I’m really excited to share with you this month’s TOP radio podcast, for two reasons. The first is that this month we’re addressing new media myths and misconceptions – tackling a lot of the issues that I hear about every day.  The second is that joining me is two very good friends:  Sheila Scarborough and Becky McCray.  These two ladies are behind the helm of Tourism Currents, a fabulous “new media education” program.  In plain English:  they teach you everything you need to know about digital media, in a format that is easily digestible and hands-on.  I’d suggest after the call, you pop over to their website to learn more – you can do that by clicking on the logo below!

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One of the biggest battles of building a great travel website is getting your new visitors comfortable enough to take their first step.  I don’t know of any buying lifecycle that’s completed in only one step, so no doubt you’ll require a few pages to educate your readers on your offering and then entice them to actually take you up on it.

First, establish the context.  We’ve talked about this before – it should only take a matter of seconds – two or three maximum – for a user to know where they are.  The easiest way to do this is to have a clear, simple strapline under you header or logo image.  ”London’s best value for money B&B on the sunny Thames River.”  ”Award-Winning Historic Walking Tours of New Orelans.”  ”Affordable Travel Packages and Services for Aruba and Venezuela.”   Those are so clear, you don’t even have to go to the website to know what they’re doing.

Second, tell them what to do.  When someone arrives at your site, what do you want them to do?  Craft the ideal journey, then send them on it.  For example, you might introduce yourself, then say, listen to what other customers have said.  Or just show them the packages and options.  What’s your unique value?  If it’s YOU, then go to the About You page.  If it’s how your customers rave about you, send them there.  If you’re about budget and value, send them to the discounts page.  But tell them – with text, images, and a link. Read the rest of this article »

So, everyone’s been gagging to know my thoughts on location-based social media – it seems to come up in conversation on a regular basis.  To be honest, I really didn’t see the value until my recent trip to Austin for South by Southwest.  Austin is very Wifi and digital-orientated to begin with, so you can imagine having thousands of iPhone-carrying digital media folk makes for a very vivid experience of with location-based social media would be like should it become ‘mainstream.’

What Is It?

So, what is location-based social media?  It is essential taking a platform like Facebook – where you have friends you can share information and tips with – and takes it down to a very localised level, e.g. specific businesses and establishments.  Here’s the typical experience for a new location-based social media user:

• User creates an account, then adds friends who are also on the network.
• Next time user visits a cafe, museum, coffeeshop, airport… (s)he “checks-in.”
  • The app shows tips on what’s good and what’s not.
  • The app shows you your other friends who are there (or are nearby).
  • Advertisers can potentially send you special offers [we'll cover that in a minute].
• Your friends can see where you are and come join you.
• As you check-in more often, you can accumulate points and badges (”Jetsetter,” “Adventurer,” and “Explorer” are some of mine).
• The person who is the most regular visitor to an establishment can be crowned ‘Mayor’ – which many places are rewarding this virtual crown with real-world benefits.

As for the applications themselves, the two leaders in this space right now are Gowalla and Foursquare.

What Does it Mean for Small Business?

The reason this is important for small businesses is two-fold:

Location-based services allow customers to self-identify themselves as a patron of your establishment – and allow you to target them correspondingly.

Translation:  You can reward people for good social media behaviour.  Here are a few examples:

• Users can receive a free __________ on their 5th/6th/10th check-in.
• Foursquare Mayors get ______________ on every visit.
• Check in on your first Foursquare visit and get __% off your meal.

The application allows you to verify this kind of information – the user just shows you their phone – so it’s easy to track. Lots of businesses are offering this service to drive repeat business, and I think if you choose your offering properly, it can be a very cost effective marketing tool.

Location-based services are exactly that – location based – which offer a new paradigm of advertising that is targeted with laser focus.

Translation: You can serve someone an advertisement right when they are looking for it.  Here are a few examples:

• User checks-in to popular restaurant in town.  Cupcake van across the street highlights a special for you to stop by and sample if the restaurant doesn’t have dessert you like.
• The walking tour operator highlights last minute deals for those who have checked-in to the cafe nearby, politely mentioning the staff will put your coffee in a takeaway cup if you want.
• Patrons to the hotel bar are offered coupons for stopping into the restaurant for a meal. (I almost said something about offering them a room for the night.  Ooops – I guess it depends on what kind of hotel you run.)

Here’s an example of one of the special offers that was served to me when I checked in to one of my favourite coffee shops in Austin:

The chocolate place is just around the corner – who wouldn’t want a nice chocolate to go with the freshly brewed coffee they just ordered?  This is damn smart advertising.  Wow.

Where’s This All Headed?

I often have an open mind on such things, but for location-based social media, I’m pretty clear:  the only way this will work mainstream is if there is a dominant player.  Consider if there were three or four Tripadvisors in the world, or five Yelps – very different scenario than what we have now, right?

So for Gowalla and Foursquare, I think it’s a race to gain market share.  I’m not sure if they can make it, because more than likely either Facebook or Google will do one of two things:  build a competitive product, or buy them.  These  networks just don’t offer any value without big numbers.  As I sit here in Edinburgh writing this, these tools offer me as a consumer no value. There aren’t that many people, there aren’t any special offers, and few establishments have any reviews or tips….

If you’ve been scanning this whole time, read this part…

For now, small businesses should spend some time right now doing the following:

• Claim your profile listing on the networks so you can make sure the details are correct.  VERY IMPORTANT!
• Monitor what is said about you.  Yes, I’m afraid that the whole problem of everyone is a reviewer just got larger – and more personal.
• Investigate how large of a portion of their target market is using these apps. (Easiest way to find out is ask.)  Big enough portion to start doing some promotional efforts?

For many of you, the answer will be “nobody is on there, but I’m keeping an eye on it.”  For some, it will be “ooh – look at all these new potential customers.”  And for those of you in places like Austin, it will be “Oh my – this is where the party is!”

To Learn More

Need help crafting your ideal travel online marketing strategy or tweaking what you’ve got, location-based or otherwise?  We can help!  Be sure to have a look at all of the online marketing strategy resources we have – including DIY guides, simple but effective worksheets, and coaching.

Photo by William Hook

Tina Forsyth & Andrea J. Lee have a great marketing program called Pink Spoon Marketing.  The premise is that the best marketing you can do is to replicate what ice cream shops do:  give people a sample, and you’ll swing more buyers into making a purchase.  It’s a fantastic idea and very powerful – lots of people who already wanted ice cream will have their decision reinforced by your confidence, and the ones who were on the fence will be swayed by tasting something amazing. (Heck – a small portion who wouldn’t have bought anyway will feel guilty for having a free sample and just buy something anyway.)

So What Does Ice Cream Have to do with Tourism?

Well, a lot.  You can apply this model to your business, and the virtual world makes it easy and cost-effective.  Here are some ideas:

• Travel Agents:  Do you have example itineraries for potential customers to read?  Yes, this includes some (not all) of your special secrets.  Don’t forget the photos of each place!
• Tour Operators:  How about a video clip or reel highlighting the experiences on your tour – the mountain vistas or the rapids in the stream.
• Hoteliers:  Photos, photos, photos.  What’s the view like, what does it look like from the road, what’s the decor like?

Don’t overwhelm people by all means, but rarely do websites have enough detail.  Many buyers will make their initial decision whether to choose you or not by the information available online.  So get your pink spoon out there and let your customers virtually sample what you have to offer!

To Learn More

If you need help figuring out your pink spoon (or blue fork, or otherwise), then why not have a look at our travel online marketing coaching & consulting resources.  We’re here if you need a hand.

Photo by Pink Sherbert Photography

So it seems Facebook has been taking the limelight in Internet circles at the moment for a litany of updates, some good, some bad, and some.. well, indifferent. Let’s talk about what you need to know and what you can forget.

New Facebook Privacy Options

UGH.  MORE privacy problems coming out of Facebook – and again, the problem isn’t that Facebook is changing the rules, it is that you’re automatically opted-in to the data exposure, instead of being opted-out by default.  (Translation: you’re in the new program unless you say no.)

The new feature is the “Instant Personalization Pilot” project.  What happens is that when you go to any of one of Facebook’s partner websites (currently Yelp, Pandoa, and Microsoftdocs.com but more coming), Facebook will share your name, personal interests, picture, gender and names of your friends with that website.  It means for highly targeted advertising, of course, but also means your Facebook data is finding its way winging across the world wide web.

To turn this off, simple:

• Click on Account, then Privacy Setting
• Click Applications and Websites
• Click on “Edit Settings” next to Instant Personalization
• Untick the box as shown:

It might be worth mentioning this to your Facebook Fans.

Facebook Social Plugins

In better social news, Facebook is coming to a website near you – literally!  The site has released a number of “social plugins”, which can help integrate Facebook into your website presence.  The official page to download the plugins:

http://developers.facebook.com/plugins

So, what are these plugins? Here’s a run down of the most interesting:

Like Button:  You can incorporate a ‘like’ button on your website pages, so users can instantly share their page with their Facebook friends.   By choosing ‘Like’, the page would appear in the user’s Facebook newsfeed.  Here’s an example of what a page looks like with the like button:

This could be an interesting addition to your blog articles and news pieces if you feel you have a lot of customers who are Facebook users.  However, do not add this button to your sales pages.  It’s just one more distraction when you want people focused on the purchasing decision.  (And who would “like” a page with your rate card or services anyway?).  It’s a shame you can’t customise the look of the widget much – it’s kind of ugly, if your font/colors aren’t like Facebooks.

Like Box:  This is what the “Fan Page” box used to be.  The title of the button has changed from “Fan” to “Like” but otherwise it hasn’t changed.  Thankfully it doesn’t say a ‘like box’ – not the best branding choice!

Recommendations:  This little widget shows users suggestions on other pages on the site based on Facebook user activity.  Unless you have a LOT of Facebook traffic, I would not implement this – there are far better ‘recommended’ page widgets, such as LinkWithin or Outbrain.

Comments Box:  If you’ve got comments enabled on your blog, then you replace that with a Facebook comments widget.  I don’t recommend this widget either, because if a visitor isn’t a Facebook user, it looks awful.  Here’s the standard view though:

To summarise…  Feel free to check out the plugins, but I would advise a cautious approach.

Facebook Profile Changes

One last note about Facebook profile changes.  Facebook is making user’s interests and pages much more visible on your profile, so at some point when you log into Facebook it will ask you to link your profile with your interests.  You can read more about this on the official Facebook blog, but the bottom line is you can’t refuse – this is the new profile functionality.  What I think this means:

• This is great for advertisers; I suspect the ultra-fine targeting features of Facebook will only get more refined.
• This is bad for fan pages counts; I suspect that users who were only “being nice” will flee when it means your logo will be emblazoned on their profile.

My oh my, how the world of Facebook continues to evolve.  I still think this is a viable outlet for small businesses to connect with their community, but be sure you’re hanging out here in the TOP community for the latest changes.

To Learn More

Still trying to master Facebook?  Haven’t even dipped your toes in the water?  Then be sure to check out our Facebook resources, which include our one hour “why Facebook” podcast, Facebook Fan page tips and tricks, and other resources.  Check it out!

We haven’t done a Steal this Travel Marketing Idea for awhile, and so I thought I’d take a minute to highlight a fun marketing option that many small businesses overlook:  videos.  Here’s a great example video from a Canadian tour operator:  Segway Ontario.

What’s So Great?

• It’s Professional.  Your videos don’t have to be Hollywood – and in fact, there is a tendency to end up in slick brochure-land.  People empathise with a video that is professional but doesn’t feel like it’s got too much gloss that is hiding the real facts.
• It’s Fun.  I love the ending where you  hear the sound of the leaves crushing under the Segways as it speeds up.  If you have teenagers, they’ll be begging you to go on this tour after watching the video.  It definitely appeals to the senses.
• It’s Short.  Unless you’ve launched some sort of video programme (interviews or what not) that you’re integrating into a blog or online magazine, your videos need to be short.  2-5 minutes is ideal.
• It’s got a call to action.  The Youtube page  has the operator’s contact information and they’ve used the annotation tool to pop-up a mention about their website.  The start/close screens also have contact info.  So if I decided I want to book, it’s easy for me to find out where to go.

Room for Improvement?

I really only have two suggestions for improvement:

• More Customers: there was only one customer comment (”so awesome” I believe she said) – that’s good, but I would have sprinkled customer comments throughout the video.  Seeing a customer praising your brand is very powerful.
• More Guides: the guides really should be featured here.  Remember – the secret about marketing is that people like to do business with people they know.  How awesome would it be for someone to call you and say they want to book a tour and they want to go on Josh’s tour because they saw his video?

To Learn More

Need help finding more ways to market your business?  Check out our do-it-yourself guide, 33 Fun and Effective Ways to Market your Travel Business, or get in touch to see how we can help.

I’m still testing out some of the newest features released from Facebook, but I’ve had a lot of Twitter questions lately so while we finish up checking out Facebook’s latest and greatest, I thought I’d share with you a few fun Twitter tips and tweaks that you can use to make your own Twitter account a little more effective.  If you missed it, be sure to first read through our last round up of tips in our free guide, Why Twitter is Just a Personality Contest.

• Reminder:  It’s not an RSS Feed.  If you’re never logging into your Twitter account, explain to me what’s the point?  Twitter isn’t an RSS feed, so if all you’re doing is pumping out feeds from your blog, from Facebook, or elsewhere, then why bother with it at all? You’re missing the most powerful part of Twitter:  conversations and community.
• Avoid Convention. #FollowFriday is a hashtag that is very popular, but I think it’s overused – we’ve all see those tweets crammed-full-with-as-many-names-as-possible-and-the-hashtag-doesn’t-even-fit-so-they-just-use-#FF.  I find I get lots of response and “feel good” vibes when I highlight people that do something nice for me right when it happens.  So, if it’s Wednesday, and I want to say thanks, I just drop out an #AwesomePeopleWednesday tweet.  Who cares about convention – do something that’s noteworthy.
• Thanks for the RT. I get so many of these Tweets, it’s just overwhelming.  In fact, I get them even when I didn’t RT anybody’s stuff.  I’m not sure how to explain that!  Not everyone will agree with me, but sending out a “Thanks for the RT” message isn’t always the best way to cultivate a relationship.  If I Stumble one of your posts or if I reply to your email or do something else, it doesn’t trigger an immediate message like this does.  So instead of clogging up the networks with all these generic Thanks messages, why don’t you do something bigger?  How about you return the favour – or comment on that person’s blog, or something else to send the karma back?
• First Impressions Count.  I get asked all the time ‘do I really need a Twitter background?’  The thing is, yes, people only see it once, but first impressions count.  Don’t you want them to immediately understand who you are, what you’re about, and how they can learn more?  Your most recent tweets can change from day to day, and your bio is only a few characters, so get that background in shape to help give them a clear picture about you.
• IGNORE Follower/Following Counts.  Just ignore them.  It is what is in the content that matters.  You can tell whether someone is genuine and interesting without looking at the numbers.  Your gut can tell.

Remember, Twitter is like most social networking mechanisms: it’s about sharing experiences and telling stories first, and about selling second.  You have to make the connection before you can make the sale.

PS – Be sure to follow the Travel Online Partners twitter list and keep in touch with all the members of our team!

To Learn More

Be sure to visit our Twitter resources page to see other articles and materials that can help you make the most of Twitter, including our popular Twitter jumpstart package.

Photo by Todd Barnard

I’ve just spent a few weeks in America’s Pacific Northwest.  Specifically, I’d like to reflect on the bustling city of Seattle – birthplace of Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft and other amazing brand names.  It’s also the home to the iconic coffee brand, Starbucks, who brought luxury coffee and the high-end café experience to countries throughout the world.

Starbucks has blanketed the Pacific Northwest with retail outlets.  It is rare to walk more than two or three blocks without seeing another Starbucks.  While the region has a plethora of other chain coffee chains, Starbucks remains visible and top of mind, without question.

But what does expensive coffee have to do with small businesses and tourism/hospitality?  A great deal.

Meet Monorail Espresso

If you’re in Seattle, opening a coffee house seems like a totally stupid idea.  How on earth could you survive?  But that didn’t stop the owners of Monorail coffee, a small coffee chain on Pike and 6^th avenue in downtown Seattle.    Keep in mind:

• There’s no iconic signage pointing you towards their establishment.  A neon sign says caffeine.   Persuasive, perhaps, but not outlandish or terribly visible. (it’s not on a skyscraper, folks)
• There’s no indoor seating, let alone free Wifi.  It’s a drive-through window on a sidewalk pavement.
• There’s no case full of different sandwiches, cakes, and pastries, only a few select options.  And by few, I mean 2 or 3 things.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right?  A tiny business about to be demolished by goliath for their lack of choice and ambience or experience, right?

How Monorail, the Underdog, Wins

Monorail coffee has queues as long as the block, and is doing bustling trade.  What’s the secret? They don’t need all the tourist trade or the traffic.  Monorail coffee isn’t something for everybody.  It’s really amazing coffee for somebody who appreciates excellent coffee without the bells and whistles. It’s a small business with little overhead, so the services they offer and the revenue they bring in are plenty (I assume – I didn’t ask).

But what makes them a winner?

• Their baristas pour some of the best coffee in Seattle.  The people who appreciate coffee talk, and those that respect them listen.  How do you think I found out?
• Their pastries are handmade the night before.  My chocolate chip cookie tasted of creamy butter, salt, fresh chocolate…as if someone’s grandmother made it fresh that morning.  People talk.
• Monorail dominates online media like Foursquare, Yelp, and other review sites – WITHOUT lifting a finger.  Looking for the best coffee in downtown Seattle?  Yelp says Monorail, not Starbucks.  So does him, and him, and him, and her, and her, and him, and her.  People like to do business with people they know, and before I even went I knew a great deal about the people at Monorail.  If you didn’t know anyone in Seattle but went online to find good coffee downtown, you wouldn’t find Starbucks, you’d find Monorail. Proof that having great products and services works.
• Monorail knows what their product and service is and who their customer is: coffee lovers.  It isn’t a café experience.  It isn’t a food and dining establishment.  They make the best coffee in downtown Seattle, no fluff and no hassle.  There’s nothing else in the way of their vision.
• Their service is next to none.  From the friendly smiles to the top-notch latte art, every staff member at Monorail knows what their ideal customer, the coffee lover, loves.  They overdeliver.  As a coffee fiend (come on, people, I’m an entrepreneur what did you expect?), I was blown away.

Ask Yourself

If a tiny coffeehouse can survive in the shadow of the almighty Starbucks, than surely you can do your special thing wherever you are.

• Do you know what your special offer is?
• Do you know who your special offer is for?
• Are you focused resolutely on improving and mastering your game, instead of worrying about what everyone else thinks or what the big guys are doing?
• Are you focused on a mind-blowing experience for your ideal customer?

Big doesn’t mean a winner.  Offering a quality product in line what consumers want is what is a big win.

Learn More

Need help understanding what it is that makes you special?  And how to find your ideal customers and explain that to them?  No problem: we can help.  Why not take our free assessment (be sure to tell us what’s bothering or worrying you), and we’ll make you the talk of the town, wherever  you are.

Photos by ChrisDag, Laura604

I really can’t have predicted that today I would be writing about a volcano disrupting the travel sector.  But I suppose stranger things have happened, and the economic impacts of this event are just starting to surface.  The media are already talking about the death of many large businesses, such as airlines, but what about the small folk?  What should you do when disaster strikes?

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It’s time for this month’s episode of TOP Radio, our monthly travel and technology podcast. Featuring guest Lucy Whittington of Inspired Business Marketing, a published author and hotel marketing expert.

Today, we talk about quite a few topics: how to inspire your business, how to build a better website, and how to inspire your marketing.  It’s a fun call and definitely some great food for thought for any small business owner.

We also mention Lucy’s book, the Hotel Success Handbook. It’s a must for any small B&B or hoteliers out there! Here’s handy links to grab a copy from Amazon (.com or .co.uk), though be sure to listen to her tips on the call first.

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