The Impact of Social Media on the Travel Industry
The growing use of social media as a travel-planning tool means people are increasingly looking up Facebook reviews, YouTube videos, TripAdvisor reviews etc. before deciding to travel. The endless information on social sites and the ability to connect with brands and fellow travelers in a way like never before has made social media an indispensable part of the prospective-traveler’s checklist.
What This Means for Travel Brands
Thismoment’s research on how social media has influenced travel marketing and has become an integral part of this space shows that:
- Although search and email still lead, social media is fast catching up as a key marketing channel for travel brands (2012 EyeforTravel Research).
- 50% of these brands reported to have achieved direct bookings because of social media.
- Social networks are the second most influential source of traffic for travel suppliers.
- According to a Marriot survey, 74% American travelers use social media while on vacation.
- 65% of travel marketers worldwide planned to increase their social media marketing budgets in 2012 (eMarketer); the highest compared to any other digital marketing tactic.
- After returning from a vacation, 46% posted hotel reviews on networking sites.
For social-savvy travelers, vacations aren’t over until they post reviews and share memories on social sites. This, along with innovative social media campaigns, greatly influences people’s travel decisions. To win in this space and meet the growing demands of the socially active consumer, we suggest creating a solid social media campaign creation checklist.
The Travel Brand’s Social Checklist
-
Go Visual: Travel marketing, both online and offline, greatly depends on enticing customers with appealing visuals. With the availability of social sites like Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube, we recommend brands use these sites as their visual canvas to showcase their creativity. As opposed to text heavy social sites, travel brands that connect with customers via powerful visuals definitely have the edge.
E.g.: Built on Thismoment’s DEC platform, Tourism New Zealand’s customized YouTube channel is a visual treat for visitors.
- Optimize for Mobile Viewing: The influence of mobile on the travel space is so strong that today’s mobile consumers are constantly posting reviews, tweeting about their experiences or checking-in while on the move. According to recent studies:
- 17% prospective-travelers research trips on a mobile app or website (MyDestination.com).
- Between 2010 and 2011, the percentage of travelers using their mobile devices while traveling increased from 27% to over half of all adults (Frommer’s Unlimited survey)
The above statistics indicate the need for travel brands to consider mobile as a natural extension of their digital marketing strategies. Keeping in mind the fact that the mobile platform offers a restricted amount of space to work with, travel marketers should plan their content carefully and include essential information like hotel addresses, travel package pricing etc.
-
Featuring Coupons, Discounts and Contests: ROI Research’s survey shows that 53% of social network users Liked or followed travel brands because of the coupons and discounts offered. Coupons, discounts and contests, in our opinion, are crucial incentives that entice prospective consumers to connect with brands and keep them coming back for more. Therefore, it’s a good idea for travel marketers to feature those season special offers and attract customers with the idea of winning a trip to their favorite destination.
Viator, for instance, launched their Dream Travel Job contest on YouTube (using Thismoment’s DEC platform) where users could win the travel job of a lifetime.
- Why Facebook is the “Must-Have” Platform: Facebook, especially, after the migration to the Timeline, allows travel marketers to present themselves with an image that reflects what their brand is all about. Besides this, here are some factors that make Facebook the “must have” channel for travel brands:
- Users trust recommendations about a particular destination posted by their friends on Facebook.
- Travel brands can use Facebook’s Share option to encourage customers to share recommendations, experiences etc. with their friends.
- Facebook is clearly a popular channel among travelers, with 51% travel brands citing an increase in Facebook traffic (2012 EyeforTravel Research).
A Glimpse into the Future…
The recent spurt in traffic from social sites has resulted in travel brands announcing plans to increase their social media investments by an impressive 61% in the coming months. This increase in budget is a testimony to the fact that today’s travel brands consider social media to be a vital part of their marketing arsenal. Besides focusing on Facebook, we expect brands to make the most of Pinterest, which presents marketers in this space with the perfect canvas to showcase their campaigns, visuals etc. While coupons, discounts and contests will continue to entice travelers, it’s the mobile channel that holds great promise as a social marketing platform of the future. For travel brands, this presents the opportunity to connect with the ‘on-the-go’ consumer as they research trips, post reviews and download coupons from their mobile devices.
- Shama Ahmed
Thismoment
