For Agents, Social Media a Vital Link During Crisis

As Hurricane Sandy smashed the Caribbean and East Coast last week, social media emerged as an essential source of information for travel agents, allowing them to receive up-to-the-minute reports of the storm’s impact.

“Agents are taking to social media, because people on the ground are sharing photos and updates,” said social media strategist Sophie Bujold.

Twitter narrative
Twitter, for the first time, appeared to power the media narrative, with those directly affected issuing on-site reports of the storm’s damage.

“For people with cellphone access, it’s easy to get an update on Twitter,” said Bujold. “We’re seeing it more and more – people want to share what’s happening on the ground.”

Critical lifeline for agents
Since timely information is essential for agents serving clients during times of crisis, many turned to Twitter and Facebook as a lifeline during the storm.

“I pretty much stayed on social media all day,” said Maya Northen of Chimera Travel in Philadelphia. “It was so instant.”

Resource for clients
Twitter can also be an effective resource for clients who are needier or who are unable to reach a phone to contact them, agents said.

One travel seller referred a client to Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on airport closings in the New York City area.

“I gave her the Delta Assist Twitter handle, and told her to sign up for Twitter now while she still had Internet,” said Colleen Gillette, owner of New Paltz (N.Y.) Travel.

“There’s only so much time in my day, so I figured I’d give her that so she could check Twitter whenever she wanted.”

JetBlue, for instance, was extremely active on Twitter, posting on-site images from a flooded LaGuardia International Airport.

The latest facts
Gillette herself was using Twitter service to ensure she received the latest facts from airlines, tour providers and government agencies.

“I was reading stuff on Twitter, and not posting anything,” said Gillette. “It kept me in touch with its immediacy.”

She recommended to other agents that they follow the port authority in cities their clients are traveling to as a way of staying on top of potential slowdowns in air and rail service.

Getting started on Twitter
For agents who haven’t check out Twitter yet, Northen recommended following essential local media outlets first.

“Follow anybody in your local area, including local news, traffic and weather accounts,” said Northen. “These things are essential to know because if you have people stranded, they need to know where they can’t get in.”

She also encouraged agents to direct-message properties and airlines for personalized service. Usually, someone will respond to your query promptly.

“They’ll sit there and answer questions,” said Northen. “You see the human side behind the accounts. They’re going to be honest.”

Beyond Twitter
Some agents say Twitter is overblown. Instead they spend most of their online time on Facebook and email.

“I’ve been online the whole time, except for those 14 hours I had no power,” said Lois Howse, owner of Superior Travel in Freeport, N.Y. “I don’t Tweet. If I did, I’d never have any time to myself.”

Rumors run rampant
The downside of Twitter’s immediacy is that rumors and misleading statements can spread quickly.

“As long as agents stick to listening to major trusted sources, and go directly to hotels and airlines for information, they will be fine,” said Bujold. “It’s no different than having rumors go around mouth-to-mouth.”

Northen noted that the mechanics of Twitter mean that when false rumors are spread, it’s only a limited time before users catch on.

“Re-tweets are powerful, because they let you follow reports from people on the ground,” said Northen. “The other cool thing you’re getting is information on debunked facts in a timely manner.”

Steering clear of false reports
Another method of combating rumors online is following a wide swath of people.

“My Twitter following is so wide that I follow people all over the place, not just travel people,” said Northen. “I’m getting different things from different industries, messages from insurance companies and hoteliers, for instance.”