Posts Tagged ‘tourismbusiness’

How to use Twitter Photos to Drive Travel & Tourism Engagement + Infographic

Thursday, June 6th, 2013

With a tweet limit of only 140 characters, Twitter makes sure that every post you make keeps things short and sweet.

Luckily, tweets don’t have to be just words: photos, videos, and links can all be posted as well.

And to make things even better… research has shown that tweets with photos can have double the engagement! Take advantage by using the following tips:

Hotels: research hashtags your clients regularly post in (such as the city you are located in), and become actively involved in the discussion by showcasing your hotel visually, and all the different ways your features contribute to the culture of the area.  You may want to keep your tweeps up to date on new creations in your restaurant and add visual appeal with shots of banquets setting up for an event or wedding.

Destinations: Use Twitter as an opportunity to invite clients who have recently visited your destination to share photos from their trip. Establish a hashtag that visitors may use when they post their photos so that others are able to locate the destination quickly.

Travel pros: personalize your Twitter feed by choosing a display photo, header image, and background that all complement each other and show a representation of your company that is both unified and exciting. Remember your header photo is behind your display photo, username, and bio, so be aware of the placement of the objects in the photo!  Some industry examples can be found here. You may consider using an image of your top selling cruise or destination as your header image.  Talk about a strong branding opportunity!

Examples:

Hashtags, hashtags, hashtags. ###!

The following links provide some ideas on where your clients are talking so you can get in on the action!

Top 10 travel hashtags

Travel Pros, please note that the above list includes a few Twitter Chats.  These are great ways to broaden your connections when you participate and offer your professional insights and ideas.  Twitter chats are NOT as sales opportunity, but a networking opportunity.

Special #Tags

Certain events occur on a weekly basis.
#MexMonday – Mexico Monday, Monday all day
#MountainMonday – Monday all day
#TravelTuesday #TT – Use this tag to highlight travelers or travel brands you admire or have engaged with lately, Tuesday all day
#BeachThursday – Thursday all day
#FriFotos – Links to pictures, theme announced on Wednesday by @EpsteinTravels, Friday all day
#FF #FollowFriday– Follow Friday, similar concept to Travel Tuesday but practiced by brands and individuals alike in all areas, not just travel, all day

Here’s a visual of why you’ll want to use hashtags in your posts:

Source

Which hashtag have you used photos on recently?

Next time, join the conversation for travel pros and boost your photo knowledge when using Pinterest.   Till then, please see these past articles.

 

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Join me socially: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.

When you ‘like’ my Facebook page, you’ll have access to Free Resources just for travel pros!

By Catherine Heeg

About the author, Catherine J. Heeg

Catherine Heeg is a travel, hospitality and tourism industry thought leader.  As President of Customized Management Solutions and an international speaker and trainer she delivers customized interactive social media, marketing and communication workshops and webinars.  Customized social marketing strategy design and coaching keep her driving results for the tourism, travel and hospitality industry.

How to use Photos to Transform your Brand on Facebook—3 tips for travel pros

Thursday, May 30th, 2013

Want clients to have all their eyes on you? Keep yourself and your brand visible online by using photos socially.

You’ve already got some great snaps to share with the world and now it’s time to put these photos to work for you!

Facebook Photos for Travel Pros

Did you know: the vast majority of content published on Facebook is pictures. Make yours stand out by using some of these creative techniques.

Hotels: post photos in a way that appeals to clients’ experiences. Imagine creative food photos, new staff photos, top guest photos.  Give people a glimpse of the back of the house!  Caption a photo of a room or a pool with a common experience in that area and ask for “likes” and “shares” in order to drive engagement.

Destinations: use photos as a method of updating clients on the status of your area: accommodations accepting bookings, weather, events, new attractions, etc. Set a day of the week to post such photo updates so that clients become familiar with the posting and are able to consistently engage with it. You may want to get creative with naming these days of the week; Museum Monday, Foodie Friday or Thursday Treats.

Travel pros: take advantage of the new ability to use text in your Facebook Page Cover Photo. Use a photo you have taken yourself or one that depicts your specialty.  Then add a call to action or branding to it so that your cover photo truly represents you!  You can now even invite people to ‘like’ your page within the Cover Photo.  Be sure to check out the full guidelines and then check your work with this tool.

Here’s some examples from our industry:

 

 

And here’s some more creative ideas to make your cover photo really wow your clients.

How will you update your Facebook cover photo?

Next time: how to use images on Twitter!

 

Connect with me online

Join me socially: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.

When you ‘like’ my Facebook page, you’ll have access to Free Resources just for travel pros!

By Catherine Heeg

About the author, Catherine J. Heeg

Catherine Heeg is a travel, hospitality and tourism industry thought leader.  As President of Customized Management Solutions and an international speaker and trainer she delivers customized interactive social media, marketing and communication workshops and webinars.  Customized social marketing strategy design and coaching keep her driving results for the tourism, travel and hospitality industry.

How to add Video to your LinkedIn Profile

Friday, March 1st, 2013

 

Are you ready to add even more pizzaz to your LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn

Adding video to your LinkedIn Profile

In a recent webinar I hosted for travel pros the biggest question your colleagues had was how to add video and showcase their specialties and niche market.  The process is quite simple and gives you the chance to stand apart while providing a unique component to your professional profile.  Talk about a great branding opportunity.

Adding video to your LinkedIn profile

(Slide show below.  Please note the first slide will change automatically in 4 seconds, the rest of the slides can be changed manually by clicking the forward arrow beneath the slide.  This will give you a chance to complete the information on the slide before manually moving to the next slide. I wanted to be certain you have the right amount of time to capture this valuable information.)

Marketing your LinkedIn profile

** Include your LinkedIn address on all printed materials; business card, invoices, itineraries, promotional materials and social sites

** More tips on the slides below.

Where to find video for your LinkedIn profile

** Supplier videos.  Tap into the resources of your top travel industry suppliers.

** For more tips please refer to the slide show below.

What tactics have you found helpful to stand out from the crowd on LinkedIn?

Connect with me online

Join me socially:  Facebook, Twitter , LinkedIn and Pinterest

When you ‘like’ my Facebook page you’ll have access to Free Resources just for travel pros!

By Catherine Heeg

 

Get in Touch with Catherine

Catherine welcomes you to phone or e-mail her with your needs and interests. A preliminary discussion will help determine whether Customized Management Solutions may help you drive the results you’re looking for.

Contact Catherine Heeg