It’s no exaggeration to say that social media, coupled with the ubiquity of smartphones, has changed how the world works. If it hasn’t changed how you plan and promote group travel, you’re missing out on some big opportunities.
Though it was first the domain of young people, social media has become popular among Americans of all generations, and it offers some fantastic tools for travel planners. From advertising your trips before they begin to entertaining your travelers throughout and sharing memories after, social media gives you opportunities to connect with people in ways that traditional media never have.
Here are five tips for making the most of social media in your travel program.
1)‘Buzz’ Your Marketing.
Beautiful photos, witty remarks and exciting news make the rounds in social media with lightning speed. Smart salespeople use this to their
advantage, implementing “buzz marketing” campaigns that are built around clever social media releases. You can do this same thing to build interest in your group or your trip: Publish a gorgeous travel photo or a preview of an upcoming trip to your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account, and you can quickly grab the interest of potential customers. And if you encourage those travelers to interact with you online during a tour, the buzz from your travel activities can spread through their friend networks as well.
2)Build Your Groups.
If you don’t already have a Facebook group or fan page put together for your church travel program, you should start one right now. These features give you a way to connect and communicate with your members without having to fight for attention in their email inboxes, physical mailboxes or telephone voicemail boxes. And if your travelers are frequent Facebook users, you should also consider putting together smaller group pages for specific trips, which will allow you to build a sense of camaraderie among travelers even before the trip begins.
