Damian cook introduction

MASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS


Damian [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

BRANDING


BUSINESS


BRANDINGTO BUSINESS


IT WAS QUITE A DAY...


IT’S BEEN QUITE

A YEAR....


LET’S START WITH REGIONAL TOURISM...






BUT



Bad News Travels


Social media offers alternative positive

viewpoints


AND NOW TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY...


EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT

GROWTH


NO MATTER WHATTRAVEL IS NEVER

GOING TO GET ANY CHEAPER


THE FUTURE OF GROWTH WILL BE ABOUT YIELD AND

NOT ARRIVALS


IF YOUR BUSINESS MODEL IS ABOUT CONSTANT GROWING NUMBERS

YOU MAY BE IN TROUBLE


LESS CAN BE MORE


THE FUTURE TRAVELLER WILL TRAVEL LESS AND

EXPECT MORE...


PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE MEANS LOOKING AT ALL THE FACTS... NOT

JUST THE ONES THAT SUIT US


SOME FACTS WE CAN’T DENY


FOR EXAMPLE...


WHAT DID HE SAY?


WHAT?




SO WHAT?


THE FUTURE IS ONLINE• 56% of all travel is now researched, booked

bought and sold online

• 96% of travellers start their research on the internet

• In the recession online travel sales suffered the least (2% down) and have already bounced back- by just over 7%

SOURCE: PhocusWright/ETC2010



THE FUTURE IS SOCIAL• 30% on average of all time online is spent

social networking

• Facebook is one of the largest populations on earth with 700 Million people

• Social media is more popular and powerful than TV and print media combined

SOURCE: ETC/WIS2010/Comscore


E-Tourism means• Communicating the right

• Content across a variety of

• Channels to the best value

• Clients who will

• Convert to a sale and keep

• Coming back


Where are the Young?

Half of the world’s population is now under 30

They are your current and future market... and they can be hard to pin down

If you are looking for them: one billion of them are online...

SOURCE: WorldPopulationFoundation(WPF)/UN


North

America

253m

Europe

418m

Middle

East 57m

Africa

67m

Central/South

America 179m

Asia

738m

Oceania/

Australasia

21m


Net Generation• Are you ready for them?

• The first ‘digital generation’ has arrived- aged between 11 and 31

• They grew up with access to computers and the internet

• Vastly different from previous generations


They Think Different• They read 7 books, 2,800 web pages and over

1,300 Facebook profiles each year

• 71% never read a newpaper... ever

• They use the Internet more than they watch TV

• They are connected to extensive and trusted networks of friends

• They increasingly use their phones rather than their computers

SOURCE: GrownUPDigital?eMarketer

They Speak Different• LOL, OMG, LMAO Now in the

Dictionary

• ROLFMAO , JK, BRB, NKT etc coming soon


FreedomMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

CustomizationMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

ScrutinyMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

IntegrityMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

CollaborationMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

EntertainmentMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

SpeedMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

InnovationMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

OK.. they do have some issues




REJECTION OF COMPLEXITY


Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark clothsOf night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.


OR....


Is this a negative?


Some ‘negative’ elements are marketing

positives


In psychological terms what behaviour drives

most social media activity?



What’s changed for Tourism?


E-Tourism • Online activity has become habitual and practical

including shopping

• For the past 4 years Travel is now the best selling commodity online

• For over 96% of travellers it is their primary source of information about travel- and increasingly their means of selecting booking and buying- 56% on average

• Over US $160 Billion in Online Travel Sales


Leading Source for Travel Information


‘Conversion’ is driving the online market...


Business Driven


eBusiness Challenges• The Sales environment increasingly requires realtime

reservation accessibility

• This requires a reservation software which can integrate with an e-commerce solution

• Inventory ideally should be available to be represented for direct bookings from your site and open to intermediary sale

• As activity becomes realtime bookable there will be a control shift to accommodation


Conversion• There is so much competition in the marketplace

and so much demand from the market for sales that CONVERSION of interest to sale is essential

• As search and social becomes increasingly monetized branding alone is not a good investment

• To see return on your online investment you need to convert


You need a Call to Action...


Call to Action?


But what are we calling them to do?


Don’t just focus on entry... Focus on Exit


3 Means of Conversion


(A) BOOKING


(B) ENQUIRYMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

(C) REGISTRATION


But How do we get them to convert?


Conversion Campaigns for Tourism


THE MARKET IS TOO CROWDED AND TOO LOUD TO BE MAKING

BLAND GENERIC STATEMENTS


ESPECIALLY IN A MARKET DRIVEN BY SEARCH AND

SOCIAL MEDIA


STRONG UNIQUE MESSAGING


MATCHING UNIQUE PRODUCTS TO

UNIQUE PEOPLE


CAMPAIGNS BEYOND

CONVENTIONALMEDIA


The Web is Changing Fast...

UGC

• Blogs

• Images

• Video

• Wikis

• Reviews

• Social Profiles

• Tweets

What Does That Mean in Marketing Terms?


Our Users Are In ControlMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

You need to work with them...


Facebook is writing autobiographies...


Our Profiles are how we want the world to

see us...


How do you let your guests be seen...?


ENTIRE CAMPAIGNS ARE NOW RUN

VIRALLY BY LEADING BRANDS


CASE STUDY:T-MOBILE SUMMER

2011


IT TAKES CREATIVITY- EVEN AN AIRPORT CAN GO VIRAL...


CASE STUDY:BEIRUT

INTERNATIONAL DUTY FREE


UGC works best


CASE STUDY:LEVELS OF UGC ENGAGEMENT


Sourced UGC



Leveraged UGC


One Day in Canada


Pure UGC


Africa goes Viral• ‘The Battle at Kruger’ a tourists video shot in

South Africa has become the 12th most popular video on YouTube

• It has been viewed over 62,499,000 times and counting


Everyone wants the latest viral hit...


And to monetize it...



How does your content connect to

clients and drive conversion?


SOCIAL & SEARCH

!"#$%&'()#*+,#-%(.+/)'#,(#.,01'(2#,0340'#/('#/35,)2#/)#346'3&#2,#%)'#/#.,5$40/7,0#,8##)'/(.+#/09#),.4/3#('),%(.')#:;<=>#/)#2+'&#/('#2,#%)'#?%)2#)'/(.+#:@A=>#/3,0B#2+'#-/2+#2,##C%(.+/)'D##!"#$%&'%(#)*+(,-#./$#.(,(#&(0#1$#1/(',#2*,3/4-(#)+#4#-(4,3/#(%5'%(#$,#-$3'4&#6(0'4#-'1(7##8$9(6)(,#:;<;=##

>*,1/(,6$,(7#./(%#3$%-*6(,-#.(,(#(?2$-(0#1$#)$1/#),4%0@-2(3'A3#-(4,3/#,(-*&1-#4%0#-$3'4&#6(0'47#-(4,3/#3&'3B#1/,$*5/#,41(-#'%3,(4-(0#)+#CDEF#

E+'#C/2+#2,#C%(.+/)'#

@A=#;<=#

A=#

"'/(.+#

"'/(.+#F#",.4/3#

",.4/3#

SOCIAL MEDIA IS DYNAMIC, REALTIME & HIGHLY TARGETED


Social Conversion• Spending on Social Media Advertising has

doubled in the last year

• Ad spend on Facebook in 2010: $1.3 Billion

• Video Advertising had grown but not as radically


SOCIAL SELLS

!"#$%&'()#*+,#-%(.+/)'#,(#.,01'(2#,0340'#/('#/35,)2#/)#346'3&#2,#%)'#/#.,5$40/7,0#,8##)'/(.+#/09#),.4/3#('),%(.')#:;<=>#/)#2+'&#/('#2,#%)'#?%)2#)'/(.+#:@A=>#/3,0B#2+'#-/2+#2,##C%(.+/)'D##!"#$%&'%(#)*+(,-#./$#.(,(#&(0#1$#1/(',#2*,3/4-(#)+#4#-(4,3/#(%5'%(#$,#-$3'4&#6(0'4#-'1(7##8$9(6)(,#:;<;=##

>*,1/(,6$,(7#./(%#3$%-*6(,-#.(,(#(?2$-(0#1$#)$1/#),4%0@-2(3'A3#-(4,3/#,(-*&1-#4%0#-$3'4&#6(0'47#-(4,3/#3&'3B#1/,$*5/#,41(-#'%3,(4-(0#)+#CDEF#

E+'#C/2+#2,#C%(.+/)'#

@A=#;<=#

A=#

"'/(.+#

"'/(.+#F#",.4/3#

",.4/3#

SOCIAL SELLS• What was most important to them?

• Users reviews: 30%

• Facebook: 17%

• Video-sharing (e.g. YouTube): 14%

• Twitter: 9%


SOCIAL NETWORKS AND BLOGS COMBINE WEB SEARCHING AND PERSONAL

RECOMMENDATION

SOCIAL ON THE ROAD

• 72.7% of US social network users accessed social networks at least daily while they were travelling.


VICARIOUS TRAVELMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS

Multiplying the Travel Experience• The vicarious travel experience effectively

means that each person is now travelling with an average of 120 spectators

• These are not passive spectators

• They are engaging, commenting and recommending constantly

• Travel suppliers now need to be a part of this atmosphere of constant engagement

SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL MEDIA CONVERSION

REQUIRES CONSTANT

ENGAGEMENT


ENGAGEMENT• Engagement means a point of contact on

social media

• Making a post or publishing content is not engagement

• Engagement is when people respond, react and interact with your content

• This is key for profile and conversion


YOU HAVE TO ENCOURAGE CONSTANT

ENGAGEMENT


THE NEW FACEBOOK IS DESIGNED TO

MAXIMIZE ENGAGEMENT


Encouraging Engagement via UGC


Let’s be realistic...


People will talk about these hotels...


But not this...


You need great content


THE SINGLE STUPIDEST THING

YOU CAN DO IF YOU WANT GOOD UGC


AND LOTS OF TOURISM BUSINESSES

DO IT...


QUESTION...


DO HOTELS GIVE GUESTS AN

ELECTRICITY AND WATER BILL WHEN

THEY CHECK OUT?...


THAT WOULD BE CRAZY...


THEN

WHYDO YOU CHARGE THEM TO USE THE

INTERNET?...

Response time is speeding up...


Mobile Web• Rate of phone growth is phenomenal

• Phones are no longer just for talking- they are an online means for accessing and publishing content

• People Travel with their phones as a tool, guide and assistant

• SATNAV directs the Tourist as they travel

• SMS communication to in-destination travellers

• Mobile Payments


TRAVELMOBILE

• Three out of ten cell phones in use in the US are now "smartphones" with internet connectivity.

• In 2010, nearly two in ten travelers (19%) have downloaded a travel-related application (app) to their smartphone.

• Half have navigated a destination using the built in GPS functionality or searched for the latest information on flight schedules and delays.

• Three in ten have compared airfares or hotel rates or shared information or photos about their travel experiences using their smartphone.

• One in six has booked air travel or lodging or viewed a virtual visitor guide that provides information on things to do and see while visiting a destination.


All About AppsMASTERING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST TOURISM BOOKINGS





THE FUTURE KNOWS WHERE IT’S AT


Facebook Places• Does the same as Foursquare without the

middle man

• One button check in

• Is becoming an extremely popular tool for destination marketing



INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS• Successful campaigns use an integrated

combination of online and offline

• Initial online content is PR promoted to raise awareness and encourage initial engagement

• Ongoing engagement is monitored and measured


Face the FutureThe Time has come to move

beyond branding and into business



Face the FutureTourism marketing has become predominantly digital and social


World of OpportunityAs marketers this offers you

a chance to build rich, powerful and successful

global campaigns


Business DrivenTo sustain digital marketing it can no longer be about brand value but ROI via conversion


IntegrateCombine Search, Social and

offline support to drive conversion and sales


CollaborateDevelop relationships between

marketers, their clients and partners to create and utilize

realtime social content


Become BookableEnsure you have a realtime, e-commerce enabled reservation system and allocate inventory

online


Become VisibleMake sure you are present on

Google Map layers: Sign Up and follow the instructions:

www.google.com/placesforbusiness


https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=lbc&continue=https://www.google.com/local/add%3Fservice%3Dlbc


Become VisibleMake sure you set up your

Facebook Fan Page:www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

and

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSstaGFTP-g












Become VisibleMake sure you set up your

business on Facebook Places:http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-places-

business-2010-08






Become VisibleCreate a YouTube Channel:

www.youtube.com/pdf/YouTube_Brand_Channel_Redesign.pdf

and

mashable.com/2010/04/26/branded-youtube-channel/














ConvertFocus on Conversion to Sales:

http://www.widerfunnel.com/conversion-rate-optimization/31-conversion-optimization-tips-and-

counting

http://padicode.com/blog/conversion-rate/conversion-optimization-tips/

http://unbounce.com/conversion-rate-optimization/544-conversion-rate-optimization-tips/






















MeasureMake use of Google Analytics:

www.google.com/analytics/




THANK YOU


Technology

Damian cook introduction