Ellison Roberts Report

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Tourism Consultancy Venture: Ellison Roberts
Ioana Dobos, JinWoo Lee, Giulia Giovagnoli,
Jodie Rhodes, Emily Wright

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List of Figures
Figure1: International tourist arrivals in India, 2013-2014……………………………………………. Page
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Figure2: AverageSpending ofWellness Tourists………………………………………………........... Page
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Figure3: Wellness tourism byregion, 2012 &2013……………………………………………………… Page
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Figure4: Integratedmarketing communicationmodel……………………………………….......... Page
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Figure5: 10 Years of Facebook………………………………………………………………………........... Page
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Figure6: Top 9of LeadingGlobal Social Networks…………………………………………………….. Page
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Figure7: Social Seniors Flockto Facebook………………………………………………….…………….. Page
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Figure8: ImpactofMonthly FacebookPostson Clicks per Post………………………..….......... Page
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Figure9: Ellison Robertscompetitor FacebookSummary……………………………….………….. Page
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Figure10:Existing posts uploaded byEllison Roberts…………………………………...……………. Page
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Figure11:Recommended futurepost………………………………………………………...……………. Page
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Figure12:Example ofpromotional Post……………………………………………………………......... Page
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Figure13:PreviousLogo………………………………………………………………………………………… Page
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Figure14:Recommended Logo………………………………………………………………………………. Page
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Figure15: Example of existing coverpicture………………………………………………………......... Page
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Figure16:Example ofrecommended picture…………………………………………………………….. Page
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 What the Project Aim to Achieve.......................................................................................... 3
1.2 Objectives........................................................................................................................... 3
1.3 Feasibility............................................................................................................................ 4
2. Market Research on Indian Specialist Holidays............................................................................ 5
2.1. General Demographics .......................................................................................................5
2.1.1. Niche Indian Tourism....................................................................................................6
2.1.2 Summary.................................................................................................................... 10
3. Research Method.................................................................................................................... 11
4. Marketing Communication Contemporary Practice................................................................... 12
4.1. Integrated Marketing Communications.............................................................................. 12
4.1.1. Marketing Communication Channels........................................................................... 14
4.2. Organisations Use of Social Media..................................................................................... 17
4.2.1. Social Media Brand Awareness ................................................................................... 18
4.2.2. Consumers Use of Social Media .................................................................................. 19
5. Facebook................................................................................................................................ 20
5.1. What is Facebook? ........................................................................................................... 20
5.2. Facebook Users................................................................................................................ 21
5.2.1. Facebook for Businesses............................................................................................. 23
5.2.2. Facebook best practices ............................................................................................. 23
6. Ellison Roberts’ Competitors.................................................................................................... 26
6.1. Benchmarking................................................................................................................. 26
6.2. Creating a Competitive Advantage.................................................................................... 26
6.2.1. The Leading Competitors for Ellison Roberts................................................................ 27
6.3. Summary of Competitors.................................................................................................. 30
7. Recommendation based on Facebook Best Practice and Benchmarking ..................................... 31
8. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 36
9. Appendices............................................................................................................................. 37

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9.1. Example of Cox & King’s Facebook Engagement................................................................. 37
9.2. Example of Cox & King’s Facebook ‘About’ and Respond Time ............................................ 37
9.3. Table of estimated engagement based on the word count.................................................. 38
9.4. Table of average impact and percentage of posts viewed ................................................... 38
9.5. Example of Respond Time................................................................................................. 39
9.6. Example of ‘About’ Section on Facebook............................................................................ 39
9.7. Advert Board Prices.......................................................................................................... 40
9.8. Carnegie Social Media Consultants Meetings ..................................................................... 41
9.9. Summary of Client Meeting............................................................................................... 57
9.10. Gantt Chart .................................................................................................................... 59
10. References............................................................................................................................ 60

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Executive Summary
India is one ofthe most popular destination with 838,860 UK travellers in 2015(Mintel, 2015),
therefore numeroustouroperators like Ellison Roberts have specialised in providing tailor made
experiences to the Indiansubcontinental. Ellison Roberts is a tour operatorbased in Wakefield,
facingchallenges on how to improve their social media campaign, mainly onhow to use Facebook
to increase the number of consumersand their interaction with the company’swebsite. Ellison
Roberts target market is individuals between 50-70-year-old, therefore usingsecondaryresearch,
different marketing communicationchannelsand best practiceshave been identified to help Ellison
Roberts build a strongercampaign and a better relationship with customers.
Demographicsand type of Indianholidays are includedin the first partof the report whichgives a
general backgroundidea oftop most preferredtype ofholidays in Indiaincluding luxurytrain,
wellness and wildlife tourism. These type of holidays are likely to appeal toan older age group
averaging between 35-65+ withan interest in soft-adventure(CBI,2015) andahigher disposable
income (Nielsen, 2011) aspackages’ prices canvary from£2000 to£5000 (Nielsen,2011).
Additionally, secondary researchis undertakento give an understanding of marketing
communicationsand how technologicaldevelopments have impacted the way these workand the
improvement that these have broughtto businessesin relation to consumers’purchasingbehaviour
(Belch,2006).
Facebookhad 1.7bnusers in 2016(Statista,2016) withnumerousbusinessesand people accounts.
This report focusesonthe use ofFacebookby individuals between 50-70,as they are Ellison Roberts
target market. 64%ofFacebookusers are women (Duggan,2015) incomparisonto39%male
(Cohen,2014).Socialmedia is mostly usedby these age groupto:to keep in touchwithfamily and
friends; whether48%use it to share pictures andopinions (Doughty,2015).Ontheotherhand, the
use ofFacebookby businesses is followed by a list of best practices,recommended by the industry,
onhow toimprove businesses’ useFacebook.
Benchmarkingis usedto compare Ellison Roberts’ performancein comparisonto its competitors
and their use Facebookin terms of the numberof likes, ratings, reviews, time of post.Ellison
Roberts’ is positioned last, in comparisonto its main competitors: AudleyTravel, Coxand Kings,
TransIndus,Kerala Connectionsand Ampersand.AudleyTravel is at the top ofthe list with 26,668
comparedwith 931 fromEllison Roberts, therefore, improvements must be made by the company.

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It is highly recommended forEllison Roberts tomake a few chancesontheir use ofFacebookand
website. Suggestions are made in relation to their useof profile and coverpicture,‘about us’
section, time of posts,techniquesto attract customers,connectionbetween social media and
website, time ofresponse to comments andreviews and the company’soverall involvement with
the social media platform.

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1. Introduction
Ellison Roberts is a small tour operator offering specialist luxuryholidays to the Indian subcontinent
and beyond. ”The USP of Ellison Roberts is its in-depth knowledge of Indian subcontinent and S E Asian
destinations and the ability to provide appealing holiday itineraries catering both to general and special
interests e.g. cookery tours, cultural tours and wildlife tours, and having an extensive portfolio of high quality
heritage hotels and homestays to call upon” (Ellison Roberts/ Facebook, 2017).All individuals working
within Ellison Robertsare extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the destinations in which
they operate and the tour packages offered. This report will provide academic information and
solutions onhow the companycan best operate in the dynamic tourism industry.
1.1 What the Project Aim to Achieve
The aim of this project is to provide identification of the most appropriate, valuable social media
marketing practices, and increase the awareness and visibility of Ellison Roberts via social media,
focusingonFacebook.This project is taking place aiming to satisfy Ellison Roberts desire to increase
views, likes, reviews andoverall customers’involvement towardstheir Facebookpage.
1.2 Objectives
These are objectives set by the consultancyteam aiming to help undertake a step to step processto
achieve the aim:
● To analyse the target market ofUK customersengaging in nichetourism in India.
● To analyse andreview secondary researchto identify industrybest practices regarding.
● Facebookand assess feasibility of other relevant marketing communicationchannels.
● To review social media patterns and Facebookusageof currenttarget audience.
● To identify challenges andissues in relation to FacebookforEllison Roberts.
● To identify Ellison Robert’s competitors andtheir approachtosocial media.
● To suggest recommendations that Ellison Roberts can apply immediately, suggest future
long-term developments in aneffective and cost-friendlyapproach.

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1.3 Feasibility
To ensure the project is completed effectively and in a timely manner, a Gantt chart was created
delegating individual tasks for members as well as groupmeetings. The Gantt chartshowswhatwas
completed on a weekly basis from the start ofthe consultancyprojectuntilthe projectwasfed back
to the client. A copy of the Gantt Chart can be found within the Appendix of this report (See
Appendicies9.10).

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2. Market Research on Indian Specialist Holidays
2.1. General Demographics
India has become increasingly popular for UK citizens, around 838,860 British tourists travelled to
India in 2015 (Mintel, 2015). Kelly (2012) states that the UK is the second largest market in terms of
inbound tourism markets and in 2011 the UK accounted for 12.57% of international arrivals. Most
British tourists travel to India from October to December or from January to March (See Figure 1).
The most predominant age groupofBritish visitors in India is 45-54year olds; followedby 35-44year
olds and 55-64year olds (Bhatia, 2012).
India is perceived to be more expensive than other destinations and for this reason, visitors tend to
have a middle to higher disposable income (Nielsen, 2011). The most popular packages for tourists
visiting India rangebetween £2000 and£5000perpersonforadurationoftwoweeks(Nielsen, 2011).
Cleland (2008) states that those who are classed as middle class to upper middle class tend to be
earning between £33,000 and£52,000peryear.
According to ABTA members, those aged between 50 and 70 years old tend to be travelling further
andlooking foradventurousandphysically-challengingholidays (ABTA,2015).Ingeneral,seniorsare
physically healthier than ever before and include more activities in their lives than previous
generations (CBI,2015).Touristsaged between 50 and 70 years old are interested in “softadventure
activities” more than ever before, also likely to travel during the peak season (October-December,
January-March) (CBI,2015).Furthermore,thesetravellersare most likely topay fora packageswhich
consider characteristics such as convenience and the “everything-taken-care-of” approach (Daily
Mail, 2013). Generally, European senior travellers are willing to spend on trips and new experiences
more than any other age group(CBI,2015).
Inthe comingyears, health and wellness tourism is expected to grow significantly forsenior tourists
from Europe due to low treatment prices and highly-trained professionals, these tend to be
reasonably priced and treatments are coveredby insurance(CBI,2015).
The main purpose of tourists travelling to India is leisure (Bhatia, 2012) but according to Nielsen
(2011), some tourists are attracted to its fairs and festivals, traditions, cultural diversity, wildlife,
heritage ofyoga, meditation and spiritualism.

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Figure 1. International tourist arrivals in India, 2013-2014 (Mintel, 2015)
2.1.1. Niche Indian Tourism
This chapter is goingto introducethe topmost popular type oftourism within India.This will cover
luxurytrain, wellness tourism andwildlife tourism whichwill give Ellison Roberts and understanding
ofdemographics, preferencesand activities undertaken byUK tourists engaging withthese type of
niche tourism.This sectionwill help Ellison Roberts discover whetherthere is other type ofproducts
they couldoffer tofully reach the expectation oftheir target market.
2.1.1.1.LuxuryTrain Tourism
Luxury train tours are predominantly welcomed by consumers who have both enough time and
money;therefore,a majorityofcustomersareaged35+ and50+ yearsold(CountryByCountry,2015).
83%ofUKcustomersaremarried, 55%ofthem are retired andtheir annual incometendstobe above
£50,000 (CountryByCountry,2015).CurrentlytheIndian train industry is facingserious trouble with
the luxurytrains; as in December 2015theRoyal Rajasthan cancelled two consecutivetripsdue tono
booking,althoughitwasduringpeaktouristseason (Murali,2016).Occupancylevelswentdownfrom
35% to 40%onthese trains in 2014-2015whileit wasalmost 60%and higher than 60% in 2011-2012
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
1,000,000
2013 2014

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(Murali, 2016).
2.1.1.2.Wellness Tourismin India
Indiais the world'sfastest-growingwellnesstourismdestination (Gregoire,2013).Thedemandofspa
experiences, yoga, meditation and other wellness tourism products has been increasing due to
generally improved lifestyle demands (Gregoire,2013).Wellnesstourismisexpectedto grow bymore
than 9% per year through 2017, nearly 50% faster than overall global tourism (Global Wellness
Institute, 2013).
Forfirst time, Asia is ranked fastest-growingdestination forwellness travel. Within this region, India
ranked joint 2ndwith Bali and Indonesia (SpafinderWellness 365,2015). “Wellness tourism is a $494
billion industrythat hasgrown12.7%since2012”(Mangla,2015).Wellnesstouriststendtobemiddle-
aged, wealthy, educated, and from Western and/or industrialized countries (Global Wellness
Institute, 2013). The demand for health and wellness tourism by European seniors is expected to
increase significantly in the comingyears, dueto the increasing ageing populationand the highprice
(CBI,2015).
For some tourists, India is the “yoga and spiritual capital of the world’ and ‘the gateway to the
heavens’, a place renowned for its ancient healing practices and therapies that offer the promise of
health, spiritual connection,andperhapsevenenlightenment”(Maddox,2014).YogaretreatsinIndia
can range from anything between £32 - £1,100 for two weeks (Kapoor, 2016). According to Mintel
(2016), “spa tourism is wellness tourism’s most recognised sector and single most important core
business with spa expenditures accountingfor about 47% of overall global wellness tourism”. Asia is
currently the world’s top region for the number of spas and the second highest for spa revenues
(Mintel, 2016). India’s spa industry has shown tremendous growth in recent years, not only in the
number of spas, now numbering over 4,000, but also in the diversity of spas and spa therapies
available (Mintel, 2016). Research also shows that on the Indian Wellness Economy, the industry is
growing at 15-18% per year, with the fast-growing middle classes as the main target market (Price
Waterhouse Coopers, 2013). In Figure 2, the average spending by international tourists is around
$1500 perpersonmorethanwhatthe average domestic traveller will spend whentheir primary travel
purposeiswellness tourism.Thissuggeststhatpeople whotravelforwellness purposestendtospend
more outside oftheir owncountry.Furthermore,aninternational wellness tourist spendsabout65%
more per trip than the average international tourist (Global Wellness Institute, 2013). Labelled as
“high-yield” tourists they represent a huge opportunity which can be leveraged to attract higher-
spendinginternational tourists (Mintel, 2016).

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The figure below represent the number oftrips made to Asiafor the purposeof wellness in 2013was
151.9 million (Mintel, 2016). Asia saw the highest growth between 2012 and 2013 as the trips
increased by 31.9million in justone year (Mintel, 2016).
Since Ellison Roberts’ main customers are middle-aged, educated, affluent and British, the target
market ofEllison Roberts’ anddemographics ofwellness touristsshow a substantial correlation.
Figure 2. Average Spending of Wellness Tourists (Mintel, 2016).
Numberof trips (m) Expenditure (US$bn)
2012 2013 2012 2013
North America 163.0 171.7 181.0 195.5
Europe 202.7 216.2 158.4 178.1
Asia Pacific 120.0 151.9 69.4 84.1
Latin America/
Caribbean 31.7 35.5 22.4 25.9

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Middle East/
North Africa 4.8 7.0 5.3 7.3
Sub-SaharanAfrica 2.2 4.2 2.0 3.2
Totalwellnesstourismindustry 524.4 586.5 438.6 494.1
Figure 3: Wellness tourism by region, 2012 & 2013 (Mintel, 2016)
2.1.1.3.Wildlife Tourismin India
Ballantyne et al., (2011) defines wildlife tourism as “tourism based on encounters with non-
domesticated (non-human) animals…thatcan occurin either the animal’s natural environment or in
captivity”. “Globally, the market size of wildlife tourism has been estimated at 12 million trips
annually with a growth rate of 10% per year. It is estimated that the global wildlife market is now
worthapproximately £30 billion, with upto 3million people each year taking a holiday to specifically
view wildlife” (Newsome & Rodger,2013citedin Mintel 2008).
Wildlife tourism is a niche segment, becauseof this the demand forthis sector has always been high
(Mintel, 2016).TheSnow Leopard, Kiangs, Marmots, are exclusive to India. The Royal Bengal Tiger,
One HornedRhinosand exotic bird species andso on,make Indiaone of the top wildlife destinations
in the world(Ankita,2016).Itisexpectedthat the target market of seniortourists enjoywildlife tours
since the weather in the UK is completely different duringthe peak seasons (CBI,2015).
Budget holidays to tiger reserves in India tend to be more common however, Lucknowites are
openingup tothe idea ofluxuryholidays in the wild (Tandon,2015).They are looking at reserves like
Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh as holiday options (Tandon,2015). People typically travel to these
resortsfora luxuryvacationaspricescangoupto30,000 IndiaRupeepernight(352 GBP pn)(Tandon,
2015).

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A study conducted by Karanth and others (2012) regarding wildlife tourism in India focusing mainly
on three parks across India. The three parks were Nagarahole, Kanha and Ranthambore. Research
foundthat“wildlife tourismin India andin these parks had seen growthfromless than10,000 people
per year tomore than 170,000 peopleperyear over a 15-yearperiod and71% of436visitorswere first
time visitors to these parks but had participated in wildlife tourselsewhere (Karanth,2012).
As an increasingly emerging market, Ellison Roberts should ensure that careful consideration of
Wildlife tourism is fully considered.The age range complies withEllison Robertstarget audienceand
again anotherreasontoensure thatall custommade itineraries complywiththeever growingwildlife
tourism segment.
2.1.2 Summary
The number ofBritish travellers in Indiahas been continuouslyincreasing andthe UKis the second
biggest market forIndia (Mintel, 2015). Also,Britishtourists tend to travel toIndia from Octoberto
March(Mintel, 2015). Theyare mostly adults, more specifically between 35-64andtheir income
level is middle to high, more specifically around£33,000-52,000 (Bhatia,2012).Theirmain purpose
oftravelling is leisure; however, they are becomingincreasingly interested in soft-adventure
activities. Health and wellness tourism are expectedto grow exceedingly due to reasonable pricing,
limited availability and well-trained professionals (CBI,2015).
Luxurytrain touristsare mostly aged 50+ and 35+ (CountrybyCountry,2015). Theyare usually
married, more thanhalf of them are retired and their average annual wageis higher than£50,o00.
Onthe otherhand, this specific niche market is getting unpopularto travellers since the occupancy
rate of the trains has declined. Wellness tourism tourists are usually middle-aged, wealthy,
educated andfrom an industrialised country(Mintel,2016). Also,thisspecific tourism is expected to
be more welcomed since the demand ofspa experiences, yoga, meditation andother wellness
tourism productshaveincreased due to generally improved life style (Gregoire, 2013).
These findings suggestthat with the increase of holidays from the UKto India, Ellison Robertshas
great chancesto increase their number ofcustomers andexpand their market, as people interested
to visit India are within their target market. Ellison Roberts cantherefore use this opportunityto
learn how to use Facebookmore efficiently toincrease the numberof customers.Additionally, the
findingson niche tourismcould help Ellison Roberts understandwhichare the toppreferences by
travellers and use this and extra researchas an idea to create more interesting holidays.

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3. Research Method
The data for this report wascollected by conductingsecondaryresearch.Secondaryresearch is
suitable forthis report since it is fast and efficient to gather information andis cost-effectiverather
than structuringandfielding a piece ofprimary research (Nykiel, 2015).Furthermore,sincethe
client did not request any researchthat requires primary research involvingcollecting information
particularly for the studyon hand,from the actual sourcessuchasconsumers,dealers orother
entities, this report containsinformation based on extensive secondaryresearch (Nargundkar,
2007).Toprovide the most appropriate social media marketing practices,marketing
communications,Facebookanalysis and Facebookindustry best practicehave been critically
analysed based onsecondaryresearch.
Facebookis always rapidly diversifying; therefore, research regardingFacebookconsistsof up-to-
date analysis with important and valid information. Secondarydata already entails a disadvantage
ofpossibility of irrelevant information to the researchquestion at hand. Analysingand reviewing
secondaryresearch that may have dated informationis goingto bring possible poorpractice of
Facebookfeasibility andof other relevant marketing communicationchannels(Wrennet al., 2007).

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4. Marketing Communication Contemporary Practice
This following chapter will discussthe overall academic literature that is used to give Ellison Roberts
an understandingofthe importanceofmarketing communicationasa whole whichwill help develop
backgroundknowledgeonvariousaspectsofmarketing communicationssuggestedbyacademicsto
understandwhycertain steps must be taken tohave a successfulmarketingcampaign.
4.1. Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated Marketing communication is defined by Kotler (2010,p44) as“the conceptunderwhicha
company carefully integrates and coordinates the many communication channels to deliver a clear,
consisted message”. Integrated marketing communication stands for all the components of the
marketing mix that generate exchanges by aiming the brand to a group of consumers, positioning
the brand as being differentiated from competitors and sharing the company's objectives and
distinctive differences with the product'stargetmarket (Chittyet al, 2011).
Since the 1980’s, the inception and formal conceptualisation of marketing communications have
gained increasing attention and interest from academics worldwide(Kliatchko,2005).Inthelast few
decades, technological development has risen to the highest level; the changes in technology,
internet accessibility and consumer lifestyle changes have ensured that it is easier than ever to
communicate and influence consumers purchasing behaviour which allows consumers to buy into
organisations (Belch, 2016).Thisshift towards integrated marketing communicationshas been one
the most successfulwaysthat an organisation plans and executes ideal marketing strategic thinking
(Belch,2016).
The revolution in marketing has emerged drastic changes in three main areas: the marketplace,
media communications and the consumers (Kliatchko, 2005). These changes are the focus and
improvement of informational technology causing a shift from traditional to new mass marketing
communications (Kliatchko, 2005). Schultz and Kitchen (2014) express the change to be customer-
centric,database-driven, interactive and that the measurable approacheswill continuetoimprove in
the evolving marketing industry.At a basic level marketing communicationsorpromotion is used to
express and communicate elements of an organisations offering to the customers and target
audience; however, marketing communication is made up of many aspects which contribute to the
final outcome,not only based onpromotion (Fill, 2012).

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Marketing communication is a basic element of the marketing mix in the traditional and digital
marketing age (Tomse, 2012). Marketing communications has many definitions, based on the
definitions ofvariousacademics marketing canbe seen asthe basic task in whichanorganisation can
meet the needs of consumersin the most profitable manner (Tomse, 2014).Communicationcanbe
defined as the process of thoughtsbetween an organisation and the consumers concerned(Tomse,
2014)."Integrated marketingcommunicationworkstointeractivelyengagea specificindividual,utilising
a specific message through specific media outlets" (Blakeman, 2014, pg.2). It allows the organisation
to build a long-term relationship between the product or organisation and customers by being
engaged in an interactive or two-way exchange of information (Blakeman, 2014). Moreover,
Blakeman (2014) points out that computer databases, such as social media or emails, play an
important role in delivering what the organisation wantsto advertise to the right target audience.
Figure 4. Integrated marketing communication model (Sketch Bubble, 2015)
Ontheotherhand,brandingisanother importantpartofanorganisationsmarketing strategy (Aaker,
2012).Withtheincreasing digital culture, buildingbrand awarenessis the mostsuccessfulmarketing
initiative (Sem, 2016). It is crucial that customers know that the brand exists and brand awareness
should be seen as the essential first step to any marketing strategy (Sem, 2016). Creating a strong
brand image and awareness of the product or organisation can be extremely challenging with the
ever increasing online competition (Sem, 2016). Branding involves a company differentiating itself
from competitors, it includes creating a unique image, by combining a name and image that’s
associated with the organization, becoming recognizable and creating awareness to its distinct
target markets acrossall marketing channelsin print andonline. (Buildinga Brand,2004).Integrated
marketing communicationsinvolves all channels and it is essential that offline and online marketing
is recognised as the overall conceptofmarketing communications.

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Everyday challenges are presented to organisations by the increase of new and evolving media,
shifting media patterns and the desired attention and demands of the consumer, expressing the
increasing relevance of marketing communications (Batra and Keller, 2016). The fundamental
change in new media has an important role to play in consumer decision making which makes it
essential for individuals and organisations to understandthe consumerdecision making journeyand
how consumersprocessmarketing communicationseffectively (Bantraand Keller, 2016).
Integrated marketing is a vast subjectthat involves many conceptswhichare essential in the overall
marketing concept,all aspects of marketing contributeto the overall promotionof anorganisation.
4.1.1. Marketing Communication Channels
The wayconsumersresearchandbuy productsandserviceshaschangedin the tourismindustry,due
to the continuous development of web (Wright, 2016). According to Deloitte (2015) 59% of
consumers search and compare holiday prices online as they always researching for the best value.
There are different marketing communication channels that can be used to keep an active
relationship and interaction between businesses and consumers (Blakeman, 2014). This report will
look at the most relevant forthe researchpurpose:
● Online booking
● Emails
● Social media
4.1.1.1. Online booking
A staggering80%ofholiday bookingsare made online withpeople comparingpricesandexchanging
the majority or all of the money on the internet (Travel Weekly, 2012). Seven out of ten consumers
donot need atravel agencytobook their holidays (Travel Weekly, 2012).Majorityofonlinebookings
in U.S. and Europeare made using a smartphone(Wright, 2016).51.8%ofconsumerswhowill make
a travel purchaseonline in 2016,islikely to have done this througha smartphone(Emarketer, 2015).
Onthe otherhand,75+ year oldconsumers fall into thelower categoryofsmartphoneusers (Madden
and Zickuhr,2012).Thisisdue to their inability in interacting withnew technology,orperhaps it may
be uncomfortable and unclear researching information on a small screen rather than a desktop
(Wright, 2016). According to Lettings (2013) consumers prefer to book online because it takes a

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shorter amountof time andcan be doneat anytime and is relatively stress free.

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4.1.1.2.Email
Email is another important marketing communication that businesses use to promote brands and
products (eMarketer, 2016a). Email marketing are likely to increase the sales of small to medium
enterprises as there are 2.9billion people who ownone or more email accounts(Collins, 2014).53%
ofinternet usersaged 65+ hold an email accountthisis a small proportionofinternet users, however
it demonstrates that the older generation is becoming increasingly familiar with the internet
(Madden and Zickuhr, 2012). According to Collins (2016), there are specific practices that can help
increaseproductsandbrandawarenessthroughemailmarketing suchascreatingspecific emailswith
a link to social media platformsincluding a call to action.
4.1.1.3.Social Media
"Social media isa group of internet-based applicationswhichallowscommunicationamongstindividuals
and groups, the creation and exchange of participative user-generated content, and the expression of
individual and collectiveagency"(WarburtonandHatzipanagos,2013p.39).Socialmedia marketing is
a term that describes a use of social networks, blogs,Facebook,Twitter, formarketing, sales, public
relations and customer service (Barker et al., 2012). Social Media is an important and essential
element of marketing communications which started in the 1970’s and has ever since grown to
become one ofthe most influential communicationchannelsof all time (Kumar,2016).
Colliander (2011) explains how social media is much more effective than traditional media in the
aspect of branding and positioning products and organisations. Basic yet fundamentally important
differences between traditional marketing communications and social media marketing is the new
concept of two-way communication allowing consumers to engage actively in the marketing of an
organisation or product(Zarella,2011).

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4.2. Organisations Use of Social Media
Organisations are using social media more than ever before to gain the information for successful
business sales as well as to assess the influences media may have on an organisation or a particular
brand (Bantra and Keller, 2016). Although,an organisation does not have control over social media
information, these platforms have now become the main trusted way of advertising (Kumar,2016).
Social networks are the newest way of using marketing communication channels, not only do they
provide an excellent opportunityfor organisations with smaller financial resources,butaim to reach
a wide range of potential consumers. Flanagan (2010) argues the importance for organisations of
having various different marketing communications for each social media network, as the
communication strategies which will be used on Facebook should differentiate according to the
target audience to traditional marketing.
Also, organisations that utilise social media should be aware of the importance of reviews on their
media channel. However, it is essential that an organisation is aware of the positive and negative
implications social media may present to fully engage with the purposes of marketing
communications (Tomse, 2014). Since Interpersonal experiences and influences flow from opinion
leaders to followers; thus, positive online word-of-mouth would increase the chance of purchase
while unfavourable word-of-mouth would decrease the chance (Camillo, 2015). Camilo (2015) also
states that in the tourism industry, products are not able to be evaluated before consumers
experiencethem, therefore,productsareseenas risky purchases.Companiesarerequiredtobe more
carefulof whatexperienced consumersmay say about the productsandservices.

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4.2.1. Social Media Brand Awareness
Social media canbe an important tool when creating awareness of a brand or companysince it may
strengthenor alter a brand'simage. Brands need tomanage social media effectively toenhance their
presence(Pozin,2014). Oneofsocialmedia's greatest advantage in the brandingofan organisation,
is thatit is relatively low-costcomparedtotraditional marketing methods (Pozin,2014).Social media
is extremely beneficial for small businesses and opens uppossibilities that other types of marketing
might not (Jokinen, 2016). Facebook is one particular social media platform that can be used to
market and advertise to specific consumer groups based on (but not limited to) the customers age,
gender, location andinterests (Facebook,2015).
It is important for a company to create a strong online presence through social media platforms
(Storey, 2016). Initially, one of the first steps is identifying target market; a company needs to
recognise whothey are trying to reach and focusonthose individuals. By doing this they canensure
to directly target and communicate with the correct people at the accurate time and place (Storey,
2016).Social media allows precise targeting to the desired demographic or target market. However,
the organisation needsto undergocontinuousonlinemarketing researchand beprepared to reactto
changes in consumer behaviour patterns, values and interest to directly control their marketing
strategies appropriately for the target audience to lead them to success. It is important to remain
commitment-focused rather than transaction focused (Vinerean, et al. 2013). Hutter et al. (2016)
suggests that brand page commitment, relates to “psychological attachment”, which means
consumerscandevelop relationships with brandsbased on their activities on social media platforms.
Allowingthe brand tohave uniquepersonality caninspire people to be attracted to the brand. Many
brands make interactions with customershumorousor use a fun tone, whichcan encourage people
toshare theinteraction,meaning thebrandgetsmentioned more,seen bymore peopleandbecomes
recognizable (Storey,2016).
Social media can be a great listening tool, and companies canincrease brandawareness by listening
to trends, what is happening in the industry and also listening to what customers are saying about
their companyand other people’s contentcan be usefulto inspire ideas (Storey,2016).Social media
is extremely measurable and the data it provides has advantages for brands (Graves, 2016).
Monitoring social media allows the organization to get an insight into brand perceptions, and can
help to create more effective strategies (Jokinen,2016).MonteroTorres(2015) suggeststhathaving
direct conversations and interactions with consumers create brand loyalty when the company is
actively participating in conversations on social media. It can be wise to use social media to share

19
otherrelevant pagesandpresent anaccountthatisn’tconstantlyself-promoting,tohelpengagewith
customersand other businesses.
Using visuals and images is key in social media branding, as people are more likely tofind yourposts
appealing; also It allows the company to be memorable if they can remember an image (Storey,
2016). AccordingtoPerkins(2014) theuseofvisualcontentonsocialmediaboostsuserengagement.
Postsare oftenshared more whenthey include visual elements suchasimages orvideos, and brands
should enable a well-planned “visual branding strategy”. Cooper (2013) states that tweets with
images receive 150%more retweets than those without.
4.2.2. Consumers Use of Social Media
Social media has ensured that customers are at the centre of the organisation and it has allowed
marketers a new setoftoolsto enhanceopportunities(SmithandZook,2011).SmithandZook(2011)
haveexpressed thatan increasein the socialmedia phenomenonhaspresented a goldenopportunity
to increase the engagement with customers to drive a business forward. Social media has allowed
high levels of engagement by customers resulting in inbound and outbound online and offline
communicationswhichare presenting to be highly costeffective (Smith and Zook,2011).
Social media has changed the tourism industry giving consumers the chance to express their own
thoughts and opinions through these platforms (Blair, 2015). Encouraged by word of mouth, social
media influences buying behaviour and may affect the whole reputation of small or large
organisations (Kumar, 2016). From a consumer perspective, social media influences consumers’
purchasebehaviour(eMarketer,2016b).AccordingtoeMarketer(2016b) reviewsandfeedback(45%)
are the main factors that influence consumers in buying, or not, a product.Additionally, consumers
are changing their purchase behaviour as according to eMarketer (2016b) purchasing from social
media platforms is becominga trend.

20
5. Facebook
5.1. What is Facebook?
Facebookis one ofthe most popular social media platform used by consumersand businesses, with
1.71 billion users worldwide in 2016 (Statista, 2016). Facebook was founded in America in 2004 by
Mark Zuckerberg,whocreateda platform as a way forstudentsto remain in contact oncegraduated
(Webwise, 2012). Figure 5 shows the fast growth and development of Facebook after 10 years (Raj,
2015).In10 yearsFacebookwentfrom 1 million to 1.23billion users, 30 officesworldwide,over 5,000
employees and $7billion income in 2013 (Raj,2015).
Figure 5. 10 Years of Facebook (Raj, 2015)
Facebookis also knownas a platform where businesses canpromote productsandservices; and
interact consumersto better understandtheir needs and expectations(Peltier, 2016;Patterson,
2013).Facebookhasahuge effecton the tourism industryas 85% of consumerstake inspiration for
their holidays and usethis as a determinant in their decision-making process(Beforeitsnews,2013).
New updates introduced by Facebook has made the social media platform more attractive for the

21
tourism industryasconsumerscannow choosewhatadvertstosee (Peltier, 2016);furthermore,with
travel being one of the categories, businesses have now more chances to reach out to potential
consumersandincrease sales (Peltier, 2016).
Figure 6 includes a list ofthe most used social media platforms, showingthat Facebook is at the top
of the chart followed by other known social platforms such as Whatsapp, WeChat, Instagram and
Twitter (Statista, 2016).
Figure 6. Top 9 of Leading Global Social Networks (Statistics, 2016).
5.2. Facebook Users
In2014,amongconsumersaged65+,64%ofFacebookuserswerewomen(Duggan,2015)compared
to 39%male (Cohen,2014).ThehighernumberofFacebookusersin the UK are aged between 12-24
with96%(eMarketer, 2015) however,thenumber of usersover50 years old hasincreased in the past
few years (Doughty, 2015) . This report aims to focus on providing an understanding on UK elderly
consumers’use ofthis social platform.
47%ofFacebookusersareagedover 50 yearsold, makingFacebook themost popularsocialplatform
used by this age group. 72% of 50-70 year old individuals who have access to broadband (Madden,
2010) are likely to use social media on a daily basis (Madden, 2010). However, it is important to
mention that this is the lowest category ofsocial media users and is only expected to increase by 1%

22
by 2017(eMarketer, 2013).
Figure 7 represents a research carried outby Statista (2015),showingthe use of social media by age
group.It is possible to see that Facebook is mostly used by the younger generation, however, there
is a high engagement from the older generation with 63% by 50-64-year-old and 56% by 65+
(Statista, 2015).
Figure 7. Social Seniors Flock to Facebook (Statista, 2015).
According to Doughty (2015),92% of Facebook users over 50 years old find this social media useful
to keep in touchwith family and friends; whether 48%use it to share pictures and opinions. 50 year
olds and other users engage with social media to keep socially active, to find lost friends, discuss
topicsimportant tothem. Researchhasdiscoveredthat 50 year oldsand oversocialmedia usershave
made an account to keep entertained during their lonely days (Kamiel, 2016). Therefore, a lack of
commitment inthe useofthis hasbeen identified forthis age group(eMarketer,2016c).Ontheother
hand, the lack of commitment in the use of social media for this age group can be related to
difficulties in goingonline, as research showsthat twoin five 50sandover have difficulties in reading
from the desktop and 77% donot feel knowledgeable enoughto use the internet (Smith, 2014).The
lack of commitment can be a disadvantage in the Tourism industry as products are perishable,
therefore, consumerscouldbe missing out onthem (Smith, 2014).

23
5.2.1. Facebook for Businesses
Froma businessperspective, Facebookis extremely helpful tofind new customers,create fanpages,
increase awareness and accessing an abundance of demographic information (Kumar, 2016).
Numerousbusinessesuse Facebookasamarketing platform,as it is accesseddaily byconsumersand
is free of charge(Smith, 2016).Accordingtoresearchover 50 million Facebookpages are created by
small enterprises with2.5 million investing in being ‘’active
advertisers’’ (Smith, 2016). According to Queensland
Government (2016) Facebook is a financially reasonable
platform where businesses can share pictures, video and
information but can also keep in touch with consumers at
any time and increase the popularity of their brands.
Facebook is considered to be one of the most used social
media platform by small businesses, as they have a little
budget to spend for marketing their brand (Tyson, 2016).
However, only 45% of businesses find Facebook useful for
their marketing, which may be related to the lack of
knowledge for best practices in using Facebook (DeMers,
2015).Therefore,Itisimportantthat businessesdevelop an
understanding on how to use this platform and the
benefits. To increase businesses knowledge on the use of
Facebook,this report will analyse best practicesthat must
be undertaken to optimize businesses’ success.
5.2.2. Facebook best practices
● Time of posts: According to eMarketer (2016) the best time for businesses to post on
Facebook is later in the day, towards the end of the week as people are more likely to have
more time and higher interest in engaging with social media. Kolowich (2016) believes that
best time topostwill varydepending onthe target market, thelocation andthe type ofpost.
The best time to post on Facebook according to Kolowich (2016) is 12-1pm Saturday and
Sunday;3-4pmonWednesday; 1-4pmThursdayandFriday with18%ofbetter interaction by
consumers.

24
● How often to post: there is not a specific number on how often businesses should post,
howevera balance shouldbe kept as the audiencemust always remember whatthe business
is aboutbutnot feel like they know toomuch(Patel,2016).Accordingtoresearchcarriedout
by Hubspot in 2015 (Figure 8), the number of posts will vary depending on the number of
followers a businesshas (Kolowich,2015).
Figure 8: Impact of Monthly Facebook Posts on Clicks per Post (Carpenter, 2013)
● Reviews and comments: It is important to respond to consumers posts whether they are
positive or negative as 42% of consumers expect a 60-minute response time when
communicating with an organization on social media (Mineo, 2015). 80% of internet users
stated that others’ reviews and comments are influential when making a decision on a
product/service (eMarketer, 2016b), therefore business must learn how to always turn
negative comments into positive. This is an example of how responsive ThomasCook is (See
Appendices9.5.)
● Business’ engagement:To develop and ensure a long lasting relationship, businesses must
demonstrate a certain level of involvement with posts and consumers (Carpenter, 2013).
Contests are a great wayto engage with customers,and cancreate a hugefan growthwhen
run efficiently (Ayres, 2016). It is also important to use relevant content that will mostly
attract consumers’attention. Accordingto research majority of consumers are interested in

25
video content with an organic reach of 8.71% compared to 5.77% for text content (DeMers,
2015). Therefore, understanding which type of content works better for the target market
selected will help increase consumers’ engagement (DeMers, 2015). Additionally, many
organisations make the mistake of only posting promotional material (DeMers, 2015)
however,it’simportant toengage withconsumersbypostingrelevantandcurrenttopicsthat
create social conversations and sharing contentof other businesses can increase awareness
of your company and relate to the target audience's interests (SOCI, 2014). Businesses can
use Facebook page insights which allows the user to view which content best engages with
audiences (DeMers,2015).
● Profile Picture, Pinned Posts and Cover Page: These three elements are the most
immediately visible parts of Facebook page, therefore presentation is the first thing that
consumers will notice when clicking on a page. It is important to ensure that images and
profile picture represents the brand(DeMers, 2015).Thecompany’slogo should be visible to
the audience and relevant images should be included (Bulygo, 2010).Here is an example of
how Thomsonpresents its Facebookpage.
● ‘About’ section: The about section should clearly define the company and the purpose of
operating.Feature milestones ofthe organization'shistorycan beincludedsuchas:whenthe
company was launches, important events, awards won etc. (Mineo,2015). Additionally, it is
important to well define the brand and the products by using words that might be used by
consumers when they research for products (DeMers, 2015). Here is an example of how
Thomas Cookhasusedthe aboutsection,includingcall foractionandpresented its company
in an exciting way(See Appendices9.6.).
● Facebookandwebsite connection:Theremustbe a connectionbetweenFacebookand the
business website page as consumersneed to be able to freely move from one to another to
increase the chance of getting more likes, shares, increase popularity and increase sells
(DeMers,2015).A link to the website shouldbe included in the aboutpage as the audience is
very likely toread whatthe business is about (DeMers,2015).

26
6. Ellison Roberts’ Competitors
6.1. Benchmarking
Benchmarking is regularly defined in various ways. Camp (1989) defines benchmarking as the
continuousprocedureofmeasuring products and services within a business and comparing these to
other competitors in the industry. Looking at industry leaders and why they are successful can
influence and guide an organization to appropriately benchmark their products. Benchmarking is a
tool and concept that is discussed intensively in business strategy, (Attiany, 2014) it enables an
organisation to adopt the best practices and relies on designing aspects of the business through
comparisons and the needs of the customer (Zairi, 1992). Ultimately, the process of benchmarking
canenable a companytodevelop strengths andreduce weaknesses (Oakland,2003;VanSchalkwyk,
1998).
6.2. Creating a Competitive Advantage
Benchmarkingis a systematic tool that canbe used to gain a competitive advantage. The conceptof
competitive advantage can be defined as, differentiating a productwithin the industry and creating
a more desirable productthan leading competitors, whilst ensuringthe attributes are important and
relevant to customers (Barone,& DeCarlo 2003).Social media has become an increasing marketing
phenomenon that allows organizations to engage with consumers and promote their products and
services. Perdue(2010)suggeststhatacompanyneeds to develop a social media marketing strategy
that will prove successful in the long run. Perdue (2010) also argues that instead of focusing on
popular social media applications, it is highly important forcompanies to develop a long-term social
media marketing strategy that includes a set ofguidelines toallow the companyto effectively utilize
various formsofsocial media.
Unfortunately,although many companies are aware they need to be involved in social media, many
companiesdo notunderstandsocial media andremain unsureofhow to be involvedwith this type of
marketing (Li&Bernoff,2008).Althoughcompaniesmaybenervousorunsureofhow toutilisesocial
media as amarketing tool,it's highlyimportant in thisday and age forthemtoget involvedas it could
be the difference between them and their competitors (Perdue,2010). Conductingmarketresearch
has never been easier with the advancements of social media, as it facilitates a “continuous flow of

27
informationto and fromyour customers” (Hunt,2009,p.1).It is now possible through social media to
clearly monitor the organisation's reputation and competitor’s actions; many companies now are
paying for tracking tools which have been found to be highly beneficial. Schawbel (2009) has
identified some tracking tools, such as Radian6 (www.radian6.com), Trackur (www.trackur.com),
and Buzzlogic (www.buzzlogic.com), which allow organizations to access dashboards which enable
them to efficiently and quickly grasp awareness of what people are saying about a company. Social
media use is constantly increasing and developing, businesses need to consider getting involved
(Schawbel,2009).Ifcompaniesrefrainfrom this, or delay their social media activities, they are likely
to suffer and decrease their successes compared to competitors who utilize social media as a
marketing tool (Perdue,2010).
6.2.1. The Leading Competitors for Ellison Roberts
Ellison Robertshasmany touroperators to competewith whohavemuchmore developed Facebook
pages and social media platforms. These are the 5 main competitors Ellison Roberts has suggested
to the team. Below are some examples of how they utilise their Facebook pages to engage with
consumers.
1. AudleyTravel
2. Cox& Kings Travel
3. TransIndus
4. Kerala Connections
5. Ampersand
6. Ellison Roberts

28
Table of
Competitors
Likes Ratings Review Call to
Action
Time of
posts
Number of
posts in a day
Audley Travel 26,668 4.5/5.0 161 YES Usually 1-
3pm and
8pm,
1-2
Cox & Kings
Travel UK
7,469 N.A. N/A NO (sign up) Usually
6.30
1
Translndus 1,940 4.0/5.0 3 YES Irregular
but around
5.30pm
Irregular
Kerala
Connections
1,039 N.A. N/A YES Morning
9.30am-
Afternoon
2
Ampersand 1,869 5.0/5.0 7 YES No times
(Hidden)
Irregular
Ellison Roberts 931 4.5/5 2 YES Irregular Irregular
Figure 9. Ellison Roberts’ competitor Facebook summary
● Audley Travel is a touroperator with a strongfocuson India. They have been established for
over 20 years and at the beginning, in 1991. Craig Burkinshaw, the company founder and
director, started to guide his own small group tours around Vietnam. In 1999, the Indian
Subcontinent programme is launched along with an accompanying brochure and by 2007
they had won the award for the Telegraph’s ‘Best Luxury Tour Operator’. The company
employs eight members of staff and each member has a different job role, one of which is
the marketing manager for Audley Travel (Audley Travel, 2016). They actively use the
Facebook page and currently have around 26,668 likes. Their Facebook page is regularly
updated daily with posts, articles and visuals. Audley Travel Facebook page links to all the
different social media platforms they utilise including: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and
Instagramandtheir website. Theyalso have avideo sectionontheir Facebookwhichincludes
research trips, and travel specialists filming in the destinations they operate in
(https://www.facebook.com/audleytravel/). From their Facebook page they use direct links

29
to all the different socialmedia pages they haveand their website. Audleytravel has a strong
interaction with customersand is constantly replying to queries and questions in regards to
the productonoffer.
● Cox and Kings is another relevant operator that specialises in Indian holidays. They were
established byRichardCoxmore than 250 years ago.InNovember 2014,CoxandKingswere
named the ‘Best LuxuryHoliday Company’at the prestigious British Travel Awardsandthen
followed it up with the silver award in the same category in 2015, and again in 2016. They
have 24members ofstaff who specialise in different areas ofthe company and one member
of staff is employed as the marketing director of the company (Cox and Kings, 2016). They
currently have 7,466 likes on the Facebook page. Again the Facebook page of this tour
operatoris updateddaily with postsandimages. They communicatewellwith customersand
also have other social media links ontheir Facebookpageincluding Twitter, Instagramand a
YouTube page which features travel blogger videos. Cox & Kings are using relevant and
popular TV shows to communicate with customers, rather than constantly promoting their
ownmaterial, whichcan get many people talking and draw consumersto their page. This is
displayed upontheir Facebookpage, and highlights that customerscan easily communicate
with them and Coxand Kingsare responsive.
● TransInduswasfoundedin 1989 and has previously been ranked in the list of ‘Best Specialist
TourOperator’ bythe British Travel Awards.Thecompanyhas 15staffmembers, all ofwhich
have lived and worked bothin the UK and India,or other Asian countries whichare featured
ontheir tours.They have2 members ofstaff whoworkdirectly forthe TransIndusmarketing
team butalso have threeother staffmembers whohavepreviouslyworkedin marketing with
other companies (TransIndus,2016).
● Kerala Connections were founded in 1998 and have been offering the whole of India since
2001. They have a small team of staff members who work in the UK office (Kerala
Connections, 2016). The company gives no specific information about whether or not they
employ someone to focusonthe marketing ofthe company.
● Ampersand has over 13 years of experience in specialising in luxury tailor made travel. They
have 12 team members within the business and two of the team specialise in marketing,

30
making up Ampersands marketing and PR team (Ampersand, 2016). After looking at
Ampersandsofficial Facebookpage, it wasfound that they were named as oneof the top 10
superagents by the Financial Times.
● Ellison Roberts was established in 2001 by Graham Ellison Roberts. On the Ellison Roberts
website, there is a mention of two staff members, Graham Ellison Roberts and Steve Relf
along with local agents whoworkin the destinations they operate in. There is nomention of
how many staff members they have overall or any mention of whether or not they have
someone whofocusesonthe marketing ofthe companyEllison Roberts (2016).
6.3. Summary of Competitors
It’s highly important to remain competitive within the tourism industry that Ellison Roberts exists,
there are many small organisations within this field competing for the same customers, the
presentation and impression an organisation give can be the deciding factor for the customer. Due
to social media use constantly increasing,and more customersturningto social media to familiarize
themselves with brands,Ellison Roberts need to adapt their social media presenceand keep upwith
the current trends to remain competitive. By looking at key competitors that are similar to Ellison
Roberts,it canhelp them tocreate a nichecompetitive advantage in their productand something of
value to differentiate themselves fromother brands.

31
7. Recommendation based on Facebook Best Practice and
Benchmarking
Here are a numberof recommendation suggestedby the consultancyteam whichEllison Roberts
canconsider as a guide onhow to improve their operations.
1. Ellison Roberts posts irregularly as the company shares new content once every month and
sometimes once every 2-3 months. Irregular posts lead to a lack of interaction from the
audience (Patel, 2016). Therefore, it is possible to minimise the company’s chances to
increase the number of bookings. Relating this to the research carried out by Hubspot
(Kolowich, 2015), Ellison Roberts must post between 1 to 15 posts each month as they
currentlyhave between 1 to 200 followers.
2. The majority ofEllison Robert’spostsare shared in themorning on aweekday. Best practices
suggest that it is effective to post in the afternoonas people have more free time to engage
with social media platforms (eMarketer, 2016). Ellison Roberts target market (aged 50-70)
are the most likely to have time to engage with social media than any other age group;
therefore, Ellison Roberts should consider posting more than once a day as it could work
better forthem.
3. Ellison Robertstakes overan hourtoreplyto comments,showinglittle interaction withsocial
media and lack of interest to customers. Replying to consumers within 60 minutes as best
practices suggest (Mineo, 2015). It will show a better customer service and will make
consumersmore likely to interact with the company.Comments and reviews are influential
to consumers;therefore, Ellison Roberts should increase the number of comments to make
the business more trustworthyin the audience's’ eyes.
4. To ensure a greater online traffic bringing customers to the Ellison Roberts’ website from
Facebook,customers shouldbe “hooked” by what they can see on Facebookto make them
find outmore about the productandthe companyonthe website. Ellison Roberts’ posts can
be seen little bit long and it might make the audience bored. Therefore, it is important to
make the postsshorter (See figure 10 and 11).

32
5. Creating contests can be a useful promotional tool that Ellison Roberts could adopt to
generate traffic, although this is only recommended once in a while since too much
promotional material can deter a potential consumer from an organisation's page. Ellison
Roberts should concentrate on creating content that can help the interaction between
business and consumers by encouraging them to get involved (See Figure 12). This can be
done by creating competitions such as getting customers to post their best pictures on
holiday and give the winner an award such as providing voucher, discount for next holiday
since it wouldmotivate the audience to get involved.On the other hand,the type of content
posted can determine the audience’s engagement; therefore, Ellison Roberts must share
different content including short-text, video and pictures rather than only concentrate on
pictures(DeMers, 2015).
Figure 10. Existing posts uploaded by Ellison
Roberts
Figure 11. Recommended future post

33
Figure 12. Example of promotional Post
6. Ellison Roberts’ profile picture is the ATOL protected sign which does not bring any brand
identity or help consumers familiarise with the company. Therefore, the profile picture
shouldincludethecompany’slogotomake the brandeasy torecogniseassoonasconsumers
comeacrossit whichwill increasethe engagement withthe audience.Additionally, the cover
photo does not seem to be relevant or interesting enough to catch the audience’ attention
and make them understand that the holidays sold by the company are in the Middle East.
Therefore,animage related thetype ofholidaysprovidedbythe companyshouldbeincluded
instead (See Figure 13,14,15and16).
Figure 13. PreviousProfile
Picture
Figure 14.Recommended
ProfilePicture

34
Figure 15. Example of Existing Cover
Picture
Figure 16.Exampleof Recommended Cover
Picture
7. The ‘About us’ section includes a call for action and all the information needed to describe
the business and product; however, the presentation of these can improve. Firstly, the
businessmust have a specific location onthe map, the description of the companyshouldbe
more specific in explaining what their holidays involve and emphasise their passion in
creating them.
8. Increasing reviews and ratings by using Trustspot –TrustSpot is a business review and
reputation management platform that allows companies to automatically gather quality,
100% verified buyer reviews for their business (Trustpost, n.d.). It helps increase the
company’s brand recognition and provides higher conversion rates (Trustpost, n.d.). The
reviews arecustomisedon Facebooksothatit will easily appearon Ellison Roberts’Facebook
page. This service is £150 per month; but, it is more reasonable than other same service
providersandhasgreat potential interms ofincreasingbrandawarenessandcustomertraffic
from Facebook to Ellison Roberts’ website. Ellison Roberts is recommended to ask its
customers to write their experience on Trustpost, but ask people who seem to satisfy with
the service. There are a few ways to encourage them such as providing incentives for future
travel. It is helpful for both Ellison Roberts and customers since there is a higher possibility
for customers to choose Ellison Roberts travel products and customers are able to receive
additional benefits from the vouchers.
9. It is recommended that Ellison Robertsadopts a more efficient way of using its social media
platform and website. The company does not have a clear connection between one to
another which ensure social media platforms and the website is easy and simplified for the
user. By havingclear connectiontomaneuver fromthe website to Facebookand back again
is more efficient for the user.

35
10. Essentially consumers like what other consumers like. Customers may find the business
throughword-of-mouththroughfriendsandfamily.Somecustomersmay be unawareofthe
organisation having a presence onsocial media. When customers booka tour, it's helpful to
remind themofthe Facebookpageandpolitely ask peopleto leave a comment, orpostabout
their experiences. it also allows the customer to view future posts and photos and create
potential sales. This is a well-known factin all aspects of marketing, creating a strongbrand
image comesmainly fromwordofmouth.Encouragingconsumerstospreadthe wordofthe
great service that Ellison Roberts provideswouldresult in passon sales.
11. Itwouldbe recommended forEllison Robertsto sharevideos and picturesoftheir owntravel
experienceswhengoingtovisit destinations andcreate holidays thatwill thenbe soldtotheir
customers. By doing this, customers will develop a better understanding on how the
company works. Also, Ellison Roberts’ audience will get to know who is involved in making
the productsand their passion in doing this. It will eventually help customers familiarise with
the companyand they will be likely to trust more.
12. It is recommended forEllison Roberts to create a hashtag that will represent their company.
This will allow customers who use Ellison Roberts to hashtag their experiences via posts,
picturesand videos whichwill then link the post to the Ellison Roberts Facebookpage.Using
the hashtag will potentially bring more customers to the Facebook page, creating more
awareness. Because the hashtag stands out on the posts, Facebook users are more likely to
click onit whichin turncouldattract new customers.
13. Once Ellison Roberts has adapted to managing their Facebook page more efficiently and
proactively, it wouldbe wise to attend social media workshops/seminars in the futurewhere
experts can help advise small businesses, on social media trends and best practices. Some
workshopscan also be taken online and are extremely helpful to those strugglingwith social
media presenceand need extra marketing advice.
14. To increase its popularity and brand awareness,Ellison Roberts canputan advertising board
a local stadium which would help the business increase its number of customers and create
brand awareness. This could be done at the cricket stadium at Carnegie Stadium in Leeds
(See Appendices9.7)

36
8. Conclusion
This projectwas constructedaroundaconsultancyventurealongside workingtogether as a team to
develop research and practicesto improve uponthe client Ellison Roberts’ Facebookpage. The
projectinvolved receiving the client’s currentissues and position with social media and
understandingthe needs for enhancementand development.
Fromthe problems outlined bythe client and thoughtsfromthe team, aim and objectives were
formed to enable clear direction and to structurethe project.Throughmeetings and individual tasks
set, each member couldcontribute significantly and workwasrecorded weekly to monitor activity
and stay ontrack.
Asguidancea considerable amountof researchwas undertaken onbest practices ofsocial media
whilst also comparingthe client’s activities against successorsofsocial media, andtheir own
competitors within the industry.Problems withthe currentFacebookpageof the client were then
defined and recommendations weremade based on the researchand observations carried outof
currentsocial media activity, audience’s needs and theoretical data that provedbetter social
engagement.

37
9. Appendices
9.1. Example of Cox & King’s Facebook Engagement
● Cox& Kings is one ofEllison Roberts
competitors they are very active via
social media. This image showshow
they are usinga popularTV
programme, outside ofthe business,
butalso ofrelated interests oftheir
customers,to interact and engage
with their audience, creating possibly
more views and traffic towardstheir
page.
9.2. Example of Cox & King’s Facebook ‘About’ and Respond Time
● These images displayed onCox& Kings
Facebookpage highlights to the audience
that they are highly responsive attracting
more customersto interact personally
with the organisation. Italso holds
important information suchas opening
times & the website link viewable and
accessible forthe customer.

38
9.3. Table of estimated engagement based on the word count
● This table displays the estimated
engagement/interaction of a user based
onthe wordcountoforganisations posts.
(please refer to section 5.2.2)
9.4. Table of average impact and percentage of posts viewed
● This table displays the average impact and
percentage ofposts viewed dependingon
the day of week postedwhichis usefulto
an organisation to receive maximum
engagement (Please refer to section
5.2.2).

39
9.5. Example of Respond Time
9.6. Example of ‘About’ Section on Facebook

40
9.7. Advert Board Prices
Advert Board Prices
Crowd Facing Boards start from £500 + VAT and production costs
Second Tier Boards start from £3,500 + VAT and production costs
Perimeter Boards start from £5,000 + VAT and production costs

41
9.8. Carnegie Social Media Consultants Meetings

57
9.9. Summary of Client Meeting

60
10. References
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