Influencer Marketing & Request Response Policy

1. Purpose and scope

This policy documents how Visit Macon evaluates, selects, supports, and responds to travel influencer and content creator opportunities. It applies to unsolicited requests, Visit Macon-initiated outreach, hosted collaborations, and paid influencer work. It is intended to support consistent business decisions and clear public-records responses; it does not create contractual rights or obligations.

2. Strategic framework

Visit Macon's primary objective is to generate visitation to Macon-Bibb County from travelers located approximately 50 miles or more from the destination. Priority is generally placed on regional drive markets and the destination's direct-air access opportunities serving Baltimore/Washington via BWI and Fort Lauderdale. Atlanta's international airport is an important access point approximately 90 minutes north of Macon, but influencer selection is generally directed toward creators whose audiences are outside Macon-Bibb County rather than primarily local audiences.

Influencer marketing is planned as a component of broader campaign objectives, the annual strategic marketing plan, seasonal priorities, event-forward initiatives, and the content calendar. Visit Macon does not maintain a separate standing influencer-marketing allocation outside an approved campaign concept.

3. Roles and decision authority

Social Media Manager. Leads intake, research, campaign-fit review, communications, collaboration planning, and recommendations. The Social Media Manager may approve routine activity within delegated authority and approved budgets or escalate a recommendation when appropriate.

Advisory input. The Director of Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer, and Visit Macon's public relations firm may provide advice or input when the Social Media Manager determines that an opportunity warrants additional review based on timing, the content plan, campaign objectives, reputation, or marketing goals.

Final organizational authority. Decisions requiring escalation are resolved through Visit Macon's applicable management and budget-approval structure. The public relations firm serves in an advisory capacity and does not hold final organizational approval authority unless separately authorized by contract.

4. Selection criteria

Visit Macon applies a holistic review. There are no automatic minimum follower, engagement, geography, or platform-score thresholds, and no single factor guarantees or prevents selection. Factors may include:

• Alignment with an active or planned campaign, seasonal priority, event, content need, or annual strategic marketing objective;
• Timing, lead time, staff capacity, partner availability, and available campaign resources;
• The creator's geographic location and the geographic distribution of the creator's audience, with emphasis on audiences outside the destination and in priority travel markets;
• Audience relevance, content style, subject-matter fit, brand alignment, and the likelihood of motivating overnight or leisure visitation;
• Follower count, audience engagement, content quality, prior work, and demonstrated audience response;
• Authenticity and validity of audience and engagement metrics; and
• Meltwater Klear data, scoring, and other available research or professional judgment.

Visit Macon may use Meltwater Klear to review inbound inquiries, identify creators for campaign outreach, or revisit creators whose earlier communication demonstrated a strong potential fit. Visit Macon may decline or defer any opportunity based on campaign fit, timing, strategic priorities, resources, or other legitimate marketing considerations.

5. Collaboration categories and available support

Support is determined case by case and remains subject to availability, partner participation, budget, and written confirmation.

In-market or limited-support opportunities. When a creator will already be visiting Macon, Visit Macon may offer itinerary recommendations and, when appropriate, limited meal or attraction ticket/admission assistance. Lodging, transportation, fees, and other support are not implied.

Campaign-planned hosted collaborations. Collaborations developed through Visit Macon's approved content calendar or campaign plan may include hosted lodging, meals, transportation, and full itinerary planning, as confirmed in advance.

Paid collaborations. Visit Macon has limited influencer funding and rarely pays fees based on post volume or deliverables. Paid agreements may be considered when Visit Macon solicits participation for an approved seasonal, event-forward, or other campaign with an authorized budget.

No support is committed until it is specifically confirmed by an authorized Visit Macon representative. Partner-provided accommodations or services remain subject to the partner's own approval and availability.

6. Intake and review process

1. Official submission: Creators seeking consideration should submit the online collaboration form at https://visitmacon.org/media/collaborations/.
2. Initial review: The Social Media Manager reviews information available through the form, creator channels, Meltwater Klear, and other relevant sources.
3. Fit assessment: The opportunity is considered against current timing, content plans, strategic goals, audience geography, performance indicators, resource needs, and staff capacity.
4. Internal input or escalation: Additional staff or public relations counsel may be consulted when appropriate.
5. Disposition: Visit Macon may proceed, request additional information, retain the inquiry for possible future consideration, defer it, or decline it.
6. Agreement and fulfillment: If selected, the parties confirm support, deliverables, timing, points of contact, and any other applicable terms before the collaboration begins.

7. Unsolicited inquiry and response policy

Visit Macon receives a high volume of unsolicited influencer and sales communications. It is not operationally possible to review or respond individually to every email, direct message, tag, comment, or other informal contact. Messages may also be filtered as spam, blocked by security systems, misdirected, or otherwise not reach the appropriate staff member.

Visit Macon will respond through standard communication channels when reasonably possible. However, the online collaboration form is the organization's official intake channel and the only channel through which a submission is assured entry into the formal review process and a response. A response may be an acknowledgment, request for information, deferral, decline, or invitation to discuss an opportunity; it is not a promise of collaboration or support.

Duplicate messages, follow-up emails, social-media messages, and communications sent directly to employees do not receive priority over the official form. Visit Macon is not responsible for responding to communications that are blocked, filtered, incomplete, or submitted outside the official channel.

8. Collaboration terms, disclosure, and performance information

Selected collaborations begin with a written deliverable agreement or written confirmation appropriate to the scope of work. It may address deliverables, timing, hosted or paid support, itinerary responsibilities, contact information, content expectations, and reporting.

Creators are responsible for making clear and conspicuous disclosures of any material connection to Visit Macon or participating partners, including payment, complimentary lodging, meals, admissions, transportation, discounts, or other benefits, as required by applicable law and platform rules. Visit Macon may include specific disclosure instructions in an agreement.

Visit Macon tracks campaign analytics. A creator may be asked to provide post-campaign analytics when negotiated at the outset; a full analytics report is otherwise appreciated but not automatically required. Visit Macon does not receive off-platform photo, video, or other content rights unless those rights are separately requested and granted in writing.

9. Records and administration

The Office Administrator and Chief Executive Officer maintain this policy for administrative use and responses to public-records inquiries. Collaboration forms, agreements, approvals, communications, analytics, and related materials should be retained according to Visit Macon's applicable records-retention practices. This policy may be revised to reflect changes in Visit Macon's strategic plan, staffing, technology, budget, law, or platform requirements.

Reference

Federal Trade Commission, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers,” https://www.ftc.gov/business-g... (accessed August 17, 2026). The FTC explains that free or discounted products, services, and other benefits can create a material connection that should be clearly disclosed.