Social Media and Tourism - Indaba 2012 (South Africa Tourism)

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We believe that the travel experience enhances peoples lives and that tourism makes the world a better place.

Twitter: @rodneyp

Think! Social Media is a leading digital marketing agency with a laser-focus on the tourism industry and its roots in social media.Everyone who works at Think! has a Passion for travel.We believe that the travel experience enhances peoples lives and that tourism makes the world a better place. By improving all stages of the tourism experience for consumers, we can help DMOs to achieve their goals and share their region with the world. We embrace the values of social media. Transparency and leading through openness are fundamental to our business. We believe that relationships are paramount and lead to trust.

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To boldly go where no platypus had gone before.

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LOOK AT THE TOOLS LAST

Shiny object syndrome what makes me look good, so lets look at what social media marketing actually is first4

Squamish, BC

Were deliberately going back to an example that predates social media but still harnesses online communities. Point: there is nothing magical and unique about social media.

Test of Metal is a bike race in Squamish. It sells out every year within an hour. HUGE sell out.6

Where do you live?Did you stay overnight?Did you visit to pre-ride?How many in your party?Estimate of spend?

CONFIRMS THE QUICK AND DIRTY EXPERIMENT WORKEDPrior to experiment, race was filled with local

The trail systems of the North Shore, Squamish and Whistler, areestimated to have collectively generated $10.3 million in spending from riders that live outside of the host community over the period from June 4 to September 17, 2006.Squamish saw spending from riders totaling over $1.7 million as a result of non-residentriders visiting the trail system as well as training and participating in the popular Test of Metalmountain bike race held in mid June each year.

The combined expenditures of non-resident riders on the trail systems in the three communities resulted in a total of $9.3 million in new economic activity (GDP) and supported 194 jobs through the payment of just over $6.3 million in wages and salaries.

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Economic Impact Study 2006$1.7 million

CONFIRMS THE QUICK AND DIRTY EXPERIMENT WORKEDPrior to experiment, race was filled with local

The trail systems of the North Shore, Squamish and Whistler, areestimated to have collectively generated $10.3 million in spending from riders that live outside of the host community over the period from June 4 to September 17, 2006.Squamish saw spending from riders totaling over $1.7 million as a result of non-residentriders visiting the trail system as well as training and participating in the popular Test of Metalmountain bike race held in mid June each year.

The combined expenditures of non-resident riders on the trail systems in the three communities resulted in a total of $9.3 million in new economic activity (GDP) and supported 194 jobs through the payment of just over $6.3 million in wages and salaries.

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Human beings have evolved because of our extroadinary communication skills. Tribes grunted and pointed to tell each other how to use a club to beat the lion over the head so you could survive and eat.9

Social media is not another marketing channel. It is a communication tool.Its very accessible and its growing like wildfire.

Throughout the planning process, we are seeking and creating information.There have been many innovations that let humans communicate further and faster.The internet is the most powerful communication tool on the planet. 10

Repeat & Recommend

The decision process that travellers go through is complex. At each stage consumers are communicating.This process often overlooked by tourism businesses who just want sales. Tahiti vs trip to Saskatchewan (joke about the weather).

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Many businesses have not caught up with the consumer.Organizations are still spending most of their time on awareness and not enough time at the other levels of the process.Awareness is hard when there is so much competition.15

Consumers are exposed to hundreds of ads each day

At the same time as people are communicating more, theres huge competition for our attention as consumers.

Joke about booth.

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24 of 25 largest newspapers suffering record declines

24 of 25 largest newspapers suffering record declines90% of People that can TiVo advertisements, do.

People under the age of 30 dont know life without the internet.

Heres a photo of Lindsay, my girlfriend. Shes from Calgary and recently went on her first big trip.20

1.8 Billion use the internet

and what were finding is, with these dialogues, were no longer in control of the message anymore, which is absolutely true. The power has shifted from the business to the consumer. people are out there talking about us, and we cant stop it. So we have to adapt and be a part of those conversations.

Online are already happening about your destination/brand/org and you might not be aware of it.Your target market is now more likely to find this information than they are to find what youre putting out there. When I search something on google what comes up? At very least, you need to be aware of it. Ideally, you see this as an opportunity and capitalize on it.Online conversations cannot be ignored. Most are permanent. Theyre relevant to your DMO, stakeholders and also present a number of opportunities

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78% of consumers trust peer recommendations

Many businesses have not caught up with the consumer.Organizations are still spending most of their time on awareness and not enough time at the other levels of the process.Awareness is hard when there is so much competition.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CONSUMERS TRUST EACH OTHER. WORD OF MOUTH COMMUNICATION IS HOW THE HUMAN RACE HAS EVOLVED AND FLOURISHED.25

Social Purchase funnel

Awareness

Consideration

IntentBook

On TripRepeat

Recommend

Spend less resources on awareness and more time having conversations with people lower in the funnel.

Greece and Amsterdam need a strategy to engage Lindsay. Measurement and performance is easier if they get her on their fan page or twitter account. But the reality is that it doesnt matter where she promotes your destination. You need to give people things to promote, work with industry.27

40 Likes & commentsMe

6400 Friends of FriendsMe

http://www.tourism.australia.com/en-au/documents/Corporate%20-%20Markets/Industry_Briefing_Sydney.pdf

http://www.tourism.australia.com/en-au/documents/Corporate%20-%20Markets/Industry_Briefing_Sydney.pdf

PassionInfluencersCommunityCommunities form around passion

At Think!, we use a series of concentric circles to understand communities. Passion is very strong interest. It follows that the more passionate a community, the stronger the trust and frequency of word-of-mouth communication.

Some people have more influence in a community than others. We call these people influencers. Someones influence is a factor of reach and level of trust or credibility. Its easy to think of influencers as being very close to the center of a community. Influencers can often drive the direction of the community at large.

Many elite sporting professionals who have risen to the top of their game are considered to be influencers because their fans look up to them. This concept can also apply to our own personal networks. We all know which one of our friends to ask for advice when its time to buy a new computer.38

When Im not sitting in front of a computer or talking to people about social media, I like to spend my time on the water, kiteboarding.40

KiteboardingInfluencersCommunityCommunities form around passion




Passions overlap

Kite Boarding

Windsurfing

Stand Up Paddling

Because of the cost and long-cycles associated with traditional advertising, destinations have historically been constrained to broad categories such as beach holidays, golf vacations, family getaways and adventure travel. With so much information available to consumers, it I s becoming increasingly important to present the right message to the right consumers.

For example, Aspen, Colorado could break adventure travel into many niches, such as skiing, snowboarding, river rafting, mountain biking and more. Each of these passions will resonate with a different community.

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Traditional AdvertisingSocial & Digital Marketing

Targeted campaigns are like using a rifle vs shotgun. Targeted campaigns allow for a conversation with your audience, rather than a one-way pitch.

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How does this change impact destination marketing?46

Level 1Only kids use Facebook

Level 2We push our message through Facebook & Twitter.

Level 3How are we going to use social media to support our marketing?

Level 4Our social strategy is saving us a lot of money and making us more effective

Level 5Oh $@*&, our whole business just changed!

a) Explain methodology from our strategic projects. In helping organisations get to level 4, we realised a level 5.

When you get to level 4, youll actually realise that its not an evolution at all. Evolution doesnt seem to work. Its revolution.55

Destination Marketing 2.0Product

Marketing

Delivery

Feedback

Manage Community

Extend Relationship

RecommendationsResearchCustomer satisfaction

Research

Be Remarkable.

Unofficial world record salmon catch Back Eddy Pub

Best new creeking town in North America Rapid Magazine

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You have to have a remarkable experience so that your customers have something to talk about. Next you need to let people know what you have to offer, through any combination of advertising, sales, marketing etc. Once youve made the promise, you should aim to exceed peoples expectations. This will make them love you and will make it easier to maintain a post-purchase relationship. Create and manage a community that your customers want to be involved in. Offer them value. Do it online and youll save time and money. Use that community to market to each other and to friends. Let them support each other. Tap into their wealth of knowledge for feedback on your existing products and to design new solutions. Use that learning to improve your products.59

Exceed expectationsMaintain post-purchase

You have to have a remarkable experience so that your customers have something to talk about. Next you need to let people know what you have to offer, through any combination of advertising, sales, marketing etc. Once youve made the promise, you should aim to exceed peoples expectations. This will make them love you and will make it easier to maintain a post-purchase relationship. Create and manage a community that your customers want to be involved in. Offer them value. Do it online and youll save time and money. Use that community to market to each other and to friends. Let them support each other. Tap into their wealth of knowledge for feedback on your existing products and to design new solutions. Use that learning to improve your products.60

explain the benefits of adding content to trip advisor, using facebook fan page to begin your own community:

TripAdvisor has more traffic. Theres more chance of making people aware of your destination when theyre browsing for something else. (more chance than them stumbling on to your website).63

explain the benefits of adding content to trip advisor, using facebook fan page to begin your own community:

TripAdvisor has more traffic. Theres more chance of making people aware of your destination when theyre browsing for something else. (more chance than them stumbling on to your website).64

ONE SLIDE EXAMPLE

Vulcan Alberta has turned their town into a Trekkie destination70

TWO SLIDE EXAMPLE

Example to show how a small DMO can make a big dent

A tiny Swiss town posts pictures of all their facebook fans on their offline bulletin board resulting in thousands of fans and messages.

See this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzAG9_iKgRE&feature=youtu.be75

LAST SLIDE

As a result, the whole town is plastered with over 17,000 facebook fans. Many have visited to see their profile.76

Seychelle Islands82

Foundational principle: increase relevancy to each individual consumer through targeted personalized content.

Get people talking about Dallas

Dallas CVB logo with image of dallas88

Superbowl 45 logo and tickets images89

PassionInfluencersCommunity




image of mystery man 92

PassionInfluencersCommunity




Clues the postacds images96

Momentum building twitter conversation97








Local press gets involved105

Early on - Sheldon: http://www.wtae.com/r-video/26656301/detail.html106

Winners and how she was homeless107

Winners and how she was homeless108

Climax: CNN Yahoo110

This promotion/activity brought out the best in all of us. We approached total strangers without fear or judgment. We looked each other in the eye, spoke and smiled

I just want to say thank-you for such an absolutely fun and memorable experience.

-- Len Stanley



-- Len Stanley



-- Len Stanley



-- Len Stanley



-- Len Stanley



-- Len Stanley



-- Len Stanley

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Social Purchase funnel

Awareness

Consideration

IntentBook

On TripRepeat

Recommenddo not repeattell others not to buy

advocateto othersrepeat

Consumers create their own awareness within their networks and within niches.

Spend less resources on awareness and more time having conversations with people lower in the funnel.124

nichenichenichenichenichenicheDestination

Top Down:This destination is a place where you can do these thingsBottom Up:This destination is the place to do these thingsTop-down, Bottom-up

Key Take-AwaysLook at the tools last.

(rather than one-off campaigns.)126

Key Take-AwaysLook at the tools last.Focus on People


Key Take-AwaysLook at the tools last.Focus on PeoplePast travelers are your biggest opportunity


Key Take-AwaysLook at the tools last.Focus on PeoplePast travelers are your biggest opportunityEmbrace feedback


Key Take-AwaysLook at the tools last.Focus on PeoplePast travelers are your biggest opportunityEmbrace feedbackBe relevant to what people are passionate about


Key Take-AwaysLook at the tools last.Focus on PeoplePast travelers are your biggest opportunityEmbrace feedbackBe relevant to what people are passionate aboutDont wait.


www.thinksocialmedia.com

Rodney Payne@rodneyp

Travel

Social Media and Tourism - Indaba 2012 (South Africa Tourism)