The North American Journeys Summit is a two day seminar in LA for Destination Marketing Organizations. Today a few of the sessions are focused on social media. Martin Stoll is speaking about using social media to promote to international visitors. He is concentrating on marketing to the travel trade – a BtoB play.
By show of hands, 90% of the audience here is on Facebook and YouTube and Twitter.
In December 5.5% of all time spent online is on Facebook. 19 bn, yes with a b, minutes are spent on Facebook each day. What does that mean in terms of years? 36,624 years! So you definitely have to have a presence on Facebook. FB is becoming the predominant social network in a global level. Use Twitter for the things that Facebook can’t do.
Destinations need to have a strategic apporach to socialmedia – not just ”let’s have a Twitter page”
YouTube is the #2 search engine. From a DMO perspective, if you do not have any video content in social media sites you will not be found.
Stoll’s prediction for 2010 – DMOs have to use video and get their content into social media
His advice to travel compnanies and DMOs:
- Connect with industry and media partners
- Help partners sell more product
- Help others tell stories about your destination or venue
- Figure out how to help tour operators to create a more compelling presence online and tell your stories for you.
Research shows that tour operators are eager to get help with understanding and using social media. This is a big opportunity for DMOs. Help them to make their social media prresence more successful and effective.
DMOs can make video that matches specific itineraries and drive traffic to the tour operator’s website.
How to use tools:
- Work with tour operators
- Be easy to deal with
- Be innovative – be first
- Develop a new media BtiB toolkit – use rights free images
- Put them on Flickr
- Branded videos – add tour oeprators and put it on their website
- Delicious, Digg – keep people updated
- Feeds
- Add Google maps
- Give them content for their FB page
- Put up a free blog on Tumblr
- Images – tells the story in any language. But do beware of cultural differences. Show visuals of the market you want to attract
- Identify influencers and court them
The landscape is changing so fast. 2010 is the itme to get strategic and get ROI
- Have a clear plan
- Measure the results
Most common mistakes:
- strategic plan
- using the wrong tools
- still broadcasting – no engagement or conversation
Figuring out social media is top of the agenda for every destination marketing organization right now.
