We recently connected with Jared Dillingham and have shared our conversation below.

Jared, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve become really interested in environmental issues when it comes to travel, so when I heard about a special program Hawaii started to inspire tourists to “do some good” in paradise, I wanted to check it out. Tourism is a pillar of Hawaii’s economy, but the millions of tourists a year take a toll on the islands.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority partnered with hotels on the islands to promote a new “Malama Hawaii” campaign, which basically translates to “giving back to the land.”

The Westin Maui has an environmentally-focused program called “Westin Waterman,” which brings in local experts to teach visitors about a variety of issues surrounding ocean life.
We did a beach cleanup, and learned about the impact microplastics are having on the islands.

Documenting the campaign helped promote conservation efforts in Hawaii, and also helped my viewers and readers with a deal!
Many hotels will offer visitors a free night for guests who agree to participate in a beach cleanup or reforestation project.

Jared, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been in television news for almost 20years, and have spent the last 13 years in Phoenix, AZ. I currently anchor the evening newscasts on 3TV and CBS5 (KTVK and KPHO).

I still spend time away from the anchor desk to report from the field. This spring, I filed a series of stories from Poland, centered around Arizonans volunteering to help Ukrainian refugees in a variety of ways.
It was inspiring and rejuvenating to meet so many people doing good work for strangers on the other side of the world!

At the height of the pandemic, I launched a travel segment on “Good Morning, Arizona,” called “Now Boarding.”
It’s designed to empower people to explore the state, the country, and other parts of the world.

The TV segment is supplemented by weekly flight deals posted to Instagram.
I also started putting out a (free) weekly newsletter. It usually focuses on one travel-related issue or destination, and includes a series of the best flight deals I can find at the time. It was A LOT easier this time last year to find an airfare deal, but I enjoy the challenge.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I’m primarily a journalist in Phoenix, covering daily news at KTVK and KPHO. That alone helped contribute to the growth of my travel-focused content.

Our weekend morning show is very popular, but covid protocols prevented in-studio guests for many months.
I thought: “I’m approved to be in the studio. Maybe I can be a guest and talk about travel?”
My bosses were excited about the idea, and my “Now Boarding” segment was born. It’s evolved from just finding weekly deals to providing a wide variety of travel advice to viewers across all platforms: television, my blog, YouTube, and social media.
A lot of people *want* to travel, and I’ve found it often just requires a bit of a confidence boost to push them to plan a trip. I love being stopped in the store or on a hiking trail by someone who booked a trip I’ve recommended, featured on TV, or blogged about online. I’m stunned by how often it happens, and it always brings a smile!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media continues to be a joy and a frustration.

First, for many years my Instagram was kept “private.” That was my first mistake!
My colleagues saw their accounts grow by thousands, while I was content with just a few hundred “friends.” Once I opened it to “public,” it started to grow, but slowly.

The Instagram algorithm is all over the place. In my analytics, sometimes a post will be shared to 8,000 people. Sometimes Instagram only pushes it out to 1,500 accounts. Why? I’m not sure.

The advice used to be: use 30 hashtags per post.
Now it’s changed to: use only 8 or 9 hashtags.
Plus, Instagram seems to value reels more than static photos. For me, I love posting a series of beautiful photos of the places I blog about, so it’s unfortunate that they’re not as “valued” as they were on the platform.

There are ways to “buy” Instagram followers, but it’s never advisable. It may initially appear impressive to see a strong following of tens of thousands … but the follower purchase is evident if the account only has a few “likes” and comments. I’m constantly surprised by brands and companies that have clearly bought followers. Engagement is far more highly valued.

Experts in the industry suggest spreading your social media influence across all platforms: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. It’s something I’m working on. Admittedly: I prefer Instagram as a platform, and am trying to force myself to venture into the world of TikTok!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jaredsdetours.com
• Instagram: @dillinjay
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/JaredTV
• Linkedin: Jared Dillingham
• Twitter: @JaredDillingham
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JaredDillinghamTravel
• Other: Newsletter sign-up: www.jareddillingham.com/blog

Image Credits
Photos: Matt Ehnes