STA Explorers social media toolkit

What’s social media? Any interactive online media It’s all about creating, sharing and discussing: the people have the power 1.5 billion people have PC and mobile internet access across the world At some stage, 90% of them interact with the 5 million + social media communities online Social media sites include blogs, microblogs, forums, social networks, photo and video sharing sites, social bookmarking sites and many, many more It’s big, it’s powerful and it’s ours

Any interactive online media

It’s all about creating, sharing and discussing: the people have the power

1.5 billion people have PC and mobile internet access across the world

At some stage, 90% of them interact with the 5 million + social media communities online

Social media sites include blogs, microblogs, forums, social networks, photo and video sharing sites, social bookmarking sites and many, many more

It’s big, it’s powerful and it’s ours

What’s an STA Explorer? Er, You An adventurous travel and social media pioneer, who’s showing others just how brilliantly you can use the internet to share your experiences when travelling Someone who has booked their trip with STA Travel and who is also willing to tell it like it is about their experiences of STA, such as staff, deals and tours We’re working on the premise that people going away don’t want to speak to a slick travel salesman in a suit or trawl through glossy tourist-trap brochures - they want to see what real people are saying about their experiences of planning, funding, booking and of course actually going on their trip, in an honest, direct, and entertaining way.

Er, You

An adventurous travel and social media pioneer, who’s showing others just how brilliantly you can use the internet to share your experiences when travelling

Someone who has booked their trip with STA Travel and who is also willing to tell it like it is about their experiences of STA, such as staff, deals and tours

We’re working on the premise that people going away don’t want to speak to a slick travel salesman in a suit or trawl through glossy tourist-trap brochures - they want to see what real people are saying about their experiences of planning, funding, booking and of course actually going on their trip, in an honest, direct, and entertaining way.

Why is it brilliant? You’ll make like-minded friends, contacts and travel buddies from all over the world. You’ll know how to use all the best social media tools to make a name for yourself online, not just as a traveller but as a tech-savvy mover and shaker. It’s a habit. You’ll get hooked. This is brilliant to show to employers. People have even written books and made films thanks to social media. You’re giving people advice, tips and entertaining insights into the whole big damn world and what it’s like to travel in it: broadening your horizons and their own

You’ll make like-minded friends, contacts and travel buddies from all over the world.

You’ll know how to use all the best social media tools to make a name for yourself online, not just as a traveller but as a tech-savvy mover and shaker. It’s a habit. You’ll get hooked.

This is brilliant to show to employers. People have even written books and made films thanks to social media.

You’re giving people advice, tips and entertaining insights into the whole big damn world and what it’s like to travel in it: broadening your horizons and their own

Why is it brilliant? You’re helping other travellers get honest, independent, detailed opinions about the experience of booking and travelling with STA Travel. That means they can make the right decisions. They’ll love you for it. You’ll have an amazing multimedia record of your travels (and whatever else you want to discuss and share) for you, your friends and your family

You’re helping other travellers get honest, independent, detailed opinions about the experience of booking and travelling with STA Travel. That means they can make the right decisions. They’ll love you for it.

You’ll have an amazing multimedia record of your travels (and whatever else you want to discuss and share) for you, your friends and your family

Travel + social media =  Travelling and social media are made for each other: the world is your inspiration and your audience. People WANT your thoughts, your advice, your images, your insights It can be useful, entertaining, engaging, multimedia, silly, sad, sweet and even life changing. Here’s a few examples why: www.wherethehellismatt.com http://grahamettridge.blogspot.com/ www.vagablogging.net/

Travelling and social media are made for each other: the world is your inspiration and your audience. People WANT your thoughts, your advice, your images, your insights

It can be useful, entertaining, engaging, multimedia, silly, sad, sweet and even life changing.

Here’s a few examples why:

www.wherethehellismatt.com

http://grahamettridge.blogspot.com/

www.vagablogging.net/

Now over to you… Make the STA Explorer project your own. Whether you’re writing your blog posts, taking photos, making a video or just chatting in forums, be yourself and express yourself - be original and creative, that way it’s bound to be good. Surprise us! Surprise yourself! Upload as much stuff as you can, as often as possible People want honest opinions on STA Travel, so review and discuss anything STA-related: your booking experiences, flights, insurance, any tours or accommodation they organised, support whilst you’re out there, ease of changing tickets and plans, future plans with them Don’t be shy to about what you’re doing as an STA Explorer. Speak up about why you’re getting involved, what you hope to get out of it and any ideas you have to make the project better.

Make the STA Explorer project your own. Whether you’re writing your blog posts, taking photos, making a video or just chatting in forums, be yourself and express yourself - be original and creative, that way it’s bound to be good. Surprise us! Surprise yourself!

Upload as much stuff as you can, as often as possible

People want honest opinions on STA Travel, so review and discuss anything STA-related: your booking experiences, flights, insurance, any tours or accommodation they organised, support whilst you’re out there, ease of changing tickets and plans, future plans with them

Don’t be shy to about what you’re doing as an STA Explorer. Speak up about why you’re getting involved, what you hope to get out of it and any ideas you have to make the project better.

Now over to you… Interact with other STA Explorers. Make comments on their blogs, hook up with them on Twitter, link to their sites, keep an eye on their updates through our group FriendFeed and even try to meet up and collaborate If you tag your content (posts, photos, videos etc) ‘STA Travel’ it will make it easier for fellow STA travellers searching on the net to find you

Interact with other STA Explorers. Make comments on their blogs, hook up with them on Twitter, link to their sites, keep an eye on their updates through our group FriendFeed and even try to meet up and collaborate

If you tag your content (posts, photos, videos etc) ‘STA Travel’ it will make it easier for fellow STA travellers searching on the net to find you

Er, but where? And how? Obviously, use whichever social media sites and tools you want and like (be brave! find new and better ones! we don’t know everything, in fact Sam knows virtually nothing!) However, if you want a bit of guidance, we’ve put together a list of some we like below As a minimum we’d recommend you aim to use at least one tool from each group (blogs, microblogs, photos, videos, aggregating, bookmarking) Also don’t forget to join at least one of the big travel forums out there to swap ideas, advice and stories And interact with other STA Explorers’ content. The online travel tools section of STA travelbuzz will give you some more detailed tips and be regularly updated (Molly, get your arse in gear): http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/category/online-travel-tools/

Obviously, use whichever social media sites and tools you want and like (be brave! find new and better ones! we don’t know everything, in fact Sam knows virtually nothing!)

However, if you want a bit of guidance, we’ve put together a list of some we like below

As a minimum we’d recommend you aim to use at least one tool from each group (blogs, microblogs, photos, videos, aggregating, bookmarking)

Also don’t forget to join at least one of the big travel forums out there to swap ideas, advice and stories

And interact with other STA Explorers’ content.

The online travel tools section of STA travelbuzz will give you some more detailed tips and be regularly updated (Molly, get your arse in gear): http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk/category/online-travel-tools/

Tools we like Blogs: W http://del.icio.us Deli.cio.us http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa Lonely Planet FORUMS http://www.travellerspoint.com/ Travellerspoint http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/ The Student Room www.technorati.com Technorati BOOKMARKING http://digg.com Digg http://www.travbuddy.com/forums TravBuddy http://pingomatic.com/ Ping –o -matic www.friendfeed.com FriendFeed AGGREGATING http://blip.tv Blip.TV www.vimeo.com Vimeo www.youtube.com YouTube VIDEOS http://picasa.google.com/ Picasa www.flickr.com Flickr PHOTOS www.jaiku.com Jaiku www.plazes.com Plazes www.twitter.com Twitter MICROBLOGS www.blogger.com Blogger www.wordpress.com Wordpress BLOGS

Blogging tips Posted by Hugh Macleod – on www.gapingvoid.com Be original, opinionated and creative i.e. yourself Post as often as you can; aim for once a day Organise posts into clear categories (Milan, Food) and tag them with relevant keywords (tango, STA Travel) Include as much multimedia stuff as you can: embed photos, take videos, even include your favourite playlists Imagine what you would like to see and read yourself on an STA Explorer blog: what would you find useful, interesting, engaging? Read and comment on other blogs and forums you like and link to them on your blogroll Register for sites like Technorati, Digg and Del.icio.us and rate sites you love, so others will do the same for you Posted by Hugh Macleod – on www.gapingvoid.com

Be original, opinionated and creative i.e. yourself

Post as often as you can; aim for once a day

Organise posts into clear categories (Milan, Food) and tag them with relevant keywords (tango, STA Travel)

Include as much multimedia stuff as you can: embed photos, take videos, even include your favourite playlists

Imagine what you would like to see and read yourself on an STA Explorer blog: what would you find useful, interesting, engaging?

Read and comment on other blogs and forums you like and link to them on your blogroll

Register for sites like Technorati, Digg and Del.icio.us and rate sites you love, so others will do the same for you

Blogging tips Tell people about what you’re doing. Put a blog widget on your Facebook profile, spread your content everywhere, tell your friends, Don’t be afraid to ask us for advice, even stupid stuff Just do it. Enjoy it. Jump in with both feet. Relax. Have a beer. This could be the start of a beautiful social media relationship.

Tell people about what you’re doing. Put a blog widget on your Facebook profile, spread your content everywhere, tell your friends,

Don’t be afraid to ask us for advice, even stupid stuff

Just do it. Enjoy it. Jump in with both feet. Relax. Have a beer. This could be the start of a beautiful social media relationship.

Keep in contact http://www.statravelbuzz.co.uk http://friendfeed.com/rooms/sta-explorers http://twitter.com/statravelbuzz [email_address] [email_address] [email_address] 07786729313