As a PR consultant, an avid traveler and a long haul blogger, I have quite some insight into the world of blogging, social media in general, and how it impacts business when done correctly. I have traveled, while running social media campaigns for hotels, IT companies and travel sites, and I have at the same time seen first hand what a good social media campaign can bring in more business for my agency. I have been part of the travel communities on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Pinterest and on many other niche sites or networking sites for quite a while now and I am still surprised by what I discover.
I cannot tell you how many hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and other travel-related venues add me on these social sites and how many of those could get the “You’re doing it wrong” stamp. Well, not entirely wrong, just quite ineffectively. If a third of those you follow decide you’re worth following back and half do it because they think they have to, if almost none of your updates are ever reshared by your fans, if there are no visits to your website and no bookings driven by your social presence, if guests don’t recommend your social profiles because they loved you and also know you’re online, then you’re missing out.Â
True, it’s quite hard to build a community around your brand and have them become your dedicated promoters. But let’s face it, the travel community is one of the most involved and the friendliest social media groups out there. They share opinions, tips, cool stuff and answer questions as much as they can, regardless of how popular they have become in time. It’s not that hard to connect with those who can help and it’s not complicated to get on their good side.
Yet it does not happen much. Why? People don’t have the time to learn the ropes of social media marketing and PR, they lack the personnel to do it, and honestly, unless they have dedicated PR departments that know how to handle such tasks, they really shouldn’t waste time on it. They should focus on their core business – bring in more guests, locals or tourists, make them happy so that they can later recommend them to their friends and families and also return as often as they can.
So how does a travel company focus on their core business and also build an effective social media presence? My friend Loredana, owner of Travel Moments in Time and fellow PR pro, and I thought the answer was quite simple – get social media marketing experts to do it for you. So we partnered and developed a range of social media packs that are designed to be cost effective and address travel companies with different social media needs. Most of these packs come at a monthly fee, for those interested in investing in a long term social strategy and the reasons to do so are compelling, but we also offer one-time fee social media services, aimed at kick starting your online community building efforts.
Feel free to ask us questions about how it all works, what we can help with and anything else you might be interested in. We are keen on helping you get more fans and followers and then turning all that into business growth and profits.
By Amey MyersAmey, an intrepid traveler and avid blogger, roams the world, absorbing diverse cultures, flavors, and experiences. Her writing captures the essence of her adventures, inspiring others to explore. Amey's infectious passion for travel and storytelling epitomizes a life filled with exploration and adventure.
