Do the words social media send shivers down your spine?

Social media secrets were exposed at the recent Travel Industry Question Time hosted by TravelMole.  

As experts discussed how to measure the return of social media at the TIQT in the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Victoria, London, they offered the industry a host of tips.

Have some travel companies shied away from Twitter and Facebook?  Do companies know how to roll out a social media programme? Do they think running special offers on their Facebook pages is what it’s all about?

Read what the panel of Rax Lakhani, head of social at PR agency Lucre, Nick Rudge, managing director of cottages4you, Mike Imrie, co-founder of digital marketing agency Blue Post Digital, Kat Pouwer, founder of full service digital agency Add Mustard and Rowena Heal, social media executive at LowCostHolidays, had to say.

• Social media is highly measureable. Those that say it isn’t don’t know what they want to measure. You can calculate ROI easily providing you have the right tools in place. Your web analytics should be able to show flow of clicks from your social channels but remember – traffic isn’t the only success factor.

• Social media is most effective as a conversation platform and not as a broadcast tool. If you  want to broadcast, put your energy into paid for media. Platforms like Twitter are a rich source of conversation. Use advanced search tools to monitor these conversations and don’t be afraid to jump in, providing you can add some value.

• SMO is the new SEO. Social media optimisation is what your brand should be focusing on as search engine optimisation is no longer about building a link strategy. Don’t create content that is optimised for Google. Create content that is optimised for your customers.

• Curate third-party content to engage your community. Content isn’t king. Conversation is. Which is why you should spend a lot more resource on the latter. Plus, good content is all around you. YouTube, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Digg, Pinterest… go forth and fill up your basket. Don’t forget to credit the original source.

• Don’t underestimate the power of mobile. An app isn’t the only way to engage customers via mobile. Tap into the mobile-mentality of your audience. Encourage them to check-in, add reviews, tweet, capture video, take photos via their handset. You’re more likely to reach a wider base using this strategy.

• Dedicate someone to monitoring those channels. An effective way of making sure there’s clear blue water between marketing and customer  service on social channels is to develop a dedicated customer service team that monitors those channels. It’s key that it doesn’t sit within the marketing function so that there is clarity of message.

• Hunt down conversations you’re not yet part of. Be socially savvy and search for key phrases relevant to your company. You can then join in and create more effective engagement.

• Etiquette: have a range of voices. You need one particular voice to establish and consolidate your brand but you may well need a different tone for crisis situations, for example. If you don’t have the resources to man a platform 24/7 then make it clear what the rules of play.

• Everyone on social media is equal. Don’t just chase celebrities, but instead look for your key audiences and respond to and engage with them.

• Social media has been around forever – it’s still just people having conversations, only they’re using different methods of talking. To create a true dialogue, the ultimate goal is for consumers to be talking about you with each other, rather than a one-way message from the brand.