TravelAlberta 2010 - Practical Strategies for Using Social Media in Your Tourism Business

The Savvy OperatorPractical strategies for using social media in your tourism business

Stephen Joyce, CEORezgo.com(A Division of Sentias Software Corp.)

Don't worry, when it comes to socialmedia, it's about quality not quantity.

social media Fallacies

Social Media is a1.FAD

FALSE

113 million blogs...& over 250 million pieces of tagged social media.

400 Million Userson Facebook & 50% log in EVERY DAY

25 Million UsersAnd growth of 1500% in 2009, Twitter

Social Media is2.FREE

FALSE

“Social media trades media cost for time cost” Charlene Li,

Forrester Research

Social Media is3.FAST

FALSE

Social media is about creating relationships that can take months or even years to develop.

Social Media is4.FACEBOOK &TWITTER

FALSE

Social media is not about any ONE tool or site, it is about the philosophy behind the use of the tool & your goals for using it.

social media </ hype >

Everyone is...1. Twittering

Source: Quantcast

Source: NielsenWire

Twitter Quitters

40% use their account. (compared to 70% of Facebook users)

10% of users produce 90% of the tweets

40% of Tweets Are Pointless Babble 37% are conversational 9% are pass along (or RT) 3.5% are spam

Anyone can2. Do social media

Not everyone needs to do social media.

The time cost may be prohibitive. If poorly executed, it can have a

negative impact on the brand.

You can make a3. Big Splash Fast

It takes time to build reputation on-line.

If you have an existing subscriber base or customer base, you can engage them quickly.

If starting from scratch, it can take a lot of time.

You can go4.VIRAL

Things become viral for one reason or another, generally unknown to you.

What you think will go viral seldom does.

You cannot manufacture viral content.

key attributes of the

social web

1. Participation

readers writers

2. Transparency

Disgusting Awfulnightmare

Avoid this place like the plagueWorst Experience everDirty

Amazing Superimpressive

Fabulous location, great serviceEnjoyable stayGreat

3. Conversations

38% conversational

stop talking & start listening

4. Community

2.5 Million Unique Visits

1.6 Million Users

15+ Million Users

why social media

WORKS

we all live in...communities

our history is...about stories

we find pleasure in ...sharing

we seek ...companions

we are ...social animals

social media lets us be human

... only more efficiently

making social media

WORK

To make social media work for your business,

you must

LEAD.

Listen

Engage

Articulate

Demonstrate

5 min. break

1st you must ...

LISTEN

Sign-up for the following accounts

Set up Google Alerts for:

Your brand Your keywords Your competitors

www.google.com/alerts

Alerts via email or rss

You will get alerts for: Blog mentions Twitter mentions News articles Videos/rich media Web site mentions

www.tweetdeck.com

Similar search to Google Alerts

What will you learn? Where people are talking What people are saying How people feel about you Problems & common concerns Trends & opportunities

2nd you must ...

ENGAGE

remember...you're human

don't hide behind...your brand

proudly represent...your brand

Sign-up for the following accounts

disqus.com

gravatar.com

Consider accounts with these sites based on the results of your listening:

Profile Management Rules: Use the same email address Create a square 300x300 profile pic. Use a consistent “About me” (250

words max.) Create a consistent password

scheme.

Engagement Rules: Respond quickly (once a day is fine) Always be polite & professional Ask lots of questions Be honest with your answers. You don't have to have the answers

Ask yourself thisOne Question

What would you do if this customer was standing in front of you?

3rd you must ...ARTICULATE

You have less than 30 secondsto capture your visitors' attention

Awareness

Consideration

Action

Traffic

Content

Call to Action

Dream

Plan

Go

Articulate the Dream

Write stories that inspire and excite the visitor. Share your experiences and love for what you do.

Articulate the Dream

Builds relevant content Increases relevant keywords Builds credibility & authenticity Increases stickiness Defines you as an authority

1) Who are you?2) Why you love what you do?3) What makes your region special?4) Your favorite experience(s)5) Special insider tips (planning etc.)6) History or events

Articulate the Dream

Tools to help you articulate the Dream

blogger.comwordpress.com

typepad.com

Articulate the Plan

Clearly describe how and why the visitor should choose your business. Present all the information they need to make a booking decision.

Articulate the Plan

Use a content management system (CMS) to organize your web content. Your CMS may be the same as your blog platform.

Articulate the Plan

Use a property management system or tour operator software to organize your products.

Articulate the Plan

Provide partners with standard connection methods in order to distribute your products. XML APIs and RSS.

Articulate the GO!

Call to ActionWith a clear...

Articulate the GO!

On-line bookings, requests, or push to phone are all valid calls to action. But they must be measurable.

4th you must ...DEMONSTRATE

Demonstrate your expertise

Share your experiences with other communities. Syndicate your content to blogs, networks, and partners through RSS.

Demonstrate your confidence

Encourage your guests & customers to review your services on sites like Tripadvisor & TripReviews.

Demonstrate your service

Post videos on Youtube & Vimeo, share photos on Flickr & Facebook, share content with partners.

listen

engage

articulate

demonstrate

who, where, why

ask, learn,understand, answer

feed curiosity

Add channels, foster

connections

Start with the big networks. Be selective with sites to join. Make social media a part of your

daily routine. Commit to a plan. Review your results often.

5 Simple Rules

www.thesavvyoperator.com

@stephenjoyce

www.tnooz.com

stephen.a.joyce

Thank you