Image courtesy of US Government Works
For today’s travelers, sharing “tales from the road” online has become as commonplace as sending a postcard or buying a souvenir. If Jane has the best crab cake ever while she’s on vacation, she’ll tell the world, blogging about it to her fellow foodies on Yelp, complimenting the chef on Twitter and “liking” the restaurant on Facebook. Or maybe Joe loved the view from the eco-lodge where his family stayed last week? He’s likely to rave about it on TripAdvisor – and even post a few pictures along with his praise.
These days, more and more travelers are sharing their experiences online, and as a result, social media is shaping consumer opinion and driving traffic to (and from) businesses all around the world. We hear a lot about how social media allows negative comments to adhere to a brand image, which is true and a real concern, but the only way to tame the impact of negative comments is to have a lot of positive comments surrounding them.
Rather than run for cover, smart companies are embracing social platforms and digital marketing strategies as powerful tools to help promote their brands. Travel companies have a strong advantage in this space, since travel brands are built on loyalty, and loyalty is built on great experiences – your own, or others you trust. Nowhere is it more important for consumers to see positive comments from “people like them” rather than just hearing the company view. The travel industry is fiercely competitive and very price driven, an environment clearly benefiting from the embrace of consumer reviews.
The hotelier Best Western, for example, partners with Medallia to collect guest feedback and monitor customer sentiment in social channels and on travel review sites (and yes, that includes insights about competitors, as well). With more than 4,000 hotels in 100 countries, Best Western recognizes that participation in online social networks allows the company valuable opportunities to engage with travelers, improve the customer experience and deliver brand value.
In short, Best Western is embracing social media because engagement on digital channels has become a huge plus for the brand. The vast majority of online conversations are positive–and they’re happening all day, every day, all across the globe.
“Why shy away from that opportunity? A company could never pay for that amount of property-specific chatter,” Michael Morton, Vice-President of Member Services for Best Western told Aprimo CMO Lisa Arthur earlier this year.
A quick peek at Best Western’s travel blog, www.Youmustbetrippin.com, reveals how the company uses real-life experiences (and photos) to promote the joys of travel. This summer, for example, Jason F. is riding his motorcycle across New England and sharing the journey with readers. Plus, Best Western uses its Facebook page to post weekly travel trivia contests, surveys and features like “Travel Caption Saturday” – in addition to company news and customer care. You’ll see the same level of engagement in Best Western’s Twitter stream.
Other companies are following suit, using a full range of digital marketing initiatives aimed at reaching out to customers, who in turn, reinforce brand messages with their posts, Tweets, photos and reviews.
Air France introduced a free iPhone app that lets customers organize their trip via mobile phone. Air France fliers can purchase tickets, check in and keep informed of flight information, all in real time.
Air France currently has more than 800,000 friends on Facebook (wow!), where the airline posts company news and engages its customers with frequent quizzes. “How many wheels are there on an A380?” one post asks. More than three thousand people responded (even more wow!). What’s more, Air France will soon be rewarding socially-engaged customers with free travel. Passengers will be encouraged to upload their travel photos at the Air France Facebook page. Then, Facebook friends will vote on their favorites, and the winners will receive free air travel, reports The New York Times. I’m a huge fan of such “participation bribery,” when it’s done in a respectful and meaningful manner. But offer too high a reward and the credibility and value of the participation goes down.
Airbnb, which lists properties for rent all over the world, has created a new customer-generated service called “Wish List.” It encourages people to visite the site and create a wish list of places they’d like to go. Then, Airbnb posts some of these wish lists on its site, letting real customers do an honest job of promoting the site’s offerings. Jack, for example, dreams of staying in a houseboat on an Amsterdam canal. Visitors to the site can read reviews of each property and get inspired to start their own wish lists. (I’ll admit it: After a few clicks, I was daydreaming about my next vacation!)
Travel companies know word-of-mouth is often their most powerful marketing tool, and now they’re using digital channels to help everyone from business travelers to vacationers share their experiences with a worldwide online audience. The key, as with all social media initiatives, is for companies to be authentic and responsive. Done right, and with the help of a powerful marketing database like those supported by Aprimo, you, too, can use social networks, apps and online reviews to showcase your customer service, improve the customer experience and drive sales.
About Stephanie Miller
