Why Social Media is a Must for Tourism Brands

While not every brand relies heavily on a digital presence, there’s no arguing the validity of using social media to grow your business. Accessing the sophisticated targeting options alone are worth the effort it takes to establish a Facebook page. A travel agent can target individuals newly engaged (thus planning a honeymoon), a hotelier can seek out frequent travelers, or a tour guide can market to someone researching an upcoming trip. Read on for the top 5 reasons why travel brands (of every caliber!) should be using social media for their business.

No longer is social media Millennial-driven. For the first time, Gen X (ages 35-49) is taking the lead on social media engagement, and clocks 7 hours per week (an hour more than average millennials). Thirty-nine percent of heavy social users believe that finding out about products and services is an important reason for using a social network. (2016 Nielson Social Media Report) Social Media For Beginners: Here’s what you need to remember: Don’t shout, converse. When you spit out content without really engaging, you’re shouting into the digital space – but the problem is everyone else is shouting too. Think of your activity on social media like meeting people at a party. In order to really forge a connection (and receive the benefits of having more eyes on your brand), you need to have a reciprocal conversation. As simple as it sounds, many businesses still don’t adhere to this. Reply to comments, thank people for sharing your content, comment on the posts of others, etc. Social Media Offers Enhanced Customer Service. Thanks to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, businesses and their customers have the option to interact in real-time, whether it’s to problem solve or simply engage. Social Media Gives Everyone a Voice. Does anyone recall the now infamous United Breaks Guitars video? A trio of protest songs by Dave Carroll and his band Sons of Maxwell, Carroll posted the video to YouTube after United Airlines broke his guitar and responded in a less-than-loving way. This was a massive blow to United Airlines, with their stocks dipping 10% in the weeks that followed. It’s estimated to have cost stockholders $180 million in value. This is something that no company, large or small, wants to deal with. So remember, everyone is a potential critic/unhappy guest/YouTube superstar.

Visuals! People retain only 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read… and 80% of what they see! 87% of the most-shared posts on Facebook contain photos, and posts with visuals result in 180% more engagement. Make sure your images are optimized for social networks, and they’re eye-catching and representative of your brand.