engaging the long tail -part one - facvb
DESCRIPTION
An overview of the long tail of travel and travel social media. You\'ll get some insight into what makes social media work, why it has caught on, and how you can use these new tools and technologies to promote your destination.TRANSCRIPT
ENGAGING THE LONG TAIL
Using the Power of User Generated Content & Social Media to Market Travel
Stephen JoyceCEO Sentias Software Corp.
Who is Stephen Joyce?
President & CEO of SentiasPresident of IFITT North AmericaExecutive Committee of Canadian E-Tourism CouncilChair North Vancouver Chamber of CommercePublisher of the Tips from the T-ListAvid Travel Industry Blogger14 Years of Internet Consulting Experience
LONG TAILLONG TAILLONG TAILSOCIAL MEDIA
what is the
LONG TAIL?
selling
less
oflessmore
NICHE
“We sold more books today that didn't sell at all yesterday than we sold today of all the books that did sell yesterday.” Amazon
EmployeeLongtail.typepad.com
HUH ?
I AM THE LONG TAILThe long tail is about catering to individual taste & desire through abundance of choice.
CTC Explorer quotient is one way of catering to travel motivators.
LONG TAIL OF TRAVELExperiences and destinations that cater to a traveler's specific needs or desires.
Adventure
Wine Culinary
Art River
LONG TAIL EXAMPLEEnvironmentally conscious family wants a sightseeing tour at their destination in a green vehicle.
LONG TAIL EXAMPLE
YES, IT CAN WORK...
... the product inventory exists and can be available for search and purchase ONLINE.
IF
NICHE IN CHINA
If you're one in a million, there are still a thousand of you.
LONG TAILLONG TAILLONG TAILSOCIAL MEDIA
is ?social mediaWHAT
“Social computing is not a fad. Nor is it something that will pass you or your company by. Gradually, social computing will impact almost every role, at every kind of company, in all parts of the world.”
Forrester ResearchSocial Computing
of ?social media
ASPECTS
PARTICIPATION
Encourages feedback from everyone!
Audience = Contributor
TRANSPARENCY
Openness, sharing, comments are encouraged.
Fakers will be caught!
CONVERSATION
Social media is a conversation not a monologue.
COMMUNITY
Promote common interests and foster sharing of information and opinions.
CONNECTIONS
Social media is by definition, connected to people, sites, and resources.
LIKEWHAT
?
Find people who offer up their couches to travelers.
Share travel experiences and find people with similar interests at your destination.
Meet other travelers, share tips, create travel blogs.
Open hotel, destination, attraction, & cruise reviews, with photo sharing, and comments.
Hotel reviews from travelers with Meta-search.
SOWHAT
?
... and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media.
113 Million Blogs
... watched everyday on YouTube.
100 Million Videos
... on Facebook
80 Million Users
... on MySpace
185 Million Users
BUTWHY
?
Humansar
eSOCIAL
We live inCOMMUNIT
IES
We shareEXPERIEN
CES
We seekCOMPANIONS
Social networks let us be human
... only more efficiently
Remember slide shows?
LONG TAILLONG TAILLONG TAILSOCIAL MEDIA
NOWWHAT
?
JOIN
IN
350+ Social Networks
By participating, you...
establish your
expertise
Darren Cronian, from the U.K., has built a strong reputation as a consumer travel advocate.
By being open, you...
build credibility
Bill Marriott's blog is considered one of the best corporate blogs in the travel industry.
By contributing, you...
demonstrategenerosity
Claude Bernard, from France, is a great resource for interviews and insight in travel marketing.
By being community minded, you...
continue the conversatio
n
Tips from the T-List brings travel bloggers together and promotes discussion and debate.
By sharing, you...feed the
web
The T4 blog is #3 on page 1 of Google for 5.5 Million results.
BUTHOW
?
Share your wordsStart sharing your
experiences and traveler experiences using a blogging platform like blogger.com or wordpress.com.
Share your picturesUse flickr.com to host
photos of your destination or tours. Write short but detailed descriptions. Use relevant keywords.
314,000 Photos tagged with “British Columbia”
Share your videosUse YouTube.com to host
and share your marketing videos, tv spots, interviews, and more. Add descriptions and keywords.
23,000 Videos tagged with Calgary
BECOME THE AUTHORITYTag your text, photos, and videos so that you become the authority for your destination or travel product.
Who owns your destination?
perceptionIS realityONLI
NE
HOW DOES IT APPLYTRAVEL
?TO
DESTINATIONS
Encourage local tour, activity, and event providers to make their products available for search and purchase on-line.
RETAILERS
Encourage your suppliers to make their products available for search and purchase on-line.
SUPPLIERS
Get your products on-line and in a format that is searchable and can be distributed ONLINE.
SUPPLIER GENERATED CONTENT
VS.AGGREGATOR
GENERATED CONTENT
Like user generated content. Suppliers control the content, pricing, & inventory. Content is consistent across multiple distribution channels.
SGC
Like traditional media. Content is controlled by the aggregator. Aggregators tightly control distribution.
AGC
REDUCE : Duplication
RE-USE : Existing Content
RECYCLE : Your assets
WHATTO DO
?
CONTENT
it is all about
Improving information Relevance (fit) & trust can increase shopper satisfaction & improve loyalty.Effect of Utilitarian & Hedonic Motivations on Consumer Satisfaction with Travel Websites.University of Central Florida, Ohio State UniversityInformation Technology & Tourism, Vol. 10 pp. 75 - 89
ENGAGEyour stakeholders
LEADby example
Banff Lake Louise has a “Share Your Story” section that allows visitors to submit photos and videos.
SHARE
your assets
CTC uses CleanPix.com to host digital images and video that can be shared on-line.
DISCOVER
your audience
READ
what they read
COMMENT
on interesting posts
CONNECT
with your audience
BUILDsomething for
THEM
INVITEthem to help you
INVITE
feedback
RESPOND
to feedback ... always
and always
ALWAYS !
STAY
ENGAGED
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