SOCIAL MEDIA FOR TRAVEL & LEISURE PROS 6/17/09

PR professional since 1991 Avid social Internet user since 1994 Online community builder since 1998 Blogger since 2001 Professional blog at www.larakretler.com Social media lead at Fahlgren Mortine PR Frequent speaker and interviewee about business applications for the social Web Travel nut and foodie About Lara Kretler

PR professional since 1991

Avid social Internet user since 1994

Online community builder since 1998

Blogger since 2001

Professional blog at www.larakretler.com

Social media lead at Fahlgren Mortine PR

Frequent speaker and interviewee about business applications for the social Web

Travel nut and foodie

Web 2.0 overview Why is it important? Guidelines and applications Case studies Key takeaways TODAY’S DISCUSSION

Web 2.0 overview

Why is it important?

Guidelines and applications

Case studies

Key takeaways

Social explosion Six out of top 10 websites are social sites Six out of 10 Internet users view consumer generated content

Six out of top 10 websites are social sites

Six out of 10 Internet users view consumer generated content

By the numbers More than 1 billion “Tweets” on Twitter 236 million annual visitors to Digg 200 active million users on Facebook 133 million blogs indexed by Technorati 70 million videos on Youtube 2.7 million articles on Wikipedia

More than 1 billion “Tweets” on Twitter

236 million annual visitors to Digg

200 active million users on Facebook

133 million blogs indexed by Technorati

70 million videos on Youtube

2.7 million articles on Wikipedia

Social media is even more important in the travel, tourism and hospitality business Another recent survey (Compete/Google) revealed 66% of destination travelers turn to family and friends for help

Social media is even more important in the travel, tourism and hospitality business

Another recent survey (Compete/Google) revealed 66% of destination travelers turn to family and friends for help

Social media even more important in the travel, tourism and hospitality business!

Social media even more important in the travel, tourism and hospitality business!

Benefits of social media Build deeper relationships and communities Increase awareness for your brand Broaden your network Achieve search engine prominence (SEO) Increase your web or blog traffic Break through clutter to reach journalists Bypass media to get straight to consumers Empower fans to become viral ambassadors for your brand

Build deeper relationships and communities

Increase awareness for your brand

Broaden your network

Achieve search engine prominence (SEO)

Increase your web or blog traffic

Break through clutter to reach journalists

Bypass media to get straight to consumers

Empower fans to become viral ambassadors for your brand

Emerging PR2.0 tactics Blogger relations: engage with influential bloggers Targeted outreach via comments, trackbacks, tagging Microblogging/micro pitching Twitter, Friendfeed, Ning socnets Strategic use of social bookmarking sites Delicious, StumbleUpon Online content placements/syndication Yahoo, Google, AOL Social media news releases PitchEngine, PRweb News release SEO tools HubSpot’s pressreleasegrader.com

Blogger relations: engage with influential bloggers

Targeted outreach via comments, trackbacks, tagging

Microblogging/micro pitching

Twitter, Friendfeed, Ning socnets

Strategic use of social bookmarking sites

Delicious, StumbleUpon

Online content placements/syndication

Yahoo, Google, AOL

Social media news releases

PitchEngine, PRweb

News release SEO tools

HubSpot’s pressreleasegrader.com

Basic social media strategy Listen to the conversation Review and analyze learnings Engage if and when it makes sense Monitor and adjust Measure results

Listen to the conversation

Review and analyze learnings

Engage if and when it makes sense

Monitor and adjust

Measure results

Rules of engagement Listen more than you talk Remember that it’s about them, not you Always be monitoring (listening) and responding (interacting) Provide value far beyond just your particular site or service

Listen more than you talk

Remember that it’s about them, not you

Always be monitoring (listening) and responding (interacting)

Provide value far beyond just your particular site or service

Phase one engagement Create a social media hub Blog Twitter account Facebook page Create social networking “spokes” leading out of, and back to, your hub YouTube Flickr TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc. Track and measure your progress to show improvements and ROI

Create a social media hub

Blog

Twitter account

Facebook page

Create social networking “spokes” leading out of, and back to, your hub

YouTube

Flickr

TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.

Track and measure your progress to show improvements and ROI

Next level engagement Ensure a consistent, positive image on: Blogs Travel & review sites (Tripadvisor, Yelp) Discussion boards and forums Social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace) Microblogging/lifestreams (Twitter, Friendfeed) Photo sharing (Flickr) Video sharing sites (Youtube, Viddler) Social search/sharing & tagging sites (Delicious, Digg)

Ensure a consistent, positive image on:

Blogs

Travel & review sites (Tripadvisor, Yelp)

Discussion boards and forums

Social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace)

Microblogging/lifestreams (Twitter, Friendfeed)

Photo sharing (Flickr)

Video sharing sites (Youtube, Viddler)

Social search/sharing & tagging sites (Delicious, Digg)

Top social networks Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Youtube Delicious Local sites

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Flickr

Youtube

Delicious

Local sites

Niche social sites Tripadvisor IgoUgo Virtualtourist.com Chowhound Guidespot GoSeeTell Yelp MyTravelGuide RealTravel Epinions DontGoThere.org

Tripadvisor

IgoUgo

Virtualtourist.com

Chowhound

Guidespot

GoSeeTell

Yelp

MyTravelGuide

RealTravel

Epinions

DontGoThere.org

Social networking fundamentals Profile Content Contacts/friends Search Know your key words/search terms Know where to search (e.g., Twitter searches on Summize.com) Etiquette/best practices: 70/20/10 Other functionalities vary by site

Profile

Content

Contacts/friends

Search

Know your key words/search terms

Know where to search (e.g., Twitter searches on Summize.com)

Etiquette/best practices: 70/20/10

Other functionalities vary by site

Social networking: step one Reserve your name http://namechk.com/ http://checkusernames.com/ http://knowem.com

Reserve your name

http://namechk.com/

http://checkusernames.com/

http://knowem.com

70 | 20 | 10 Formula for success

70 | 20 | 10

Create and share useful, meaningful content Can be as simple as updating your “status” regularly with news, information and links about your cause Answer questions, offer advice Provide tips and info related to your interests Showcase your expertise and gain credibility Add value to gain and keep followers/friends/ members Be human, memorable and likeable Build relationships on and off-line Contributing to the community

Create and share useful, meaningful content

Can be as simple as updating your “status” regularly with news, information and links about your cause

Answer questions, offer advice

Provide tips and info related to your interests

Showcase your expertise and gain credibility

Add value to gain and keep followers/friends/ members

Be human, memorable and likeable

Build relationships on and off-line

Blogs Are powerful communication and community tools Range in influence and authority Can become ambassadors for your cause or organization Are indexed at Technorati.com and AllTop.com

Are powerful communication and community tools

Range in influence and authority

Can become ambassadors for your cause or organization

Are indexed at Technorati.com and AllTop.com

The big picture

Blog commenting Your name Your email address (not shown publicly on the blog) Your URL (website or blog if applicable) Brief, on-topic comment about that specific blog post Show you read and appreciated the post Add value to the conversation Stay positive and professional – but a sense of humor is okay Offer relevant links if applicable (e.g., videos, podcasts or other related blog posts) Provide your take on the topic – but don’t showboat No more than a short paragraph or two Don’t sell, be self-promotional or “spamment”

Your name

Your email address (not shown publicly on the blog)

Your URL (website or blog if applicable)

Brief, on-topic comment about that specific blog post

Show you read and appreciated the post

Add value to the conversation

Stay positive and professional – but a sense of humor is okay

Offer relevant links if applicable (e.g., videos, podcasts or other related blog posts)

Provide your take on the topic – but don’t showboat

No more than a short paragraph or two

Don’t sell, be self-promotional or “spamment”

Possible comment topics What did the blogger say well? What did they miss? Answer questions What are other commenters or bloggers saying How does it apply to you Look forward Look backward Ask what if?

What did the blogger say well?

What did they miss?

Answer questions

What are other commenters or bloggers saying

How does it apply to you

Look forward

Look backward

Ask what if?

Building blogger relationships Link to the blog from your own Subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed Tweet a link to the blog Bookmark the post on a social bookmarking site (so others might find it) “ Like” it in FriendFeed Stumble it in StumbleUpon If it’s really good, Digg it Recommend it on Facebook Favorite the blog on Technorati Add it to your MyAllTop, NetVibes or Google Reader

Link to the blog from your own

Subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed

Tweet a link to the blog

Bookmark the post on a social bookmarking site (so others might find it)

“ Like” it in FriendFeed

Stumble it in StumbleUpon

If it’s really good, Digg it

Recommend it on Facebook

Favorite the blog on Technorati

Add it to your MyAllTop, NetVibes or Google Reader

Why blog? Blogging nets invaluable insights Serves as a home base for all social media activity Facilitates two-way conversation Helps you interact with bloggers more effectively Delivers search engine optimization benefits Acts as powerful market research tool Gives voice and personality to your brand

Blogging nets invaluable insights

Serves as a home base for all social media activity

Facilitates two-way conversation

Helps you interact with bloggers more effectively

Delivers search engine optimization benefits

Acts as powerful market research tool

Gives voice and personality to your brand

Twitter basics Free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows anyone to say anything to anybody Instant one-to-many messages of 140 characters or less. Great way to communicate and engage with potential visitors True value is in who you follow and how you listen ( www.summize.com )

Free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows anyone to say anything to anybody

Instant one-to-many messages of 140 characters or less.

Great way to communicate and engage with potential visitors

True value is in who you follow and how you listen ( www.summize.com )

Who to follow on Twitter People or places you admire or want to learn from People or places you aspire to be like People sharing valuable news, links and information Search your keywords on Summize.com to find people talking about your interests – then follow them

People or places you admire or want to learn from

People or places you aspire to be like

People sharing valuable news, links and information

Search your keywords on Summize.com to find people talking about your interests – then follow them

Twitter best practices Be interesting, memorable, smart Promote your cause without “spamming” your followers Provide something of value – information, links, tips, humor, personality, humanity Listen more than you talk Formula for success: 70 | 20 | 10

Be interesting, memorable, smart

Promote your cause without “spamming” your followers

Provide something of value – information, links, tips, humor, personality, humanity

Listen more than you talk

Formula for success: 70 | 20 | 10

Social bookmarking Save, tag, manage and share web links in one centralized place Emphasizes the power of the community Taps into the “deep Web” Improves how we discover, remember and share online

Save, tag, manage and share web links in one centralized place

Emphasizes the power of the community

Taps into the “deep Web”

Improves how we discover, remember and share online

Delicious 101 Save all your favorite sites and links in one place Find other, similar sites based on your interests, key words and network Uncover hidden resources using the power of social search Use tags to help you find and share things easily

Save all your favorite sites and links in one place

Find other, similar sites based on your interests, key words and network

Uncover hidden resources using the power of social search

Use tags to help you find and share things easily

Delicious 201 Reach out to other community members sharing similar links Add them to your network Share links with them by tagging as “for:larak” Explain why you’re sharing link with them in the Notes field – promote your brand without spamming

Reach out to other community members sharing similar links

Add them to your network

Share links with them by tagging as “for:larak”

Explain why you’re sharing link with them in the Notes field – promote your brand without spamming

Online reputation management Google is your true home page Show your best face online Check entries on Wikipedia, travel Web sites Monitor and participate in blogs and message boards Respond when it makes sense Reach out and fix problems where possible

Google is your true home page

Show your best face online

Check entries on Wikipedia, travel Web sites

Monitor and participate in blogs and message boards

Respond when it makes sense

Reach out and fix problems where possible

“ With the right knowledge and resources, you can impact the results search engines show for specific queries, pushing down negative listings and replacing them with positive ones.” ~Rand Fishkin, SEO guru Online reputation management

“ With the right knowledge and resources, you can impact the results search engines show for specific queries, pushing down negative listings and replacing them with positive ones.”

~Rand Fishkin, SEO guru

CASE STUDIES

Ohio DMOs on Twitter One in the top US/Canada top ten…

One in the top US/Canada top ten…

Ohio DMOs on Twitter One in the top US/Canada top ten… Experience Columbus!

One in the top US/Canada top ten… Experience Columbus!

Ohio DMOs on Twitter One in the US/Canada top ten… Experience Columbus! Another in the top twenty…

One in the US/Canada top ten… Experience Columbus!

Another in the top twenty…

Ohio DMOs on Twitter One in the US/Canada top ten… Experience Columbus Another in the top twenty… Positively Cleveland

One in the US/Canada top ten… Experience Columbus

Another in the top twenty… Positively Cleveland

Experience Columbus Launch of edgy new destination marketing campaign Goal: get local ambassadors talking and engaged Hosted blogger event 7/31 Invited 50 and 35 bloggers attended – all 35 blogged Results: overwhelming response, BUT not all positive about new ads! “ The campaign may not have received four-star reviews. But Experience Columbus certainly did.” ~Advergirl Results saved online at http://delicious.com/LaraK/ExperienceColumbus

Launch of edgy new destination marketing campaign

Goal: get local ambassadors talking and engaged

Hosted blogger event 7/31

Invited 50 and 35 bloggers attended – all 35 blogged

Results: overwhelming response, BUT not all positive about new ads!

“ The campaign may not have received four-star reviews. But Experience Columbus certainly did.” ~Advergirl

Results saved online at http://delicious.com/LaraK/ExperienceColumbus

Caminito Argentinean Steakhouse Single-location restaurant in Northampton, Mass The Prime Cuts Blog shares cooking and kitchen tips, tricks, recipes and more Prime Cuts TV channel on YouTube and Viddler for weekly/bi-weekly how-to videos Social monitoring and response program Active on Yelp.com; encourages visitors to leave reviews there Presence on MySpace , Upcoming , Facebook , Twitter , Plurk , FriendFeed , LinkedIn and Flickr Results: 30% increase in sales when competitors are flat or down

Single-location restaurant in Northampton, Mass

The Prime Cuts Blog shares cooking and kitchen tips, tricks, recipes and more

Prime Cuts TV channel on YouTube and Viddler for weekly/bi-weekly how-to videos

Social monitoring and response program

Active on Yelp.com; encourages visitors to leave reviews there

Presence on MySpace , Upcoming , Facebook , Twitter , Plurk , FriendFeed , LinkedIn and Flickr

Results: 30% increase in sales when competitors are flat or down

Social media guidelines This has become part of how we do business Balance emphasis on social media with expertise in content Incorporate social media strategies and tools into marketing mix Deliver the right message to the right audience via the right medium Unique opportunity to listen to, learn from and influence the consumer-led conversation At the end of the day, it’s still about telling our stories!

This has become part of how we do business

Balance emphasis on social media with expertise in content

Incorporate social media strategies and tools into marketing mix

Deliver the right message to the right audience via the right medium

Unique opportunity to listen to, learn from and influence the consumer-led conversation

At the end of the day, it’s still about telling our stories!

Social media monitoring sites www.Whostalkin.com www.Socialmention.com www.Summize.com for Twitter Travel and tourism social media resources http://delicious.com/LaraK/tourism http://travel2dot0.wordpress.com http://www.goseetell.com/blog Useful tools

Social media monitoring sites

www.Whostalkin.com

www.Socialmention.com

www.Summize.com for Twitter

Travel and tourism social media resources

http://delicious.com/LaraK/tourism

http://travel2dot0.wordpress.com

http://www.goseetell.com/blog

Begin or expand your social media monitoring/ listening program Create a social media hub and a few spokes Use RSS feeds to bring your news and blogs to you daily Read travel blogs and join relevant socnets/ communities Comment on blogs as a way of engaging with your influencers Start a Delicious page for your brand and/or yourself On Twitter and in all of social media, focus on the 70/20/10 formula Seven things to take away

Begin or expand your social media monitoring/ listening program

Create a social media hub and a few spokes

Use RSS feeds to bring your news and blogs to you daily

Read travel blogs and join relevant socnets/ communities

Comment on blogs as a way of engaging with your influencers

Start a Delicious page for your brand and/or yourself

On Twitter and in all of social media, focus on the 70/20/10 formula

QUESTIONS? [email_address] @LaraK on Twitter Blog at www.larakretler.com 614-383-1618 (w) 937-271-9151 (c)