Silly marketer… Facebook’s for kids!
By Administrator at 17 November, 2008, 12:14 pm
Why should your attraction, accommodation or association start a Facebook page?
That is an interesting question. There are plenty of folks out there, like this guy, that will tell you that starting a Facebook page is a waste of time.
“Word-of-mouth is not necessarily synonymous with social media. That is, just as with any other form of marketing, there is no guarantee that consumers are going to take your message and carry it on.”
He’s right about one thing. Social media isn’t for everybody. But it is perfect for our industry. We all know that travel and tourism is special. We aren’t selling toothpaste or shoes. We are selling an experience. We are selling memories. That is why it is critical for you to join the conversation. And that is just how you need to think about social media. It is a conversation. You aren’t delivering a message for consumption. You are providing a community with information to get a conversation started.
If you haven’t entered the social media space, there is only one place to get started – FACEBOOK. Why Facebook. Let’s ask Jeremiah Owyang, he works for Forrester Research and is one of the smartest dudes researching the social computing space. He’s what he says about Facebook.
“Facebook has the highest growth rate, and at Forrester we predict it to achieve the same number of registered users as MySpace in Q4 of 2008, or early 2009 … Please don’t call this the MySpace killer as each of these sites serves a different demographic, with a different purpose, and different tools. Facebook is more of a ‘lifestyle’ play that allows members to connect to each other.”
There is nothing more “lifestyle” than our industry. So, what are you waiting for? Still need more stats to sell your boss? Boss, I need to spend all day setting up a Facebook page because –
- More than 120 million active users
- Facebook is the 4th most-trafficked website in the world (comScore)
- Facebook is the most-trafficked social media site in the world (comScore)
- Over 55,000 regional, work-related, collegiate, and high school networks
- More than half of Facebook users are outside of college
- The fastest growing demographic is those 25 years old and older
- Maintain 85 percent market share of 4-year U.S. universities
Is that still not enough? How about this – IT’S FREE! What do you have to lose? Nothing!
Here’s a five step guide to getting started.
1) Open an account as yourself. That’s right – be yourself! Use Facebook to build your online brand, and build a profile you can be proud of. The most important thing about your profile is to do what comes naturally and be yourself. You’re awesome.
2) Start a Facebook group for your organization. The profile is for you. The group is for your organization. Your group doesn’t have to include the name of your organization. If you worked for the Atlanta CVB. Your group doesn’t have to be titled “Atlanta CVB Group.” Be creative and engage your customers. You’re a marketer. This is where you get to act like it. Check this out blog post for more information on how to make your group rock!
3) Connect, Connect, Connect! – “If you build it they will come” doesn’t work for Facebook. You need to connect with everyone. Contacts in your Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail… should get an invite (Facebook does this for you!). Every vendor that comes to your office should get and invite. Every person that walks into your office should get an invite. Get the picture?
4) Promote, Promote, Promote! – Use your current traditional marketing channels to promote your Facebook group. This includes everything from your website, e-mail newsletter and your e-mail signature. If you do it right, this will become a two way street. That is, your Facebook profile and group will drive traffic to your traditional marketing channels.
5) Have an objective in mind – Are you trying to drive visitation? Promote events to locals? Raise awareness? Your Facebook strategy should start with your content goal in mind. It is easy to succeed when you define success before you start!
Now you know the basics of getting your brand on Facebook. The power of this tool never ceases to amaze me. Facebook can give you a whole new channel for your press releases and marketing copy. Consumers who engage in social marketing activities spend more money, have greater brand loyalty, engage more deeply with brands, have increased brand affinity, exert increased influence on friends’ and families’ purchase decisions, and experience greater satisfaction with brands.
Don’t be scared – Facebook isn’t just for kids – It can also help you build a loyal group of customers.
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