook. You share the fall colors on Instagram. Maybe you snap a photo of a historic building or two. Then … nothing. No engagement. No growth. Just crickets.

So you wonder ... what’s the point?

But here’s the thing: your problem isn’t the social media platforms themselves. It’s your lack of strategy. Or more specifically, the lack of a strategy that’s actually aligned with your tourism goals.

I vividly remember talking with a gravel race director in a small town last year who said, “We post on social media when we can, but it’s hard to keep up.” I get it. Most of these races are volunteer-run, and tourism boards in rural areas are often underfunded and juggling multiple roles. But what I’ve seen again and again, through my work with Trail Builder Magazine and now with BorderLands Gravel, is that your online presence is your brand. If your social media looks like an afterthought, people assume your event or destination is too.

It’s not that these brands are ignoring social media. It’s that they’re not doing it well. And in today’s landscape, that’s just as costly.

Over the past few months, I’ve been reflecting a lot, not just on Trail Builder Magazine, but on the broader journey of building brands, launching projects, and trying to create something meaningful.

When I first set out, everything was personal. Each post, each article, and each project felt like an extension of my own story. Whether it was telling the gritty, inspiring stories of trail builders or working with small towns to spotlight their hidden adventures through rural tourism, it was all rooted in real people, real places, and a deep sense of purpose.

But here’s the challenge that I struggle with: the bigger things get, the easier it is to lose that connection.