Mastering Social Media Strategies for the Tourism Industry

During the WIT Conference 2014, Ms. Emilie Couton - representing Accor hotel group, shared insights on effective utilization of social media for promoting and marketing online tourism.

The Web in Travel Conference 2014 (WIT 2014) - a conference focused on distribution, marketing, and application of online travel technology, took place from October 27th to 29th, 2014, in Singapore. This year's theme was “Little Big 10”, aiming to reshape consumer travel behavior and its impact on the tourism industry in the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Mastering Social Media Strategies for the Tourism Industry

On this occasion, Ms. Emilie Couton, responsible for customer care at Accor hotel group, shared insights into Accor's social media monitoring and measurement strategy in 2014 - a highly useful handbook featuring 101 different ways Accor utilized various social media channels to enhance tourism service quality and brand promotion.

Also at the conference, Accor hotel group shared insights into the trends and behaviors of travelers' social media usage, based on the results of their latest survey.

Insights from Accor's Survey: Attitudes Towards Social Media Advertising

Ms. Emilie Couton's Expert Tips for Leveraging Social Media in Brand Promotion

• Mastering Application Platforms: It's crucial to understand the geographical usage of social media platforms. For example, WhatsApp is popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and India, while Line is favored in South Korea, Kakao in China, and Facebook globally. Additionally, Ms. Emilie Couton emphasizes staying vigilant of new competitors.

• Understanding Tourist Usage Trends: It's essential to grasp tourists' social media usage trends for travel purposes. Surveys indicate that Facebook dominates most stages of travel (pre, during, and post-trip). Instagram is favored by travelers for sharing travel experiences, while Travellers is suitable for pre-trip research and planning.

• Understanding Differences in Each Country: Younger travelers are more adept at adapting to application platforms. Surveys reveal that older individuals in Australia or Japan are the least active users of social media platforms.

• Paying Attention to Content Delivery: Providing fresh content daily and emphasizing imagery on social media platforms is vital, as many travelers find travel inspiration through visuals.

• Active Engagement on Social Media: Businesses should actively participate in discussions and interact with their customers on social media platforms.

• Online Networking with Those Truly Interested in Social Media.

• Focus on Culinary Field: According to surveys, up to 44% of travelers often post food-related images on social media, presenting an opportunity for bars or restaurants to promote themselves to potential customers.

• “Talk to me”: When asked what they expect from hotel responses, 48% of travelers expect acknowledgment, 37% want explanations, and 21% desire apologies from hotels.

• Pay Attention to Humanitarian Aspects: It is essential to respect, acknowledge, and address customer opinions.

According to Traveltimes.vn 

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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour