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Key terms

Digital media

Media content such as text, photos, graphics, audio and video, which are encoded into machine readable formats (digitised), and able to be transferred to other devices, sent across the internet, and used across a business’ various online promotional platforms.

Web 2.0

The internet platform facilitating content and applications to be continuously modified by all users in a collaborative way.

Social media

The activities of virtual communities who share information, knowledge and opinions, using Web-based applications that enable ease of creating and modifying content.

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Digital and social media

The opportunity to digitise media content has transformed the way in which small tourism businesses’ promotional material can be made available across different internet-based platforms.
Over half of the world’s population are internet users, and we are now witnessing the most technologically savvy consumers in history.
The emergence of Web 2.0 in 2004 enabled co-creation of content on social media, which has democratised the internet.
User-generated content (UGC) on social media, related to tourism, has reached levels that now swamp the marketing communications of the global travel industry.

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Table 10.1 – World internet users 2017

	Internet users Dec 2000 (Millions)	Internet users June 2017 (Millions)	Penetration of population	Growth 2000-2017
Asia	114,304	1,938,076	46.7%	1,595%
Europe	105,096	659,634	80.2%	528%
Latin America/ Caribbean	18,069	404,269	62.4%	2,137%
Africa	4,514	388,376	31.2%	8,501%
North America	108,096	320,059	88.1%	8%
Middle East	3,284	146,972	58.7%	4,374%
Oceania/ Australia	7,620	28,180	69.6%	1%
World Total	360,985	3,885,567	51.7%	976%

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Consumer-traveller power

http://www.untied.com/

For complaints about United Airlines

http://www.airlinequality.com/main/forum.htm

Reviews on airlines and airports

http://www.tripadvisor.com/

Post a trip review or question

www.expedia.com

Read travellers’ reviews

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Tourism industry forced to adapt quickly�Source: Pike (2016)

The internet has emerged as a dominant medium for travel bookings, both through travel trade intermediaries and through disintermediation
Many travel situations involve high levels of information seeking in the planning stages, with the internet a primary source
Tourism offerings are mostly intangible services with many types of risk, and UGC is regarded as credible form of word of mouth advice
Increasing influence of travellers’ online reviews of destinations and tourism services

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Tourism industry forced to adapt quickly�Source: Pike (2016)

Increasing use of mobile social media applications and portable navigation devices (PND) during travel
Increasing free Wi-Fi available for visitors and residents at destinations
High levels of brag value UGC in virtual social networks during travel
Unlike any other brand category, travellers are spoilt by choice of an almost unlimited number of destinations with an online presence

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Digital and social media

For small tourism businesses, digital and social media offer the benefits of lower costs and greater efficiency than traditional marketing approaches
Digitised content can be used across different promotional platforms
Opportunities to enhance the visitor experience and relationships with customers.
The need to have a plan for engaging with consumers online.

What is required is a clear focus on social engagement, rather than simply media placement.

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How travellers are using digital and social media

Travel planning

Majority of travellers now using online information sources
Increasing levels of online bookings
High credibility of social media recommendations versus traditional advertising

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How travellers are using social and digital media

During travel

Onward planning and information seeking
Staying in touch with friends
Sharing experiences
Providing guest reviews
Travel blogs and journals
Online dating

Many deviate from original plans while travelling

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How travellers are using digital and social media

After travel

Sharing information about holiday experiences

Guest reviews on community sites such as TripAdvisor

With friends on Facebook

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Outsourcing digitisation and placement of media

Opportunities for small businesses to try to engage with travellers at each stage

Small businesses often lack resources to stay up to date with changing technologies

The key is to focus on developing clear and manageable objectives, rather than trying to stay technically proficient.

It can be efficient to outsource digitisation and placement of media, much in the way as for accounting services

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Ten laws of social media marketing

1	Listen	Learn how your customers and target consumers engage with social media type, and understand what is important to them
2	Focus	Focus on the social media of most relevance to the business, rather than attempt a presence on everything
3	Quality	Connect and engage with a small group of influential customers, rather than try to reach everyone
4	Patience	Ensure you make a long term commitment to the strategy
5	Compounding	Consumers share quality content, which will virally increase the reach
6	Influence	Identify those customers and target consumers who have the greatest influence in virtual communities
7	Value	Followers will value your content if it is interesting and trustworthy
8	Acknowledgement	Acknowledge those customers and consumers who reach out to establish a relationship with you
9	Accessibility	Always be available to respond to your followers
10	Reciprocity	Share content that has been published by others in your network

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Website CSFs

Minimalism
Responsive design
Modular design
High quality images
Updated content
Call to action

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Using digital and social media to enhance the customer experience

‘Click and collect’ service on website

Eg admission tick to avoid queues

Digital digging

Many people post a lot of public information online
A little searching can find clues to enable a tailor-made treat for the guest

Supplying experiential devices

See Case 10.1 - MONA

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Engaging with influencers

Online there can be a blurring between what is an organic image agent (eg word of mouth from friends, media editorial) and what is an induced source (eg advertising)

Paid celebrity endorsements have influence on followers

An influencer is anyone who wields “the ability to cause or contribute to another person taking action or changing opinion/behaviour” (WOMMA, 2017, p. 7).
Influencer marketing is identifying and engaging influencers to share information with their network, to achieve a business objective.
Most consumers trust recommendations from other consumers they respect and admire, over advertisements or content published by a business.

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Engaging with influencers

Small businesses have opportunities to engage with local micro-influencers

Eg bloggers, instagrammers and YouTubers with 1,000 to 10,00o followers

Micro-influencers drive 87% of posting volume for hotels, bars and restaurants (see Hootsuite, 2017)

Micro-influencers are easier to contact, require less compensation, and are more amenable to a partnership

Also, opportunities to recruit customers as influencers, by asking for online reviews and sharing of their experience

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Social media platforms

Most popular platforms used by businesses :Facebook (94%), Twitter (68%), LinkedIn (56%), Instagram (54%), YouTube (45%), Pinterest (30%), and Snapchat (7%)

Maximise engagement by using the following mix of posts:

30% about the business (eg What makes the business special?)

30% educational (eg local events, local hidden treasures)

30% entertaining or inspirational

And only 10% sales oriented (eg special offers with a sense of urgency)

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Discussion questions

What are some of the key reasons why most small tourism businesses shouldn’t ignore the need to engage with consumers through digital and social media?

Why can it be a more efficient use of resources for a small tourism business to outsource digital and social media technical expertise?

What are two key ways in which satisfied customers could be recruited as online influencers for a small tourism business?