Pasha Watson

We’ll meet in Fort Smith or we’ll meet in Mena sometimes. They give you a better perspective of other and bigger towns and their marketing strategies. There’s a great publication that CJRW puts out every year. It highlights all the towns in this region. It’s a good way to keep your ear to the ground about what other towns and things are doing.”

She currently sits as the secretary of the Talimena Scenic Drive Association. They do the Keep Arkansas Beautiful each fall and clean-up the Drive. “That’s a national treasure there.”

When it comes to modern-day techniques, Watson recognizes social media is a very powerful tool, and it can be a “make or break” thing.

“People absolutely castigate you. Whatever you’re doing right or wrong, I guess. Used wisely, even with a very small or no budget, you can reach a lot of people, I think in that way it’s changed the avenues to reach out and connect with people — not just your radio or your print, your traditional media partners. I think it gives a lot more control to the business owner, the event planner or whoever. That was a game changer.”

“Tourism is a big economic driver. At least for a while, [marketing] would be a good career path. Be adaptable, be flexible, be willing to learn. It changes all the time. Your metrics always change. It’s a constant evolution in learning. I think it’s fascinating. I think it’s fun. You get to meet a great bunch of people being here in the tourist information center. We have people come from overseas. I never know who’s going to walk through the door.

“The industry as a whole, with a very broad brush, it’s high energy, great people to work with, a good crowd to be around and a lot of creative people. I say go for it if it’s something you are interested in doing.”