Maximising Digital Marketing: Andrew Binns Head of Strategy
The Digital Toolkit Website E-commerce Personalisation Customisation Blogs Facebook Twitter Google+ Vine Instagram Pinterest Email Marketing CMS CRM YouTube LinkedIn PPC SEO Viral Marketing Microsites
Before you begin... Think strategically Define what your audience need What are your wider business goals? How can digital support these? Define what resource you have available This allows you to decide what tools are most appropriate for your business
E-newsletters The travel and tourism industry has seen a growth in newsletter emails being opened (+1.2% y-o-y) BUT there is a 0.5% drop in people clicking-through How can you use this as a tool to drive people through to your site? Want people to take action Fresh, relevant content; not just a summary of that week on the website Great imagery Variety makes people want to open the email! Provide them with useful content
SEO The #2 ranked activity on the web is searching The starting-point for most online journeys of discovery Research, navigation & transaction Most frequently the final step in the process
Requires time and investment SEO (cont.) Content focus use every opportunity - Meta content - Image tags - Create content that serves a user query what will people search for? - Create unique content about YOUR business don t waste resource on content that can be found elsewhere, e.g. Guides to the region ; this will not impact on your SEO Offsite - Link building: get links from your suppliers and stakeholders
Tourists on social media 40% of online travellers visit social networking sites to influence destination selection Facebook has the greatest influence over 25-34 year-olds holiday choices, and the greatest influence over men TripAdvisor had the greatest impact on female booking habits 92% of consumers around the world say they trust earned media, such as word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising - an increase of 18% since 2007
Using social media to appeal to tourists Showcasing your location and what you do Creating ambassadors: generating user content Visitor communication: before, during and after visit
Showcasing your location & what you do Social media allows visitors behind the scenes Don t just replicate your website; look for something different An insight into what you do
Showcasing your location & what you do Use the right tools for the right audience There is a variety of tools available; - Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Flickr - Instagram - Pinterest - Vine You do not need all: which is most suited to you?
The Human Brochure
Encouraging user content Providing consistent content Rewarding posts comments, likes, etc Calls to action both on social media and on physical location Highlighting the best images Competition mechanic Not just images; tips, reviews, etc ask people s opinions Using user content (with permission) allowing people to see the value of their content to you, e.g. on your website, reviews on posters, etc
Creating ambassadors Creating social content that people are happy to share Being friendly, welcoming and not just focused on new visitors Social media cannot change the experience offline; it will reflect it. A good experience at your venue means people will be much more likely to post about it
Talking to visitors Customer service tool You are their connection to your venue or service You are the expert voice; be there to provide them with a better experience than they would have if they weren t a fan or follower
Talking to visitors: before Showcase your venue / service Build excitement Answer any queries make planning the trip easier, as if they are speaking to a real person Point them to ambassadors real experiences Drive people to where they can take action
Talking to visitors: during Customer service any queries? Encourage photos, etc promotion during experience Live feel what is happening now Least likely to engage at this stage without offline encouragement
Talking to visitors: after Way to keep in touch with you Keep up to date with your news Find out what s new, reasons for visiting again Encouraging them to share photos and reviews of their experience: act as ambassadors
Engaging with Visit Swale
Getting your business promoted Lots of opportunities for Visit Swale to be promoting YOUR business Your content can become: - Part of your specific section on the website - An event listing - A news story / event in the newsletter - A post on Twitter - A post on Facebook
Getting involved Submit your news and events Provide great imagery the Visit Swale site focuses heavily on great use of images and it also means your social media posts are more likely to engage an audience Engage with the Visit Swale social media content Engage with the Visit Swale social media audience if someone asking what to do in Swale that weekend, step in and let them know what is going on in YOUR venue Visit Swale provides you access to YOUR audience
Any questions?
Thank you