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Archive for June, 2011
Official colours of the Rainbow Flag. Which version do you prefer? 8 vs 6
The 2011 IGLTA Convention (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida USA) identified one important factor to be considered when deciding on a campaign focusing on social media vs traditional media – the reach and its quality. This relies on maturity of your markets and the type of consumer you are targeting.
Social media is a unique marketing tool for both the press and travel products to get the consumer in an instant. Traditional media and new media add to your PR strategy providing depth and inspiration to travelers to capture their interest before the social media takes affect.
Social media offers that touch point, viral campaigns can bring interested consumers in direct communication with you. KLM recently ran a viral quiz campaign targeting the gay market. This allowed the airline to connect with interested consumers it had not connected with before and therefore grow its marketing database.
Social media is a public relations meets marketing exercise; you can’t force people to join your fan page or Tweeter profile you can just remind them you’re there in a way that extenuates their interest.
The conundrum marketers face is – invest time in social media and hope it is a success, or invest money on more traditional ROIs.
Australia’s Best Job In The World viral campaign that earned 100’s millions still cost $1million to launch and manage – so even social media campaigns need an injection of budget somewhere.
However, if one statement is clear when targeting the gay market or any niche market; the sound of one considered and intelligent mark of respect can earn brownie points for years; and if you’re prepared for the long haul this could bring them over forever. Make your products relevant and be consistent in your approach.
Note: Social media was the hot topic of the IGLTA Convention. CVBs, Tourist Boards, Tour Operators, Hotels, Car Rental Companies and Airlines are all trying to find ways to not just contact the gay market but engage them. However, with budgets smashed, more executives are trying to fit ‘gay’ in as a legitimate market with the leanest of resources. For more information, see IGLTA or ask Dee Farrell, proud member since incorporation.
The adage “keep it simple” goes a long way with Facebook fan pages and business blogs. Below are ways for new players to maximize their online presence and social networking with minimum resources and a small budget by using the KISS rule.
1 Make time
Try to set aside an hour a day to work on your page, post updates and communicate directly with guests and fans.
2 Start with a small budget
If you do decide to try ads, you’re better off starting out doing small test ads to see what kind of performance you get in a month, and then ramp it up when you figure out which demographics and keywords you want to target.
3 Create a page, not a profile
Start with a personal page and build up your friends list. These folks are the first people you want to invite to become fans of your business page.
4 Have one-on-one conversations
Send a thank you and personalized message right after someone clicks “like” on your page or makes a “comment” on your blog – if they are worthwhile and relevant only.
5 Post cool status updates
Have a goal of one post per day to your page’s wall and one a week on your blog.
Finally, Learn as much as you can. Take notes based on your experiences with social media posting and blogging so you can research answers to your questions later. If you need a coach, ask the birds-of-a-feather at Peacock Tourism Marketing.