There are at least two ways to look at the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Corp.'s current Facebook campaign, 29 Nights of Dates.
The destination marketing organization is giving away tickets, dinners, hotel packages and other perks each day in February and, after "liking" the group's Facebook page and entering some personal details, fans can return each day to enter the sweepstakes and be eligible for that day's prize and to improve their chances of landing the grand prize, a red Vespa.
One way to look at it, with the goal being user engagement in social media, is that the DMO could have chosen to run the campaign in January because the month has 31 days instead of February's 29.
On the other hand, shaking off the New Year's hangover can be difficult, adding to the challenge of getting anything done marketing in January. And, at least 2012 is a leap year so you have that extra day in February to get involved with Facebook fans instead of the usual 28.
The timing and thrust of the sweepstakes is just fine because visitor research shows a getaway with a spouse or partner is the #1 reason for leisure visits to Philadelphia in January, February and March, says Cara Schneider, a spokeswoman for the tourism body.
In the first two days of the sweepstakes, the Philadelphia Facebook page picked up 2,271 likes and 3,046 sweepstakes entries. (People who already liked the page didn't have to like it again to enter the sweepstakes.)
And, the page now has more than 108,000 fans.
"Our ultimate goal is 'heads in beds,' and 13 of the 29 dates involve a hotel stay or hotel restaurant," says Schneider, who adds that the group wanted to "hit home a subtle 'hotel' message."
So, the DMO has figured out a way to give a lift -- or leap -- to its Facebook page, with users opting in and perhaps viewing more news about greater Philadelphia and its tourism allures.
The 29 Nights of Dates is VisitPhilly's first sweepstakes, although last summer it posted photo albums on Facebook with fans uploading images of themselves in a 3-D replica of Citizens Bank Park, the Major League Baseball stadium of the Philadelphia Phillies.
When a local tourism body gets involved in and creative on Facebook, you just have to "like" it.