In the dynamic landscape of social media marketing, showcasing realworld success stories is key to demonstrating the impact of strategic efforts. One of my standout projects has been collaborating with Gibaland, a distinctive location based business offering TeePee accommodation, a restaurant, and event space for hire. Over the past three years, my contribution to their paid media strategy has led to impressive growth and a series of notable achievements. Here’s a detailed look at the strategies implemented and the results realised.
The Client: Gibaland
Gibaland is a unique venue located in KwaZuluNatal, South Africa, blending outdoor adventure, camping accommodation, and dining experiences. Despite being operational for three years before our collaboration, Gibaland was struggling to get business in, their Facebook page had fewer than 2,000 followers despite the owner spending large amounts trying to promote it himself through meta.
The Challenge
The main challenge was that despite significant spending on paid ads, Gibaland still lacked brand awareness, people didn’t know what they offered. At the time, they were a restaurant with TeePee accommodation and a play area, but this wasn’t translating into visitor traffic. The goal was to build Gibaland’s online presence and create effective lead funnels to drive more traffic to their venue and services. This involved boosting visibility, attracting more visitors, and increasing bookings for their restaurant, camping accommodations, event spaces, and outdoor adventure offerings.
One of the key issues was an outdated website lacking a clear layout, call-to-action (CTA) buttons, and SSL certification. In 2022, I addressed this by completely rebuilding the website, ensuring it effectively showcased Gibaland’s services with an intuitive design. I incorporated well-placed CTA buttons, allowing visitors to quickly take action, whether by calling, emailing, or submitting inquiries, catering to a broad audience and improving lead conversions by making it easy for potential customers to engage with the business through their preferred channels. You can see their website here www.gibaland.co.za
The Strategy
To address these challenges, I focused on several key strategies:
1. Content Creation and Video Work: I developed engaging video content that highlighted Gibaland’s unique features, including TeePee accommodations, the vibrant restaurant ambiance, and various outdoor adventure activities. Highquality visuals and compelling storytelling were central to capturing potential customers’ interest.
2. Campaign Building and Lead Funnels: I designed and executed targeted campaigns to attract different customer segments. Notable campaigns included:
Drumming Circle: A monthly event designed to foster community engagement and promote Gibaland as a lively venue.
Couples Quiz: A fun event aimed at couples seeking unique date night experiences, featuring quizzes, prizes, and a dynamic atmosphere.
Single Mingle: An event for singles to connect, complete with activities, drink specials, and accommodation options.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt: A popular annual event where guests explore a spooky forest to find hidden clues with family and friends.
Kids Holiday Club: A holiday program offering children activities like fishing, hiking, pizza making, and basic nature survival skills, providing an educational and fun experience.
These campaigns were crafted to create excitement and exclusivity around Gibaland’s offerings.
3. Brand Awareness: By leveraging engaging content and targeted campaigns, I focused on expanding Gibaland’s social media presence within the surrounding areas. This strategy led to the growth of their Facebook page from under 2,000 to an impressive 12,000 likes, achieved without any paid promotions for page likes, only paid media spend on lead funnels. This organic growth is a strong indicator that the paid media effectively reached the intended audience, affirming that the marketing budget was being spent wisely and that the campaigns resonated with the target market.
The Results
The strategies implemented have yielded impressive results:
Business Growth: Over the past three years, Gibaland has experienced significant growth, including the expansion of a second venue nestled in the forest, the addition of a new children’s area, a volleyball court, and quad bike trails for both adults and children. Gibaland has firmly established itself as a local favorite in KZN, renowned for its outdoor adventures, private events, and vibrant social gatherings.
Increased Engagement: Gibaland’s Social Media experienced significant engagement growth, with likes increasing from 2,000 to 12,000 over three years, showcasing the effectiveness of the social media strategies.
Lead Generation: Gibaland now enjoys an estimated lead rate of over 200 leads per week across their services, including Venue Hire, TeePee accommodation, and outdoor adventures. This translates to a cost of less than R2.00 per lead, demonstrating the efficiency of the lead funnels.
Media Coverage: Gibaland gained national media attention, including a feature by a TV station during their New Year’s Eve function, which showcased the venue on live TV for the 2022 countdown.
Influencer Partnerships: Influencers such as Janine Linley and a prominent East Coast Radio Host reached out for complimentary stays, vlogging their experiences and providing authentic endorsements.
Commercial Collaborations: Gibaland was featured in TV adverts, including one for Mr Price, enhancing its reputation as a sought after venue.
Local Awards: Gibaland received nominations for Best Pizza in Durban and Best Event Space in Durban in 2024. While they did not win, the nominations were a notable recognition of their excellence in these categories.
In Summary
The Gibaland case study exemplifies the impact of strategic social media management. Through targeted content creation, effective campaigns, and organic growth, we significantly enhanced Gibaland’s online presence and achieved substantial business milestones. The increase in lead generation to over 200 leads per week underscores the success of these strategies. This case study highlights how well executed social media strategies can drive tangible results and contribute to business success and growth.
For more examples of successful social media campaigns and to explore Gibaland’s journey, visit their Facebook page.
Please note that while I manage the media buying, lead funnels, and marketing strategies for Gibaland, I am not solely responsible for content creation, videos, and posts. Gibaland also has an internal social media manager who contributes content to the page and attends to leads. The artwork showcased above and below are my creation and designs. You can see more of my video work on my YouTube.