You know what it’s like to drive thru a tunnel; dark, dank and twisty. While in this tunnel the only possibilities are to carry on straight ahead. There’s no option for a detour or to add any more passengers along the way.
Are your marketing efforts like a tunnel; no detours, no new clients? Same tactics, same clients, same results.
Now let’s think about a funnel.
In a marketing scenario when you think about a funnel, you can add new graphics, new client lists and create new ads. You can mix and match till you get the results you want that help you move people thru the sales process.
Marketing Funnel
If you think about the traditional marketing funnel it starts by creating awareness (suspects), inspiring interest (prospects), creating desire (leads) and then the action happens when the sale is made or relationship is solidified with a new customer/client. (I’ll bet you already know that it’s not as easy as the picture below; clients don’t just drop into our hands.)
© Can Stock Photo / vaeenma
Social Marketing Funnel
In social marketing, things get even more twisty-turney and interesting! You have so many more options to create awareness, interest and desire. Plus, the process doesn’t end with the sale! Even after the sale you have so many more opportunities to engage and turn your clients into brand advocates. Each stage of the marketing funnel includes a variety of social and online marketing opportunities.
Let’s explore a couple of these options in your social marketing funnel.
Social Ads
- Social Ads. The excitement grows and changes daily.
- The social ad option “Reach Potential Travelers” that’s just become available is hidden in the Ad Audience section within the Ad Set. With this option you can target Facebook users who are in the early trip planning stages based on behaviors exhibited on Facebook and Instagram. You’ll target “people who have shown general travel intent but have not yet expressed intent for a specific destination. For example, people who browse several travel sites but only land on the homepage of those sites” (source). While this option has fewer bells & whistles than its predecessor “Trip Consideration,” it’s all we have. It looks like this:
Figure 1 – Reach potential travelers by toggling this to the ‘ON’ position
- Split testing ads has been available for a while and this is a great option for testing your ad creative to see which works better for your audience. You can toggle ‘on’ the split test option in the initial step of setting up your next ad. Here’s how it looks:
- Dynamic creative ads are a cool tool that gives you the option to add up to 10 images/videos, 5 headlines, 5 text blocks, 5 link descriptions and 5 CTA buttons. Facebook then mixes and matches your assets to find the best combination that appeals to your unique audience.
Lead Magnets
- Lead Magnets. Whether you’re creating lead generation ads or trying to drive social fans to your website, an outstanding lead magnet is crucial. Consider creating:
- A downloadable packing guide
- Destination tip sheet
- Top 10 list
- Restaurant guide
- Must See list
- Before you Travel checklist
- the possibilities are endless.
These lead magnets can take the form of an e-book, checklist, guide, infographic, video or simply a PDF. Success comes when your lead magnet is easy to download and digest and has high value and impact for your unique audience.
Amplify Your Ads
Amplification is about standing out in a noisy world; being unique, being authentic. It’s also about tailoring our messages to the right people at the right time and in the right place.
To boost your amplification, try these 2 easy ad strategies:
By creating a funnel rather than a tunnel, your brand will be capable of reaching new audiences. You will be able to break free from the typical restrictions associated with marketing in a tunnel. Through social ads and lead magnets, your social marketing funnel will begin to fill with prospective new clients.
Which strategies are you using to stay in the funnel?
Related Articles
How to Optimize Traditional & Social Marketing
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…
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