Businesses on Ilha De Mozambique are creatively using social media to develop their brands
Coral Lodge, Ilha Blue Island Safaris and Feitoria boutique hotel are leading the way when it comes to social media marketing and particularly the use of ‘influencers’. Now other tour operators, hotels and restaurants on the island are joining in to develop their brand (and the destination) in the global marketplace. Below are some tips from one of the main booking software developers on what to focus on .
Some tips from Trekksoft.
Today, brand identity continues to be tightly tied to social media and user-generated content. To define your social media strategy as a tour or activity operator or destination, we advise looking to your consumer behaviour before anything else.
Which social media platforms are your customers using?
Where do they talk about your business and your destination? You need to ensure you’re active on these platforms, both in terms of sharing new content and engaging with people who talk about your products. For most tour and activity companies, we see them focusing on:
Facebook.
For many tour & activity companies, Facebook is a key part of your online presence. It’s worth thinking about your Facebook profile as another shopfront for your business: it helps to define your brand, facilitates communication with booked guests and potential customers, and gives out credibility signals for whether you’re a trustworthy business to book with. Post regularly, share content of your tours and destination (including user-generated content), and engage with your followers. Over time, build up Facebook reviews by providing an exceptional customer experience.
Instagram.
This is one of the best marketing tools out there to define and consolidate brand identity as a travel experience provider. Operators and destinations with well-thought-out strategies, originality, and regular posts are the ones standing out.
Among tour and activity providers, we don’t see as much focus on Twitter. However, if your customers are using the platform then it’s worth being there too – especially if you receive tweets with questions or last-minute communication about your activities.
If you can’t stay on top it’s not worth being there
If you can’t stay on top of a social media platform and provide speedy answers: it’s not worth being there. Having a social media profile is a signal that you are open to communication through it – you can’t afford to miss messages.
Are you happy with the brand identity?
For each social media page you have, you also need to be happy with the brand identity it gives off. Does your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter page match how you want to be perceived as a travel provider? If not, identify the issues now and make a plan to improve them. There’s always a chance your potential guests will check you out on social media before booking – or find you through it.
One final piece of advice for social media: it’s important not to spread yourself too thin. If there’s one platform that most of your guests use and which brings you most results, it’s perfectly acceptable to focus more on that!
Messaging Apps.
For a more direct way to speak to your customers, messaging apps are becoming the fastest and most convenient way to connect and enhance their travel experience. According to Business Insider, the average smartphone owner uses 27 apps on their phone per month and the top four messaging apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat and Viber) have more monthly active users than the top four social networking apps (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ .
The Top 4 Messaging apps
According to Business Insider, the average smartphone owner uses 27 apps on their phone per month and the top four messaging apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat and Viber) have more monthly active users than the top four social networking apps (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+).
Statista confirms this claim, stating that there are almost 4 billion users between WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat. This makes it the ideal method for tour & activity operators to communicate with their customers in real-time.
WeChat – China’s number 1 mobile app
The Chinese messaging app WeChat has evolved massively in recent years to become China’s number one mobile app and social media platform, with over 1 billion monthly active users. Starting as a simple chat platform like Whatsapp, today it combines social sharing, marketing, services (including travel services), and mobile payments.
According to Dragon Trail, 50% of WeChat users spent 90 minutes or more every day on the platform, so contacting them directly through the app is the perfect marketing tool.
Trekksoft. The leading booking solution for Day Tour Companies. Connect your online and offline sales channels to take bookings and scale, while simplifying back-end management. http://www.trekksoft.com
