In the Beginning
Once upon a time (like medieval times) each grand castle had a bard or storyteller who would regale inhabitants of the castle with stories and legends. Some of the stories were true and were a way to spread current events or tales of faraway lands. The lord of the castle would also receive news through handwritten parchment letters. Not everyone could read at that time, but they sure did repeat what they heard from the bards in the nearby taverns and this instilled wanderlust in many people. This was the original Word of Mouth Marketing.
Hundreds of years later, in The New World called America, politics and news was spread through stump speeches and a crazy thing called the printing press. In parlors and drawing rooms all over The New World, the younger people would hear stories from those entertaining small audiences with their adventures in foreign lands. This inspired the younger generations to visit lands far away and seek adventures of their own. Again, the power that is Word of Mouth Marketing still seems to be around.
Now, let’s step back as recent as the mid-twentieth century, where pictures in magazines of families in cars inspired an entire generation to explore national parks and do crazy things like actually get on an airplane for travel. People would see these images and dream a bit, but the masses wouldn’t act until they heard a story from a friend or acquaintance telling them that “Yes, it was so much fun” or “No, we didn’t die. It was very safe and enjoyable. I highly recommend it.” Again, that Word of Mouth thing.
Today, we have the internet. Sure, some people still read magazines. I know that I’ll browse through one or two during my doctor’s office visits. But, when I walk away, the magazine stays there. Now, with more than 88% of all travelers researching on the internet before making a travel purchase, it only makes sense that a destination would want to be found online when people search for places to visit.
Why You Need Social Media
I read a post by Jason Falls, a marketing and social media professional, which stated some interesting facts about online information (Read: Exploring the Myth of the Repeat Visitor). The post included survey information that tells a very big story if you have a company or destination – a blog can be your best friend. Searchers may not be looking for YOU, but they are looking for information that helps solve their problem, be it lodging that meets their needs or a destination that offers activities they want to experience. If you can provide the relevant information, then you can get the eyeballs, which may turn into visitors to your destination.
I do feel like I’m preaching to the choir, because if you’re reading this post, you’re probably already aware of the importance of social media in the travel industry. Many destinations (including US State governments) get it. But many DMOs (CVB) see Twitter, Facebook, and blogs as time wasters and not worthy of being recognized as legitimate ways to get the word out about their attraction/destination. My own state of Louisiana fails to recognize social media as a viable outlet to be recognized in the travel industry. I won’t call anyone out personally (I don’t want them let go), but I have been told many times by representatives in upper levels of our tourism that they can’t assist me or invite me on press tours because the State is REFUSING to work with social media outlets. Whether print or online media, we’re all still travel writers, we just publish through different formats.
Help Me Help You
I’m giving various presentations to the travel industry over the next few months and would love your comments. As a travel writer/blogger or other travel industry professional – What are YOUR thoughts on working in today’s time of new media? What are problems that can be addressed so that we can solve issues in this new era of Word of Mouth Marketing?
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Seldom do you see new technology just disappear. Technology is not like fashion – one day you are in and the next you are out. Social marketing is here to stay and it’s a pity that some companies/organizations choose to ignore it….they are missing the boat.
Sherry Ott´s last blog ..Starting a Career Break Movement
Great write here. Personally, my thoughts are that Social Media is the future of advertising. With the recent ipad and other mediums of communication and with 3rd world countries developing infrastructure for wired and wireless connections, more and more people will start getting used to SM. A matter of time before more companies start to jump in on this.
Facebook has done it pretty good if you ask me and a lot of companies seem to be riding on this at the moment. Hey, even I have a facebook fan page from just running a travel blog. By the way, I am educating some of the travel industry players in my region about how powerful this can turn out to be and so far, 9 out of 10 have seen progress.
Regards,
David
David @ Malaysia Asia´s last blog ..Marina Bay Sands Opening Singapore
I just gave a presentation to a CVB board last week. When I said social media their eyes glazed over. They were oblivious and uncaring. Amazing since their tourism has dropped 30% in two years.
Some CVB/TDC organizations are held back by ignorance some by “Freedon of Information Act”. Any and every post becomes fair game to lawyers and this is pretty scary.
Another serious factor is the staffing issue. I find MANY/MOST people involved with SM have no idea how sales and business works. They are not able to connect the dots. After posting inane junk for six months with no progress eveyone writes off the media. Some are even anti-business. They look at social media as a free flowing cyber spirit not a revenue genration machine. I have been told they find attempts to monetize SM offensive! It is a big problem in the industry.
About 20% of my tourism contacts actively participate. I was just asked to do a SM seminar by DMO two weeks ago, had a fantastic turnout – Business people are pushing hard.
Our transition to social media is inevitable. I just wish it was not so painful!
Shannon you are RIGHT ON! DMOs and state travel organizations MUST get over their fears and panic ways, and learn they are hurting themselves and their state by NOT being active in social media. In the travel industry more than any other, people use social media and blogs FIRST and not the DMOs website for information.
So as Dave Serino @gammetguy told my dear boss @theresaoverby at a recent @meetDMAI event… “You can either get on the bus, drive the bus or let the bus pass you by!”
Ok, I’m off my soapbox. @wbreaux
Shannon: What an excellent post! You hit the nail right on the head. CVB’s and DMO’s who refuse to work with social media outlets are sticking their head in the sand. They will learn the hard way, and by the time they figure out that social media is here to stay, they will be behind those who had the foresight to jump on the bandwagon. Fortunately, I know of many CVB’s that are actively pursuing social media efforts. I especially loved your “early history” comparison. Word of mouth advertising was, is , and always will be the most powerful form of advertising, we just forgot that here in the U.S. for about 50 years, which happened to coincide with the appearance of TV.
Barbara at Hole in the Donut Travels´s last blog ..From One Festival to Another in Zacatecas, Mexico
The medium is different but the overall concept hasn’t ever changed. A successful business needs customers and if you’re not online it makes things immensely difficult. Why refuse to use what is there, when the worst that can happen is you get less traffic than you expect for free??
Great post.In an interview we did with Andy Hayes of the Travel Online Partners http://www.travelonlinepartners.com/remarkable-tourism-makes-world-better-place we encouraged travel industry people to reframe the conversation by looking at social media as an extension of the hospitality they provide travellers. If you are truly committed to helping travellers and 88% of them are online looking for advice, it is only natural that you would go to where they are to provide guidance. Social media lets you build relationships, which good hospitality is all about, and through this process you create true friends who will share your destination far and wide with other people looking for what you have to offer. We encourage all travel industry people to make a commitment to hospitality, online and off.
If I approach a PR or travel organisation looking to host travel journalists, only to be told that they only deal will those who can guarantee a print article I just think – some time pretty soon they’ll wake up and realise that all the advertisers and their potential audience are moving into the online space – and then they’ll wonder why their competitors who embraced the online world seem to be doing so well – then perhaps they’ll wake up and smell the community coffee!
Heather on her travels´s last blog ..Road Block etiquette in Lebanon
Hi -
It’s the choir here, checking in.
As Heather suggests, a caffeine jag might do these people a world of good. The world of media has changed. We don’t understand all of the affects of this change, so why would you exclude a certain segment of that media until you have proved it is NOT a worthwhile outlet?
If these old-school CVB/DMO organisations have already done their research, I’d love to see it.
Otherwise, the forward thinking org’s will continue to enjoy their place online – just Google the good ones and see what comes up.
- Andy
Andy Hayes | Travel Online Partners´s last blog ..Steal This Travel Marketing Idea: Video Tours
I am the choir as well and use social media on a daily basis. Truthfully, I am using it right now. However, it is all still very much a work in progress and an inexact science. I try a lot of things but nothing really works like gang-busters, everything just works a little and at some point becomes so anonymous (do I really have a relationship with all those people on my twitter page?) that I find that my time is better spent writing quality content than worrying about twitter. And at some point twitter will be replaced by something else.
Devin´s last blog ..Getting Edited: When the Hamster Made Love to a Pig
It’s one thing to write great content; it’s another to get people to read it. As a small Indigenous tour operator in remote Far North Queensland, Australia with a tight marketing budget, social media is a gift from above. In broad terms, we keep in touch with our old customers through Facebook, and drive more people to our website and blog through Facebook and Twitter. Other operators in Cooktown, where we are based, are beginning to do the same. It’s one thing to write great content; it’s another to get people to read it.
I missed an opportunity! http://www.guurrbitours.blogspot.com
Like all forms of technology, there are early adopters, main stream folks and laggards. I think it is really only the laggards (incl Louisiana tourism) that aren’t using social media as a major form of their approach to market today. For most, I think it is more the challenge of the most effective way to utilise social media outlets.
Mark H´s last blog ..The Jewel In The Crown Of Cyprian Luxury
Shannon,
It is a shame that the tourism industry isn’t leading the charge in social. As we saw in our http://www.MyMardiGrasExperience.com experiment, social media has an enormous power to alter brand perception and place a destination or festival into a traveler’s consideration set in a way that advertising simply cannot.
I hope that your speaking gigs will help others understand this important fact… and of course, the biggest fan of Social Media is Google… which in an of itself is a reason to have a blog
@TomMartin
As the owner of a small travel / holiday home business based in Santa Teresa Costa Rica, social media provides an amazing opportunity to be able to talk to the world without having to pay huge advertising costs, whilst seeing almost immediately positive effects. Now if that’s not a great ROI, I don’t know what is.
I agree with all the comments. Social media is def. a huge part of any industry and can help generate both awareness and sales, if executed properly.
yes, Social marketing helps a lot on tourism. on More recently, creative tourism has gained popularity as a form of cultural tourism, drawing on active participation by travelers in the culture of the host communities they visit.
travel blog´s last blog ..Ready for Vacation-
Wow, lots of food for thought here between your post and the comments. I love dialogs like this.
A number instantly popped into my head while reading:
78% of consumers trust peer recommendations, while just 14% trust advertisements (via “Socialnomics”).
You’re so right about word of mouth: it’s always been a powerful persuader. And with social media, we now have a way to tap into that on a large scale. Honestly, I giggle when I hear about companies shunning social media. I feel like I am talking to my grandmother clucking her tongue at all the “new fangled gadgets”. I know someday soon they will adopt the new technology… when its use becomes apparent to THEM. And in the meantime, they’re just making life a little harder for themselves. To each their own.
I think this article gives further insight why some companies are “laggards” rather than “early adopters”:
http:///www.socialmediaexaminer.com/most-marketers-not-profiting-from-social-media/
From their study, they found that the key reasons why an organization felt they were not benefiting from social media were… wait for it… lack of STRATEGY, lack of DEDICATION and lack of KNOWLEDGE. Pretty universal issues.
It’s a learning curve, ya know? Thank goodness for your upcoming presentations and other new media evangelists. The “reframe the conversation” comment was a good example. (Thinking of social media as an extension of hospitality) With a slight perspective shift, the benefit of social media becomes instantly apparent.
Lauren´s last blog ..What Is Life In the Bonus Round