In this issue Travelers Insights Magazine presents the perfect holiday for the independent Traveler. That is Travelers who enjoy unique and personal experiences. They typically prefer self catering accommodation where they are free to go where they please, when they want to, and enjoy an individual experience.
This independent holidays issue is unique in that it includes a special coupon for readers to enjoy the lifestyle holidays in the Caribbean island of Barbados, which as they say, was built for the independent traveler.
TravelersInsights Magazine- ScribD Beach villa holidays coupon
The coupon offers reader an unbelievable holiday at Settlers Beach Villa Hotel, the top Hotel in its class. The coupon offers a discount on the two bedroom villas starting at 55% off the accommodation Hotel and includes a complementary tour of the islands only Jacobean Plantation. Jping the tour to see the charming film of life in the early days of settlement, visit the magnificent historic plantation, the can crusing factory, and the fermentation process that produced vintage rum. Sugar and rum are still crushed and processed with steam as they were 300 years ago. https://scribd.com/doc/253079267/TI-Independent-holidays
TI Independent holidays - Download as PDF File (.pdf), Text file (.txt) or read online. Cost is only 99c for download- The coupon is worth several hundred dollars!
This is a personal insight of Ian R Clayton; it introduces a brand new way of looking at how information can be formatted, re-proposed and published in the digital age. A major part of this strategy is how you can build and use your social media to reinforce your hotel and tourism marketing.
This is shared here for the first time on http://TourismMarketingMachines.com - a free services helping hotel and tourism companies as well as holiday destinations, understand and use the new digital media and the cloud.
This is number 11 in the series on of case studies and Tutorial by Tourism Marketing Machines. This video starts a 4 part sub-series on social network for hotel and hospitality. It goes deep how to market travel brands with the new media publishing. The new motto is "publish and prosper", and the series leads you through the steps from building your network to looking at the multiple ways that information can be packaged, formatted, distributed and promoted.
For the complete series of tutorial, case studies and how to guides see http://tourismmarketingmachines.com and learn about why you must Publish to Prosper in Tourism Marketing
Its always been a big problem with online booking agents and central reservation systsems (CRS). On Average 95% of shoppers do not book. They lack engagement with booking and reservation systems which are the shopping cart in travel. Obviously there is room for improvement and VisualBookingsTechnology, the new boy on the block, is proving without any doubt that there is a better way.
In live installation VBT demonstrates that travelers engage more with the new visual interface to travel shopping. The travellers gets immediate response to clicks on options, with suitable properties displayed in a dynamic image matrix that echos sentiment is a stunning visual way. The shopping process is far more intuitive and personal.
Not only do travels stay on the site 600% longer, they also do more and click off to hotel website as 3 times the rate.
Check out the details as they unfold with this exciting new system for tourism destinations, hotel association, chain hotel and Central Booking Services: Click Here >>>
Search has been sabotaged by Google (G) and does not exist as we know it anymore. It's now a G product offering entry to G services and soon will be exclusively a G media. It has been changing for 10 years and has gone through at least 6 steps in evolution so far, as outlined by Danny Sullivan on Moz (discussed below).
The evolution is insidious and worrying and is not ending with the knowledge graph. Unfortunately this is just the beginning of the new order where search is not an opportunity for local players, hotels and tourism operators, but a closed loop service of the largest conglomerate in the world.See the video below for details of exactly how this is a disaster for small and independent hotels, travel and tourism marketing.. The Trouble With Search Right now we can see the implications of consolidation at international brand and OTA level. We once saw independent hotels showing up on the first page of search results; those days have gone. For the short term future it's the OTAs and big brands that are the winners. But as the knowledge graph takes effect, search will more and more be geared to Google products, which will include bookings; Bookings via Google is the ultimate destination of this conglomeration. We talked about this in 2009 with our blog on the new order of everything and followed
it with our blog "the future of media," citing Clay Shirley then with several discussions on hotel finder, search as media (see below) and the knowledge graph .
Big Brother Bid Data and the Age of Surveillance The next step in the evolution is what Danny calls the Prism. "It's a spy program or an eavesdropping program or a data mining
program, depending on who you want to talk to, that the US government is
running." In my view, the new search is about this Big Data thing, where we gather intelligence and inferences from all of the searches, browsing, profiles, choices and intelligence gather from people's actions, habits, searches and footprints. It's pervasive as more and more information is now put on the Internet and much more of this than anyone would care for can be accessed and used for intelligence in marketing and providing products and services.
The age of persuasion has moved to the age of influence (Terry O'Reilly)but the next age is far more insidious and pulls the rug out from the idea of a social age of participation. What's next is the age of Big data/ Big brother and those who know how to use it will dominate marketing. The new age designation is not going to be fussy sounding like persuasion, influence or participation because it's not. The game is not equal and all the promise of social media being democratic and an equalizer may vanish. In its place is the age of surveillance, where everything we do, like, dislike and think is measured, analyzed and profiled, creating targets for suppliers and clients of the big data. Worst Case Scenario Market dominance centered in a few big data corporations like Amazon and Google-Commoditization of brands.
This seems to be the way we are heading.It does not bode well for the smaller independent brand.
Best Case Scenario Ubiquitous access - Democratic distribution - Level Marketplace. This can happen, but it is not likely to be the preference of the Big Brothers who are determining the future of travel search, technology and media. We do have the opportunity to influence - this is still the age of influence, but do we have the passion?
More on Why search is failing small hotels and tourism
I like the Channel Trailer feature of the "ONE Channel' that Google has implemented on YouTube. Its just one of many recent changes and upgrade. In my view it is really the only "new" feature. The others are mostly improvements and tweaking, except of course that its now a sort of 'Responsive Web Design' (RWD), meaning that it will render well in all mobile, smartphones. iPods, iPads, tablets, mobile phones, games consoles (like xBox), TV and other devices.
Naturally that implies some consideration from publishers and creators: We all now have to understand the limitation and options of these channels and create our video accordingly. Don't create options to press a button or submit a form for TV. Its not there yet and you can really irritate TV viewer by suggesting they can subscribe by clicking the button.
Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia is experimenting with the One Channel
features. it has created its first trailer for BarbadosTravel on
YouTube. The trailer describes the channel, promotes a sweepstake and
encourage viewers to subscribe.
Things To Include in Your Trailer
1. Welcome your viewers and thank them for stopping at your channel.
2. Tell them what your channel does and engage them with images and a story line that builds empathy.
3.
Make it short and fast. Hi, here we are, this is what we do, please
subscribe. Get the viewer's attention and provide them with a reason to
stay around. Imagine this trailer as an ad for your channel. Here are
some tips to keep in mind when you're making your channel trailer:
4.
Add a call to action to your own opt in page, newsletter etc. We have
used it to promote a sweepstake where the winner will receive a Free
holiday in Barbados.
One Channel Trailer Examples:
Tourism Marketing:
Australia http://www.youtube.com/Australia Plains of Africa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49SyEBZh91E
Oberammergau Passion Play http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc5higDB21s
Vice uncomfortable truths http://www.youtube.com/user/vice
BarbadosTravel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyDSKe_md8c
Films:
http://www.youtube.com/user/movieclipsTRAILERS
DIY Film Making http://www.youtube.com/user/indymogul (5 min)
Food:
Jamie Oliver http://www.youtube.com/user/JamieOliver
Here is what http://youtubecreator.blogspot.com says:
Have
a clear call to action to subscribe (scripted and annotated in the
video, and in the video description as well). Entertain the viewer -
when in doubt show what your channel is about, don't tell
Indicate the type of videos you upload and when you upload them.
Think
about the video's context; it will be seen on the channel, potentially
after a viewer has already seen at least one of your videos. There's no perfect length, but shorter is better
Our Views On Trailer Etiquette
From what we know and have seen, we think video trailers should be short (1 1/2 minutes max)
We have heard that YouTube plans to roll out special options for subscribers.
Other One Channel Features
As noted, the trailer is one of the new features of the "ONE CHANNEL" strategy by YouTube.
Here are its main features:
1.
Consistent layout across all screens. Your brand can be the same across
all devices. Mobile, iPads, iPods, smartphones, tablets, laptops,
desktops, xBox, TVs etc.
2. Sections. More flexibility with playlists. Create lists of any type; no need to create sub-channels or pages.
3. Channel Trailer. As above, create a "welcome" video for non-subscribers.
4. Channels Connection. You can now link to your other relevant channels straight from the home page.
All too often travel and tourism marketers miss the point: travelers love travel stories; stories about people, places, things to do, where to stay and what rooms, apartments and villas they may stay at.
Learn from Review Sites Travel marketers don't on the whole tell stories but create pitches and promotions, which are often just plain boring. Largely they all sound alike. That's why travelers use review sites; they are not pitches but a story of what someone thinks about a real experience, with real, unfiltered images, video and photos of places. Travel is a story, but told by hotel and tourism operators, it loses much in translation. Hospitality providers can be storytellers; usually they are good raconteurs, but they are not credible when talking about their own property. It just isn't a story when we say how wonderful our own place is. That's why video is a great option. It delivers a visual of the place; its resources, dining, beaches and rooms. Rooms Often Not Emphasized When I look around at hotel websites, I see lovely videos, but many of them spend little time on the rooms. This is even true of villas, where you would think every owner would want to show it all off. What is seen is a rushed nod to the families and a peek inside the room. Why not show the entire bedroom, closets and all? And certainly show the view, accessibility and all facilities. (see example of a simple video below- also see the blog and story at the end)
Comments Add Proof Now the real storytelling will include guests' comments; how they loved something about the room, flat or home they stayed in. Failing that, the owner can say why this room is great forfamilies; not just because it has two bedrooms, but because it is on one floor, safe and away fromstairs, with a large open terrace that children love to play in. What's in a Name All too often we do not name units attractively with compelling descriptions. "Villa number one" for example is not helpful. Call it the Nook, Den or "Roof Top Terrace Villa" as Poinsettia in St. Lucia did. Number 6 with two terraces is "The Garden Terrace Villa," number 5, "Poolside" and the unit tucked under the terrace and between the pool and gardens, is "The Nook." As owners,we often fail to see our accommodation options as all having distinct character. But that is where the story lies.Write about it, get your guests to offer their own comments and create a page for every unit: where it is, how far from the pool, the beach and the office;what is special about it. As hotel owners and managers, we group accommodation into a common category and that too we treat with drab generalities lacking character and distinction. We don't do videos of each unit, thinking that they are all the same. And if they are, what an opportunity we have missed not to build character into our product. Video: Affordable and Essential Marketing You don't have to spend a fortune on videos to get the message across. See the example above.It is a simple video of film and still images with music and text; no voice-over. It is a visual story of a single villa-apartment at PoinsettiaApartments.com. In the page it is displayed on, a short story of the accommodation gives good information that is helpful to the traveler. Each of the units at Poinsettia Apartments is unique with its own personality. The campaign will create a video and blog story for each of seven one and two bedroom apartment-villas at the hilltop resort on Vigie Cove, Castries St. Lucia.
Authenticity You don't need a professional actor and a glitzy movie to be authentic. In fact,for a great majority of travelers,glitz is a put off. Many want to know who the manager, owner or host is. A video of a real person who will be there to welcome them is far better than a professional voice. Don't be intimidated by your voice. It is real and no actor or smooth talker can really represent you. Speak from the heart and you will create an authentic and real connection. We suggest that our clients use a combination of text, image, voice over and music only videos. It's good to alternate and sometimes it is important to have that professional voice carry a message. But save the sales letter and the mission statement for your own voice and remember it does not have to be perfect.
User Generated Content Sells In the recent Destination Marketing Case for Canada , emotional engagement and user generated content helps
drive customers to purchase. Canada is a vast and beautiful country but
why go there when you could go to California or the Caribbean? Emotional engagement can make the difference.
The implications to hotel and tourism marketing is that user videos resonate. Hotels tend to create high-end videos when travelers want to see
the real deal; the manager/owner or host and not an actor!
Be Where You Need to Be - Be Everywhere Today people move fluidly between desktop, mobile devices,
tablets, television, broadcast services and print.To be present at the
right time and place means we have to deliver a consistent brand
experience across channels and a system to update posts and maintain a presence where your guests are. Example: StoryTellingTravel Marketing at Poinsettia
Party-Destinations.com, AXSES latest marketing initiative is climbing to the top of Search Results. Within days of launching this campaign we are on page 2 of G-Search results for the term Party Destinations and on Page 1 for searches for Caribbean or Barbados party destinations.
The site and its marketing is slanted toward the Caribbean and Barbados, yet our intention is to build this into a Destinations marketing initiative that will attract world travelers interested in party holidays. The site and marketing is exclusively for our clients.
We are now moving into phase two with the production of new blogs and video targeting international party travelers for the exclusive benefit of our advertisers, sponsors and partners.
Our aim is to put Party-Destinations.com (PDC) on page 1 of all generic search results for the appropriate terms.
It is a full SIE compliant website which allows fast indexing and high search ranking, when coupled with the Social Indeing & Brand Marketing Campaign.
In this the 4th video we create a blog aimed at international travellers and have added strategic party places and links to the site.The Associated blogs and video feature international hotspots and clubs. It is one of the many strategic steps we take to get to the top of search (more on this tomorrow).
SocialIndexEngine (SEI) is changing the way we market.
Our success with this approach is remarkable! (more tomorrow).
Let me share with you how significant our SIE marketing is!
There are 137 million pages vying for top spot in this niche. The competing pages and websites belong to huge authority companies like FirstChoice, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post and many more. These companies hire the best marketers and understand the Internet very well. They work hard to get top position and to maintain it. It is an exception for a brand new site to make it to the top against these odds. You simple cannot do that with traditional marketing!
Our success is achieved with our revolutionary strategies and the technology we have built and employ in marketing travel.
A large part of this is based on the product we call SocialIndexEngine
Please check out some of the options at http://store.SocialIndexEngine.com. The store contains just a sampling of the campaigns we conduct. It is a very custom job that requires extensive attention to detail, timing and technique.
We use proprietary systems and have invested significantly in this new marketing.We are now offering personal marketing campaigns to a few select customers.
If you are interested in being on the TOP of your market, please contact iclayton 'at' axses.com for a personal appraisal. We cannot do this for all and are limiting this service to the top few who are ready to make a difference.
Act now to be part of this initiative - We are looking for 10 strategic clients to work with on several initiatives. Once we have our quota the invitation will be closed.
Our last blog showed how search results are favoring advertisers, and how Google is offering eCommerce services, embedded in search results.
Advertising will be a necessity
We are going to see more advertisers and more Google results versus Organic. It’s going to become more important to advertise, more important to be a preferred supplier and more important to get Google’s attention so that you get into their Maps and get into their supply lists.
Shopping Services will be ubiquitous
There is going to be more eCommerce driving business to suppliers. I don’t think that Google is going to go into the transaction business; they’d be crazy to do that. There are enough eCommerce systems and services and those are their customers.,But it appears that Google might be very selective in who they choose as preferred supplies. Clearly Google will be offering more shopping services; this is to be expected as travelers want to know price and availability.
Enabling Participation
You’re going to see a lot more enabling processes like hangouts, chat, video sharing and GoToMeeting-type services. All of this is going to be there to help search users participate and help us find the right suppliers. But the question is: who are the right suppliers? That’s where we have to be very careful. Be aware also that these processes, social interaction and engagement will present a new layer of application and engagement at the point of decision and will affect where travelers go and which sites they visit. If you are not in the process, you are not in the game.
A single correct answer
Remember that Google is trying to deliver a single result to a single person for a single inquiry. What that means is that the result going to YOU will not necessarily be the result coming to ME for the same question. That means that everyone may have a very personal result based on their personal profile and current interest.
That means Social Media is really going to be increasingly important. This is why Google has made such an effort to develop and push Google Plus. Social Media is the source of who we are. Your reputation on sites like TripAdvisor and others are all going to play into Google's selection of who and what the authority for a particular result is.
The question is: What do we do about it?
We need to create our own authority status. Here is how you can do that:
Get Links from top sites. Sites with PR 6 and up; the higher the better. Linking from Barbados.org is a good example. It’s a highly relevant site and is considered an authority site. We have seen that people that link from that site will automatically get pulled up in the rank and pulled up in the Google results.
We need to publish. We can’t rely on other people to carry our message, because that’s going to undermine us totally. We can’t rely on Expedia carrying our brand - they won’t. We have to do more to brand ourselves in the travel industry. We must do that by publishing: comment on other sites, engage with social media, blog, create informative, educational and entertaining videos that are not totally self-serving messages. There are all sorts of ideas for video and YouTube is now the second largest search engine. Make sure you have a YouTube channel and add videos to it.
And finally, we will use Google Plus. I think that this is going to be very important because Google is looking at its Plus activity to gauge who we are. Google accounts for 70% of search now. If you are not on Google results you will miss out big time. The objective is to be on Page 1 for key phrases. You cannot do this on your own, but you can use services like http://SocialIndexEngine.com and you will have to.
Need to Take Charge of Brand Marketing
It's important that we see the implications of what is happening here and why it’s becoming so essential for you to take charge of your own marketing and your own brand. The market will not take care of this for you. The OTAs can bring you business but they do not build sustainable brands for hotels. You cannot abdicate this job.
Managing marketing, social media, publishing and content marketing is a lot of work. Hotels will increasingly have to subcontract the job out because they do not have the time or the inclination. And they should not; running a hotel and managing staff, looking after guests and maintaining the property, standards and service is a full-time job. Hotel managers do not have the skill sets or the understanding of the new media landscape.
AXSES can help. We have an arsenal of unique technology built to do the job. We have a team who understands the market and the resources and we are teaming with the very best Internet Marketers and Social Media professionals in the world. We answer the questions, like what you need to do and we can show you success.
