Do you LOVE taking photos and videos while you travel? Chances are that your group tour clients feel the same way!
You can capitalize on these picture perfect moments in a way that will boost your client’s experience while also expanding the reach of your brand.
On your next group tour, try these fun and easy tools for creating lasting memories.
Stories that Live Longer
Did you know that Instagram Stories stay visible much longer than a regular photo post? What a great way to give the images from your group tour a longer shelf life so that passengers, as well as their family and friends, can stay in the loop.
Extending marketing opportunities and building community while on tour is easy with Facebook and SnapChat stories as they operate in nearly the same way as Instagram Stories. The cool thing is that they live at the top of your feed and are more visible.
Figure 1- Facebook Stories are available in your personal profile only.
Figure 2 – It’s easy to add a Story on your mobile.
Twitter Moments are similar in that you can provide a magazine-like view of tweets from your own feed as well as from others.
Figure 3- Where to start to create a Twitter Moment
Figure 4 – How to create and set-up a new Twitter Moment
To begin setting up your own moment, select your own account. (Tweets by Account – See below) Then scroll down and select the tweets that fall into a theme so that your readers get the full story.
Once you’ve selected the tweets you’d like to feature in your Moment, crop the images, select a cover image and add a title. Once you Publish your Twitter Moment it will fall into your feed.
Figure 5 – Select Tweets from your own account or choose another option
Picture Time
Keeping your tour members in the loop before, during and after their tour is easy when you provide ‘Kodak Moments’ (Ok, that’s the old-school term) and ‘Instagramable’ opportunities.
We’ve all used the age-old tactic of taking a group photo in front of an iconic site. How about also creating a cardboard cut-out of a picture frame that tour passengers can hold up in a photo? Craft stores sell these frames and all you have to do is add your company logo and the tour # and you’re done!
Toting this frame around gives your passengers the chance to post their own photos while providing you with a new-school marketing opportunity.
Geo-Filter
Taking this up a notch to gain even more traction with your photos, consider setting up a geo-filter for your Instagram or Snap users. Most destinations will have this in place and you can use theirs. If you want to create your own, it can be used by group members and guides.
Chinese Groups?
If you’re working in the China inbound sector, or would like to, WeChat will be your best tool to build relationships and help tour members stay in the loop. Here’s more info about China’s social marketing opportunity.
Establishing a sense of community will go a long way in ensuring that your tour is both successful and memorable. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat stories are a modern and fun way for you and your clients to relive and share their amazing group tour. Creating unique geo-filters for your groups will promote a feeling of belonging while extending your brand’s reach.
How will you build community in your next tour group?
Related Articles
How to Stay Social From Your Suitcase
2 Quick Tips to Keep Your Group in the Loop
Social Marketing Strategies for Travel and Tourism
About Catherine Heeg
Catherine Heeg is a recognized social media trail blazer passionate about social media and marketing in the tourism and hospitality industry. She takes the mystery out of marketing!
She creates and delivers meaningful, dynamic workshops that meet your unique needs in the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Industry.
Catherine and her team help travel, tourism and hospitality pros design and implement social media marketing strategies and tactics that drive traffic to their social and web sites. Learn more…
Do you need a roadmap for your social strategy? Let’s chat and see if there’s a fit to work together to strategize your social marketing.
Join me socially: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, SlideShare and Pinterest.
When you ‘like’ my Facebook page you’ll have access to Free Resources just for travel pros!
Professionals who are serious about taking consistent, winning actions every day to build their business and achieve measurable results love working with Catherine.