Posts Tagged ‘interact’

Using the Social Media for Tourism

Monday, December 12th, 2011
TOURISM & MORE’S “TOURISM TIDBITS”

for December 2011

Using the Social Media for Tourism

The major upheavals that took place across the Arab world this year are once again proof of the power of social media.  The social media proved to be a major communication vehicle that spread across the region like wildfire.  The social media have not only changed the face of politics but also have a major influence on the world of travel and tourism.
There can be little doubt that the explosion of social media impacts every form of business including the world of tourism.  Social media such as facebook and myspace, provide instant ways to reach thousands or millions of people, twitter is a fast way to get a few words out, and social media, such as linkedin connect people interested in business relationships. The social media allow people to speak about great and not so great experiences, to become instant critiques and via youtube to even become instant stars.  In the world of tourism there are two major uses of social media.  Tourism’s and travel’s customers have created social media networks in which they share reviews of hotels, restaurants and/or attractions.  These people often post stories about their experiences, both good and bad and as these websites become more prevalent they also impact not only a locale’s reputation but also the way that we need to market and advertise. 

To a great extent this is word-of-mouth advertising taken to a new level.  Tourism entities, be they attractions, hotels, transportation systems, restaurants or communities may use social media as a personalized form of advertising.   The use of the social media can help your tourism entity to enhance its buzz and create credibility at a low or no cost to the provider.  The essential point to remember is that like tourism, social media exist to bring people together. To get some great (or better) results from your social media consider some of these ideas:

-Do not doubt the impact of the social media. The social media present a whole new world of instant communication.  To a great extent the social media work in real time situations. That means that there they have no system of checks and balances; both truth and fiction, praise and libel can spread across the world almost instantaneously

-Be aware that the social media can be both an aid and a threat.  Not only do good people use the social media, but now misinformation, and plans for criminal behavior or, as seen in the Middle East, even revolution can be disseminated in mere seconds from one end of the globe to the other.

-Know which form of social media works best for you.  The term social media covers a wide range of possibilities.  Know which form of social media you are using and which audiences its targets. Myspace and Facebook can be compared to mass media newspapers, as they have no one specific audience.  On the other hand, blogs and content sharing networks may target a specific segment of the population.

-Consider Video sharing.  This is a great means to show off your attraction or community. Once again, the key problem is that you have no idea where it will be going or who is seeing the flim. On the hand, video sharing, like all social networks is for the most part free advertising and there is always the chance that the video may end up becoming “viral” and being seen by millions. 


Use the social media to drive people to your website.  Make sure that your website does what you want it to do.   Too many websites have so much text that they have become impossible to use. Make your website “clean” and user-friendly, but the principal pieces of information in easy to locate corners. For example, often websites hide telephone numbers. Thus a person going to the website so as to call for additional information simply ends up frustrated.  Consider adding a blog and link to facebook on your website.

Consider creating social media parties, where people can meet and chat about your locale, and exchange information with you.  For example encourage your visitors to share photos or videos of their tourism location in your community. You might even provide a prize or award for the best photo or video of the year. The key to social media is personalization.   What you want to do is make your social media part of the tourism and travel experience and not merely another piece of marketing or information.

Use the social media as a way to get as much feedback as possible.  One of the number one problems in tourism is getting good feedback.  Use the social media as a creative way to allow people to tell you what they really think.   Use techniques that allow people to interact in a way that allows them to feel they are part of the process and have a stake in your success.

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Socialnomics: Four Vital Social Media Tips for the Travel Industry

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

Socialnomics: Four vital social media tips for the travel industry
Posted by Special Nodes USA on 28 June 2010
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If you do things right in social media than one can capture 1.5 million loyal followers (JetBlue on Twitter).

Yet, companies can also stub their toe in the world of social media as evidenced by the YouTube success of United Breaks Guitars and Kevin Smith’s quarrel with Southwest Airlines.

Some items are beyond your control no matter how good you are at social media. However, there are a few to steps give you the best chance for success in the social media travel world and to increase sales.

social media escalator

As showcased in the diagram, the four steps are:

1. Listen – to your customer and conversations around your brand.
2. Interact – Join the conversation.
3. React – Adjust your services based on feedback.
4. Sell – If you Listen, Interact, React, this will happen with less effort.

Companies often enter the social media fray and jump straight to step four, selling. This is the worst thing you can do, and it won’t be effective.

You need to start with step one, which is listening. Without listening, the other three steps won’t achieve any degree of success. As many have said before me, there’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth.

After listening, then you have the appropriate baseline and credibility to join the conversation.

Imagine if you were at a housewarming party and walked up to a group of four people who were already engaged in a conversation and said, “I’m not sure what you are talking about, but here is what I want to talk about.”

You don’t want to be “that girl” at the housewarming party and you don’t want to be “that girl or company” in the socialsphere.

Many get the listening and interacting correct, but then they commit a terrible crime. They don’t do anything (react) based on the suggestions and information gathered?

If 90% of the people complain about a certain aspect of your hotel, airline, etc, it’s imperative that the issue is resolved, and resolved promptly.

If 90% of the conversation is centered around certain aspects of the hotel or customer service that people love, then it’s imperative that this information is placed in the appropriate hands (PR, production, sales, customer service, etc.) – let’s make sure we do more of this! Everyone loves it.

We won’t touch on selling too much, because if you do the first three steps well (Listen, Interact, React), then the selling will happen with a proper push here and a prod there.

Notice in the diagram that the steps for the customer then happen in the reverse order of the company. This is huge. It’s these steps that the customer takes within social media that give an exponential return (good or bad).

If it makes it easier to grasp, you can consider the following as steps 5, 6, 7, 8. This is where the magic can really happen.

* Listen: The customer books the reservation from the selling company. The customer’s first step is to listen for what to expect (important expectation setting here). What is the value that will be delivered? What experience can I expect?
* Interact: The customer will then travel.
* React: During or after this interaction, the customer will react according to his or her experience (good/neutral/bad).
* Sell: The consumer’s reaction to the experience will determine if they sell for or against (the company/airline/hotel/cruise line). Keep in mind if it’s a negative reaction, you still have a chance to correct the situation by interacting and reacting.

That’s the beauty of social media. As a company, if you appropriately engage in the four steps, then the stairs in the diagram act more like an escalator (pun intended) rather than a traditional stairway (ie. Social Media Escalator).

It will create a positively circular motion, which, with the appropriate greasing (effort), will continue to take your travel offerings to the top. And that is the true beauty of Socialnomics.

The best strategy in social media is a simple one. Always remind yourself of the fundamentals.

NB: This article is written by Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics. His book is available on Amazon.
as published in PAII Innfo Newsletter

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