Peacock Tourism Marketing

Is your time using social media marketing worth the return?

24 May

Social Media Help is Available for Tourism Operators and Niche Marketers

Study Shows Time Pays With Social Media Marketing
<2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, authored by Michael Stelzner.>

Does your own experience match up with the results of this study? Make no mistake about it: a true investment of time and resources is necessary to see significant social media marketing success.

In the 2009 study, the number-one question from marketers was related to social media tactics, followed by ROI. Now tactics have moved down considerably and the ROI question has moved up. One reason for this could be that social media is maturing and more people have started using the tools and tactics. Now they want to know if the long-term payoff for their time and resources is really there.

Time Versus Return for Social Media Marketing

When looking at ROI, you also have to look closely at just how much time you’re investing. Unlike some other traditional forms of marketing, when it comes to social media, your investment is more time than money.

Some buggets from this article.

* 12.5% of marketers spend more than 20 hours each week on social media.

* The time spent on social sites is not as important as the actual results. What we really should be looking at is what kind of results are you getting for that 1 hour, 4 hours, even 12 hours per week.

* Increased traffic, lead generation and happy, connected customers all are factors in deciding which social media strategies are working best for your business.

* Where we’re seeing the outsourcing trend is in the larger organizations. According to the report, “the larger the organization, the more likely outsourcing is taking place. For example, 25.7% of large businesses and 25% of mid-sized businesses are currently outsourcing, compared to only 10.6% of sole proprietors.” Like many marketing trends, what starts with the “big guys” tends to make its way to the smaller businesses—therefore, we may be seeing more outsourcing overall in the coming year.

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How are you adapting to social media? Retweet or die!

19 May

I thought I was well-round when I graduated as a Journalist and Business Communicator, (Point Park College and Temple University) with skills in the Big 3 of that era – newspapers, TV and radio.

Today, as a tourism marketing writer and coach, I have to use the new Big 3: Facebook, Twitter, You Tube. Not to mention blogging and keeping myriad websites up to date with content and images.

How are you adapting? I can relate to trying to keep up and being “Still Crazy” like the author of this timely article.

Chain Communications

Retweeted by Peacock Tourism Marketing, Dee Farrell

What’s the scarcest resource of the 21st century?

Human attention.

That was the opening salvo at the alumni weekend of the Columbia Journalism School this spring. The theme of the weekend was, “The Future of Text.”

I earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia in the 60s. I’d never gone to an alumni weekend, but with newspapers, magazines and books expected to became extinct in our lifetimes, the choice is clear: adapt or die.

Columbia is determined to reinvent journalism. They’ve set up a new dual degree master’s program in journalism and computer engineering. (I’ve never met a journalist who could be an engineer, but I guess a new breed is mutating)

Columbia also created a department of Internet journalism, and they’re running boot camps in social media skills for their students and alumni.

It’s not enough to do great writing, they say. ”You have to build, curate and enhance your online brand.” The school’s tech guru, Sree Sreenivasan, says “We still teach reporting, writing and storytelling, but your work has to be seen and your readers have to evangelize for it.”

Sree — Twitterista

I sign up for Sree’s two-hour workshop in social media. He says the Big Three are: facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I’m already on two of them, so I think: I can do this.

He says the N.Y. Times just appointed its first social media editor, “to listen to social media and evangelize for it in the newsroom.”

Social media, he says, is where “radio was in 1912. TV was in 1950. The Internet was in 1996.”

Facebook has 400 million users. ”It’s one of the biggest time sinks in history,” Sree says, and “it will continue to grow and consume people’s time.”

But here’s the problem. They’re constantly changing how facebook works and they don’t tell you when they make changes!

“Facebook is not helpful, transparent or easy,” Sree says. SO WHY DOES FACEBOOK RULE? Why doesn’t someone build a friendlier mousetrap?

Sree says you need a facebook strategy, or you’ll get overwhelmed. I’m already there. You confirm a dozen friends and overnight, you have 100 requests for friends and your wall is so full you can’t read what’s on it.

If you write a book, Sree says, you need a special facebook page for it and video for YouTube. ”So start taking videos while you interview people and write,” he says. ”YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world, so you must have your work on it.”

He moves on to LinkedIn, whose primary purpose is networking for jobs. ”You should have a presence on it before you need it,” Sree says.

Okay, I’m on LinkedIn and YouTube (not well), but the site I fear and loathe and so far refuse to join is Twitter. He says the maximum post on twitter is 140 characters. ”Every newspaper headline is 80 to 90 characters and it’s able to tell you what the story is,” he says. ”So 140 is plenty.” He keeps his own tweets to 120 characters, so they can be re-tweeted in a chain.

Re-tweet? That’s one of a barrage of foreign terms he spits out: Hash Tag, Tweet Deck, bit.ly, Hoot Suite, Mashable. I take notes faster and faster until it feels like I’m going under.

After two hours, I need resuscitation. Sree says, “Don’t feel overwhelmed and don’t feel pressured. Social media is still in its infancy. Just take one step at a time. But do take a step.”

Heeding his advice, I’m going to remodel my blog and will be posting daily on all things about Life after 50. I’m calling it Stilly Crazy, unless one of you can suggest a better title.

What’s the scarcest resource of the 21st century?
Human attention. That was the opening salvo at the alumni weekend of the Columbia Journalism School this spring. The theme of the weekend was, “The Future of Text.” I earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia in the 60s. I’d never gone to an alumni weekend, but with newspapers, magazines and books expected to became extinct in our lifetimes, the choice is clear: adapt or die. Columbia is determined to reinvent journalism. They’ve set up a new dual degree master’s program in journalism and computer engineering. (I’ve never met a journalist who could be an engineer, but I guess a new breed is mutating) Columbia also created a department of Internet journalism, and they’re running boot camps in social media skills for their students and alumni. It’s not enough to do great writing, they say. ”You have to build, curate and enhance your online brand.” The school’s tech guru, Sree Sreenivasan, says “We still teach reporting, writing and storytelling, but your work has to be seen and your readers have to evangelize for it.” Sree — Twitterista
I sign up for Sree’s two-hour workshop in social media. He says the Big Three are: facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I’m already on two of them, so I think: I can do this. He says the N.Y. Times just appointed its first social media editor, “to listen to social media and evangelize for it in the newsroom.” Social media, he says, is where “radio was in 1912. TV was in 1950. The Internet was in 1996.” Facebook has 400 million users. ”It’s one of the biggest time sinks in history,” Sree says, and “it will continue to grow and consume people’s time.” But here’s the problem. They’re constantly changing how facebook works and they don’t tell you when they make changes! ”Facebook is not helpful, transparent or easy,” Sree says. SO WHY DOES FACEBOOK RULE? Why doesn’t someone build a friendlier mousetrap? Sree says you need a facebook strategy, or you’ll get overwhelmed. I’m already there. You confirm a dozen friends and overnight, you have 100 requests for friends and your wall is so full you can’t read what’s on it. If you write a book, Sree says, you need a special facebook page for it and video for YouTube. ”So start taking videos while you interview people and write,” he says. ”YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world, so you must have your work on it.” He moves on to LinkedIn, whose primary purpose is networking for jobs. ”You should have a presence on it before you need it,” Sree says. Okay, I’m on LinkedIn and YouTube (not well), but the site I fear and loathe and so far refuse to join is Twitter. He says the maximum post on twitter is 140 characters. ”Every newspaper headline is 80 to 90 characters and it’s able to tell you what the story is,” he says. ”So 140 is plenty.” He keeps his own tweets to 120 characters, so they can be re-tweeted in a chain. Re-tweet? That’s one of a barrage of foreign terms he spits out: Hash Tag, Tweet Deck, bit.ly, Hoot Suite, Mashable. I take notes faster and faster until it feels like I’m going under. After two hours, I need resuscitation. Sree says, “Don’t feel overwhelmed and don’t feel pressured. Social media is still in its infancy. Just take one step at a time. But do take a step.” Heeding his advice, I’m going to remodel my blog and will be posting daily on all things about Life after 50. I’m calling it Stilly Crazy, unless one of you can suggest a better title.

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Tips for Driving Traffic to Your Blog

10 April

By Denise Wakeman
Published April 8, 2010

After all, without a steady stream of traffic to your blog, there’s little opportunity to engage your audience and convert readers to raving fans.

Methods change and evolve over time. When I wrote my first “how to drive traffic” post about five years ago, the list looked a lot different. There was no Twitter, no Facebook, no social sharing buttons, and no retweet button.

Yet some methods I advocated back in 2005 still work, so think of this as a refresher if you’re already employing all the social tactics for driving traffic. You would be surprised at how many people don’t actually take the time to implement a variety of tactics. Maybe you can pick up a few new ideas or implement some old ideas you may have overlooked.

This list is in no way complete. I invite you to add your favorite tips in the comment section.

First, the tried and true:

#1: Publish as frequently as possible

The more frequently you post, the more traffic you get because the search engines are indexing your content more frequently. Of course your content has to be compelling as well, but that goes without saying, right?

#2: Pay attention to the headlines (blog post titles)

Using numbers (see title of this blog post!) usually generates good traffic. Titles with “how to” also attract a lot of traffic.

#3: Send an email broadcast

Send email to your list when you have a great blog post you want to share. Ask for comments to encourage engagement and interaction.

#4: Add a link in your email signature

If you use web-based email like Gmail, add WiseStamp to your email signature so you can include links to your blog. Add your blog’s RSS feed so your recent posts are always featured in your emails. WiseStamp works with web-based email services including Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo mail and AOL.
WiseStamp adds all your links to your email signature and is simple to install and edit.

#5: Include multiple subscription options on your blog

Most blog platforms have RSS feeds built in, but don’t forget to add an email subscription option as well. Email is ubiquitous and if you only offer RSS, you lose a huge opportunity for people to get your content and become regular readers. Email subscription services include Feedburner, Feedblitz and AWeber, to name a few.
Give your readers multiple options for getting your blog updates.

#6: Try article marketing

Article marketing is a powerful way to attract traffic. Post your articles atEzineArticles.com and include a link to your blog in your author resource box. Also set up your author account to automatically send a tweet when you post new articles. That drives traffic to your article which drives traffic back to your blog.

#7: Comment on blogs in your industry

This is all about outreach and boosting your visibility on complementary blogs. Target influential blogs, read them on a regular basis and then contribute to the conversation as appropriate. When you comment, you have the option to include the URL to your blog.

#8. Do some guest posting

Writing on other people’s blogs can introduce you to a new audience and create a surge of new traffic to your blog. You can find more information and a great resource for getting guest posting gigs here.

#9: Conduct surveys and polls

People love to give their opinion. Use Polldaddy or SurveyMonkey to ask your readers what they want or get their opinion. More often than not, those who respond will help spread the word, especially if you ask and/or offer a gift in exchange.

#10: Submit your blog to directories

While it’s debatable how much traffic you’ll get by having your blog in directories, it can’t hurt to be listed. Most definitely I would recommend you add your blog toTechnorati, the largest blog directory on the web, and Alltop.com, a popular directory with the best of the best organized by topic.

Now the social media tips:

#11: Make a Google profile

You can’t ignore Google. Set up your profile on Google and include links to your blogs and websites. Whenever someone does a search on your name, a link to your profile will be featured at the bottom of the first page of search results. You can include pictures, links to your blog(s), products, website, and social networks.
Build your profile on Google.com/profiles with links to your blogs.

#12: Syndicate to Twitter

Use a plug-in like Twitter Tools (WordPress) or an application like Twitterfeed.com to syndicate your new posts to your Twitter stream. Hootsuite, the Twitter management tool, also offers this function. TypePad has this option built into the platform as well.

#13: Syndicate to Facebook

Use the Facebook Notes application to pull your blog feed into your profile and/or fan page.

#14: Syndicate to LinkedIn

You can add three URLs (make sure one is your blog!) to your LinkedIn profile, as well as syndicate your content with the Blog Link application.

#15: Use Hootsuite

Use Hootsuite if you have multiple blogs to syndicate your new content to multiple platforms including your Twitter accounts, Facebook profile and fan page, LinkedIn and Ping.fm to broadcast to more sites for even greater reach.

#16: Distribute your video

Distribute your videos on all the video sharing platforms. Include a link back to your blog home page or specific blog posts that are relevant to the content in your video.TubeMogul is a free site where you can upload your video once and it will be published on up to 20 video platforms including YouTube, Vimeo, Blip.tv, and more.
Distribute your video to many sites with Tubemogul.com

#17: Add the retweet button to your posts

Grab the plug-in or the code from Tweetmeme and make it super simple for your readers to click and share with their networks.

#18: Consider share buttons

There are many plug-ins and add-ons to add buttons to your blog that make it easy for readers to share your content on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Delicious, Reddit, StumbleUpon, etc. Find the style that suits you and add it to the footer of your blog posts. The popular plug-in used on this site is Sexy Bookmarks.

#19: Use social bookmarking

Use sites like StumbleUpon, Digg and Delicious to share your content. When you have a particularly great post, ask your readers to help you out with bookmarking. Don’t overdo it, but if you think your post deserves some additional attention, don’t be afraid to ask.

OK, your turn. Are you using any of these tips with success? I know there are at least 100 more ways to drive traffic to your blog. Please add your tips to the list by commenting below.

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Website tip – make errors work

8 April

Pages on websites come and go so you will at times have “Page not Found” 404 errors.

A lot of these pages are default blank pages which just say “Page not Found.”

To make it easier, Google has some good tips on creating a useful 404 page.

Tip 1: The google 404 widget is a great idea – this allows visitors to immediately search for the page they were looking for.

Check it out in action by clicking on this wrong link.

Tip 2: Sign up to Google webmasters tools. This will provide useful information about your website and in particular errors on your website so you can easily fix them.

Tip 3: Don’t have time to monitor your site and your internet presence? You could afford to hire Peacock Tourism to help you out. Ask for a quote

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Pop up Biz: Peacock Online Partners

24 March

Did you know…

Almost 10 million Australians visit a social media site each month (March 2010 Voyeur).
Facebook users spend an average of 55 minutes on the site per day
73% of bloggers also use Twitter

How many of these social media networkers are your potential customers and guests?
More than you think.
Australia-based Peacock Online Partners (POP) provides services to smaller tourism operators who want to make the most of online technology – especially in reaching niche markets like

gay travel
regional tourism and
blossoming travel destinations

What do you get when you work with POP?

The tools and knowledge to make your digital marketing program a success story.

Sage advice and good-value-for money.
Lateral Thinking and creative solutions.
Plain language and roll up our sleeves consulting.
Tips on how you can implement your online strategy quickly and cost effectively.
Ready help when you take over the reins.

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Turning Casual Fans into Evangelists for your Brand

16 March

Spreading the word about your name

What are some tools that create conversations and help turn a casual customer into an evangelist.

Besides responding personally to their comments on your fan page and following them on their blogs, we’re talking about lateral thinking – something outside the box.

Here are 3 simple, easy ideas that won’t cost much, either.

1. amazing welcome kits for new customers (emailed)

2. cool demos fans can share with friends (burn a CD)

3. simple hand-out that make it easy to introduce you (attach a PDF or digital postcard)

For dee-tails on these tactics, consult with Dee at Peacock Tourism Marketing, specializing in digital media strategies and customer interactions.

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Social Networking Advice: What to do: Commit

24 February

The rules of effective marketing are the same for personal networking and social media networking.

My two rules for Blogger/Facebook/Twitter/You Tube/Linked In channels are:

1. Host a big event. Make it an event that supercharges your fans’ enthusiasm and gives them something to talk about.

2. Share exclusive content. Give your fans a sneak peek, an early sample, or access to private updates to help make them feel like a real group of insiders.

Commit. There are thousands of new Facebook groups and fan pages started every day. To stand out, you’ve got to earn new fans and repeat visitors with great content regularly.

What to do:

1. Host a big event. Make it an event that supercharges your fans’ enthusiasm and gives them something to talk about.

2. Share exclusive content. Give your fans a sneak peek, an early sample, or access to private updates to help make them feel like a real group of insiders.

Commit. There are thousands of new Facebook groups and fan pages started every day. To stand out, you’ve got to earn new fans and repeat visitors with great content regularly.

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Peacock Tourism Goes Social

23 February

Besides Linked In and this new-ish website, Peacock Tourism is now active on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube.

Follow us for news and thoughts on social media marketing in the digital age for operators who know they need to be in that space but aren’t yet…We can help you strut your stuff online.