5 Easy Ways to Involve Your Team in Social Media

by Sophie Bujold April 02, 2014

This is the latest in a series on social media marketing by guest columnist Sophie Bujold.

How do you get the support you need for your travel agency’s social media marketing efforts without expecting every team member to be a marketing expert?

Coordinating the social media efforts of your team is not easy. You will likely see some people jump at the chance to help with social media, while others will shy away completely. No doubt you need them focused on other work anyway.

Good news! Team members can contribute to your agency’s online marketing effort without committing to engaging socially themselves.

The trick is to find ways for these team members to share their experiences and knowledge without having to produce the final social media product or create the post themselves. Here are a few suggestions.

#1. Send them on fams with a mission
Build a fam trip to-do list that tells your travel sellers what kind of photos, videos, information or other media you expect them to capture when they take a fam. Provide a camera and clear guidance on how to use it for those who need it.

The material they bring back can feed your blog or social networks for several days or weeks.

#2. Interview team members
Your team undoubtedly has a wealth of knowledge to offer, but individuals may need help getting it out and on paper.

Your designated marketing person, or a hired hand, can help by picking a topic, interviewing your agency’s team members on that subject and pulling together the information to create a polished blog post or social media updates.

#3. Brainstorm travel tips together
At your next team meeting, set aside 15 minutes to come up with your best travel tips collectively.

This approach works best when someone picks a theme – such as traveling with children, preparing for your cruise, safety precautions, etc. Then ask everyone to write down as many ideas as they can without editing their responses.

Once the 15 minutes is up, gather the ideas and pick the best ones for your library of social media posts.

#4. Ask your team to spread the word
If you’re creating great social media content or doing fun things to engage on social media, you need help spreading the world.

Consider sending an update to your team whenever you publish a blog post, host a Facebook event or are doing something else on social media.

Ask them to share this information with clients. Make it easy by providing them with messages that they can copy and paste.

#5. Enlist client-happiness ambassadors
Clients talk about your business all the time, and your team is often the first to hear about it. Since positive social influence, also known as “social proof,” is a powerful tool in encouraging new business, it’s important to share these successes.

So ask your team members to be on the lookout for happy encounters and then forward them to you so you can use this material in your social media marketing efforts.

Content ideas
Not sure what kind of social media content to produce with all this new information? Here are 25 social media content ideas for travel businesses.

Travel industry specialist Sophie Bujold is a social media strategist and speaker. Her passion is helping travel professionals make sense of and use social media to achieve greater business success. For more insights from Sophie, sign up for free weekly tips by email. (It’s free.)