This document provides strategies for using social media effectively in tourism businesses. It begins by debunking common myths about social media, such as that it is a fad, free, fast, or focused only on Facebook and Twitter. It emphasizes that social media requires a commitment of time and quality over quantity. The key aspects of social media are said to be participation, transparency, conversations, and community. To make social media work for a business, the document says you must lead by listening to conversations, engaging with customers, articulating your value through content, and demonstrating your expertise. It provides specific tactics under each of these areas, such as using tools like Google Alerts to listen, maintaining a consistent online presence when engaging, and

1. The Savvy Operator
Practical strategies for using social
media in your tourism business
Stephen Joyce, CEO
Rezgo.com
(A Division of Sentias Software Corp.)

2. Don't worry, when it comes to social
media, it's about quality not quantity.

3. social media
Fallacies

4. 1. Social Media is a
FAD

5. FALSE

6. 113 million blogs...
& over 250 million pieces of tagged social media.

7. 400 Million Users
on Facebook & 50% log in EVERY DAY

8. 25 Million Users
And growth of 1500% in 2009, Twitter

9. 2. Social Media is
FREE

10. FALSE

11. “Social media
trades media
cost for time
cost” Charlene Li,
Forrester Research

12. 3. Social Media is
FAST

13. FALSE

14. Social media is about
creating relationships that
can take months or even
years to develop.

15. 4. FACEBOOK &
Social Media is
TWITTER

16. FALSE

17. Social media is not about any
ONE tool or site, it is about the
philosophy behind the use of the
tool & your goals for using it.

18. social media
</ hype >

19. 1. Twittering
Everyone is...

20. Source: Quantcast

21. Twitter Quitters
Source: NielsenWire

22.  40% use their account. (compared to
70% of Facebook users)
 10% of users produce 90% of the
tweets
 40% of Tweets Are Pointless Babble
 37% are conversational
 9% are pass along (or RT)
 3.5% are spam

23. 2. Do social media
Anyone can

24.  Not everyone needs to do social
media.
 The time cost may be prohibitive.
 If poorly executed, it can have a
negative impact on the brand.

25. 3. Big Splash Fast
You can make a

26.  It takes time to build reputation on-
line.
 If you have an existing subscriber
base or customer base, you can
engage them quickly.
 If starting from scratch, it can take a
lot of time.

27. 4. You can go
VIRAL

28.  Things become viral for one reason
or another, generally unknown to
you.
 What you think will go viral seldom
does.
 You cannot manufacture viral
content.

29. key attributes of the
social web

30. 1. Participation

31. readers writers

32. 2. Transparency

33. Disgusting Awful
nightmare
Avoid this place like the plague
Worst Experience ever
Dirty

34. Amazing Super
impressive
Fabulous location, great service
Enjoyable stay
Great

35. 3. Conversations

36. 38% conversational

37. stop talking & start listening

38. 4. Community

39. 2.5 Million Unique Visits

40. 1.6 Million Users

41. 15+ Million Users

42. why social media
WORKS

43. we all live in...
communities

44. our history is...
about stories

45. we find pleasure in ...
sharing

46. we seek ...
companions

47. we are ...
social animals

48. social
media lets
us be
human

49. ... only more efficiently

50. making social media
WORK

51. To make social media work
for your business,
you must
LEAD.

52. Listen
Engage
Articulate
Demonstrate

53. 5 min. break

54. 1 you must ...
st
LISTEN

55. Sign-up for the following accounts

57. Set up Google Alerts for:
 Your brand
 Your keywords
 Your competitors

58. www.google.com/alerts

59. Alerts via email or rss

60. You will get alerts for:
 Blog mentions
 Twitter mentions
 News articles
 Videos/rich media
 Web site mentions

61. www.tweetdeck.com

62. Similar search to Google Alerts

63. What will you learn?
 Where people are talking
 What people are saying
 How people feel about you
 Problems & common concerns
 Trends & opportunities

64. 2 you must ...
nd
ENGAGE

65. remember...
you're human

66. don't hide behind...
your brand

67. proudly represent...
your brand

68. Sign-up for the following accounts
disqus.com
gravatar.com

69. Consider accounts with these sites
based on the results of your listening:

70. Profile Management Rules:
 Use the same email address
 Create a square 300x300 profile pic.
 Use a consistent “About me” (250
words max.)
 Create a consistent password
scheme.

71. Engagement Rules:
 Respond quickly (once a day is fine)
 Always be polite & professional
 Ask lots of questions
 Be honest with your answers.
 You don't have to have the answers

72. Ask yourself this
One Question

73. What would you do if this customer
was standing in front of you?

74. 3 you must ...
rd
ARTICULATE

75. You have less than 30 seconds
to capture your visitors' attention

76. Awareness
Consideration
Action

77. Traffic
Content
Call to Action

78. Dream
Plan
Go

79. Articulate
the Dream
Write stories that inspire and
excite the visitor. Share your
experiences and love for what
you do.

80. Articulate
the Dream
 Builds relevant content
 Increases relevant keywords
 Builds credibility & authenticity
 Increases stickiness
 Defines you as an authority

81. Articulate
the Dream
1) Who are you?
2) Why you love what you do?
3) What makes your region special?
4) Your favorite experience(s)
5) Special insider tips (planning etc.)
6) History or events

82. Tools to help you articulate the Dream
blogger.com
wordpress.com
typepad.com

83. Articulate
the Plan
Clearly describe how and why
the visitor should choose your
business. Present all the
information they need to make
a booking decision.

84. Articulate
the Plan
Use a content management
system (CMS) to organize your
web content. Your CMS may be
the same as your blog platform.

85. Articulate
the Plan
Use a property management
system or tour operator
software to organize your
products.

86. Articulate
the Plan
Provide partners with standard
connection methods in order to
distribute your products. XML
APIs and RSS.

87. Articulate
the GO!
With a clear...
Call to Action

88. Articulate
the GO!
On-line bookings, requests, or
push to phone are all valid calls
to action. But they must be
measurable.

89. 4 you must ...
th
DEMONSTRATE

90. Demonstrate
your expertise
Share your experiences with
other communities. Syndicate
your content to blogs,
networks, and partners
through RSS.

91. Demonstrate
your confidence
Encourage your guests &
customers to review your
services on sites like
Tripadvisor & TripReviews.

92. Demonstrate
your service
Post videos on Youtube &
Vimeo, share photos on Flickr
& Facebook, share content
with partners.

93. who, where, why
listen
Add channels, ask, learn,
foster demonstrate engage understand,
answer
connections
articulate
feed curiosity

94. 5 Simple Rules

Start with the big networks.

Be selective with sites to join.

Make social media a part of your
daily routine.

Commit to a plan.

Review your results often.

95. www.thesavvyoperator.com

96. @stephenjoyce
stephen.a.joyce
www.tnooz.com

97. Thank you