Building Community With The 12 Days Of Christmas Treasure Hunt

Gold Leaf Media had the privilege of providing marketing support for the Fortuna Downtown Merchant’s Association’s 12 Days of Christmas Treasure Hunt. This event, held during the first 12 days of December, was designed to drive foot traffic into local businesses and create festive excitement within the community.

Our role focused on creating and managing a dedicated Facebook group for the event, crafting engaging content, and strategically promoting participation while maintaining a positive experience for both treasure hunters and regular followers of the organization's primary page.

Event Details

The treasure hunt involved hiding ornaments within participating businesses across Fortuna’s downtown area. Each day, hints and clues about the ornaments’ locations were shared exclusively in a dedicated Facebook group. This allowed participants to enjoy the thrill of the hunt without overwhelming the Merchant’s primary Facebook feed.

The Facebook group where the treasure hunt took place.

During the event, there would be a daily post uploaded with a clue that matches up with the traditional rhyme, and the business that they are hidden in.

Example of day 12's clue, for Clean Queen Meal Prep.

Our objectives were:

• To drive engagement and participation in the treasure hunt.

• To avoid overposting on the primary Merchant’s Facebook page and alienating followers uninterested in the event.

• To use the event as a way to highlight and support local businesses.

Example of an ornament found during the treasure hunt & posted about during the event. (Facebook, Sue Thorton)

Results

The event was a resounding success, achieving the following key outcomes:

• The Facebook group grew to 120 members by the end of the 12-day event, demonstrating strong community interest and engagement.

• Businesses reported an uptick in visitors as participants searched for the hidden ornaments.

• Both the Fortuna Downtown Merchant’s Association and local businesses praised the event’s execution and impact. Participants expressed enthusiasm for the treasure hunt and the festive atmosphere it created. Businesses who didn't participate have voiced interest in becoming a part of next years event.

What We Learned

• Segmentation Works: Creating a dedicated group allowed us to cater specifically to treasure hunt participants without alienating the broader audience of the FDBA's main page.

• Advertising Using Stories: Facebook Stories proved effective in driving awareness and engagement without overwhelming feeds.

• Local Participation: Businesses were able to participate in building the spirit for the Holiday Season without having to be open outside of normal business hours. The public was also able to participate by deciphering the daily clues & hunting the ornaments down.

• Staggered Times: Scheudling the posts to be posted at differing times throughout the 12 days to allow for a larger audience of people to participate during the week. Single time uploads throughout the event lowered the amount of possible participants as the ornaments were found within 1-2 hours of posting.

Day 1 winners of the treasure hunt, photo posted within the Facebook group after finding the ornament inside The Fortuna Farmhouse.

Conclusion

The 12 Days of Christmas Treasure Hunt showcased the power of collaboration and strategic marketing in creating a successful community event that we think will continue for years to come. Gold Leaf Media is proud to have played a role in this initiative, leveraging creative content and social media strategies to bring people together and support local businesses during the holiday season. We can't wait for it to happen again next year!