Get Ahead in Social Media: Top Tips for 2013
by Andrew SheivachmanIn 2012, social media grew as one of the most important channels for travel agents to market themselves and to stay up to date on breaking news.
But learning how to thrive using networks like Twitter and Facebook can be a daunting task. Over the past 12 months, Travel Market Report has published social media advice from expert guest columnists, as well as from travel sellers who spoke with our reporters.
Following are highlights, selected to help agents develop their skills and maximize their social media returns in the New Year. We have also included links to the original articles.
Tip #1. Dive right in
If you still consider social media a scary or risky proposition, it may be time to dive right in.
One agent, Utah agency owner Toby Nash, told Travel Market Report she overcame her qualms about developing her agency’s online presence by taking a social media class and posting to Facebook every day. “The class made everything make so much more sense,” she said. “It took the scary out of it and made the fear go away. You know, I can’t do anything wrong if I push this button.”
Now Nash is a social media convert who feels she has perfected her skills and strategy with Facebook, blogging and LinkedIn. Her advice to other newbies? “Take a course. Maybe a local college has them. Start with your own Facebook page, then step out of that comfort zone into adding pages.”
See: Agent Conquers Facebook Fears for Sales Success
Tip #2. Develop a strategy
Without a plan, your social media efforts can turn into “time-sucking random acts of marketing and end up overwhelming [you],” warned social media consultant Sophie Bujold. Instead, she advises readers to decide where they want to focus and how much time to devote to building your social presence.
Figure out why you want to connect to Twitter or Facebook. Do you want to increase your reach with consumers? Do you want to become a trusted source of details on niche trips? The narrower your focus, the more likely you are to post frequently and with a coherent theme. With a specific goal, it also becomes simpler to figure out if your efforts are having an effect on traffic to your site.
See: Wasting Time on Social Media? You Need a Plan
Tip #3. Be smart about measuring ROI
When investing in social media marketing, it can be a challenge to determine the return on your investment, at least in traditional terms. Bujold suggested several approaches. For instance, instead of focusing on how many sales your social media presence generates, look at social networks as a new way to attract customers to your sales channel and measure results accordingly. Check the referral traffic on your website or blog to get a clearer idea of how visitors are arriving at your site through an external tool.
Be sure to measure results that relate to your social media business goals. Do you want to appear online as an expert? Check likes or retweets. Want to draw more visitors to your site? Check unique visitors. Don’t waste time with numbers unimportant to your business.
See: 3 Keys to Measuring ROI on Social Media Marketing
Tip #4. Consider outsourcing, but beware
Many agencies outsource their social media activities as a way to ease the workload, but there are pitfalls to letting someone else handle your online presence. One potential issue is a gradual dilution of your brand voice. Bujold advised Travel Market Report readers to make the decision to outsource carefully and consider the alternative of recruiting someone to their agency. If you do outsource, look for a social media specialist who has a limited number of clients. Give them clear direction, spelling out your goals and target audience as well as other details. Make sure you have a concrete plan for how your community manager should handle customer service inquiries via social media, so he or she can respond in a timely and effective manner.
See: 3 Things to Consider When Outsourcing Social Media
Tip #5. Use Twitter in times of crisis
In 2012, Twitter emerged on the global stage as one of the most timely and wide-ranging sources of information on the web. Travel agents increasingly turned to social media to keep themselves, and their clients, informed. This can be especially useful when travel is disrupted, including by natural events. “I was reading stuff on Twitter. “It kept me in touch with its immediacy,” one agent told Travel Market Report following the Hurricane Sandy disaster in October.
You don’t have to post on Twitter yourself to take advantage of this news source. Simply increase the number of accounts you follow to find out new information. Follow local media outlets in the areas your clients are visiting, along with port authorities and airports for up-to-the second updates. Another advantage of Twitter during times of crisis: You can ask questions and receive timely advice without waiting on hold for hours.
See: For Agents, Social Media a Vital Link During Crisis
Tip #6. Don’t write off email marketing
Take another look at your existing email marketing strategy or develop one. Despite all the cultural buzz around social networking, email remains one of the most tried and true methods of reaching clients, and agents can’t afford to neglect it.
“Consumers in the U.S. use email as their primary communication vehicle,” wrote Constant Contact’s Ron Cates. “It’s also their preferred choice when it comes to receiving marketing messaging. This is because they can control email marketing – opting in, opting out, deleting it or ignoring it altogether.”
Social media and email marketing actually go hand in hand, Cates said. “In most cases, the two work together so well that to engage in social media marketing without an email strategy can nullify your impact completely.”
