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Marketing: Introduction To Social Media
What is social media?
Social media includes the various online tools that allow users to share information, resources, opinions, experiences, reviews and other personal perspectives. Social media encourages ongoing conversations or networking.
Social networking is the act of using a social media site to make connections among users. The networking format generally allows logged-in users to post comments about a topic; members can view the comments and share their own ideas. Some social media venues may provide platforms for anonymous conversations where the users do not know the true identity of the other participants.
A few popular social media venues among thousands are Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, YouTube, MySpace, Blogger, LinkedIn and TripAdvisor.
What is important to know about social media?
Social media has proven valuable to for-profit and nonprofit organizations for its opportunity to promote word-of-mouth advertising. Social media can build brand awareness, improve customer relationships and increase website traffic.
Because of the dramatic shift toward online travel planning by consumers, byways should carefully consider maintaining a positive Internet presence. Use social networking to “listen in” and join the traveling public’s conversations. Work to meet the needs expressed online. Engage the community through questions and knowledgeable remarks. Encourage repeat online traffic and actual byway traffic by maintaining a regular schedule for posting comments and delivering value-added offers, challenges and games, or other benefits in your posts. Give the social network community a reason to check in for the latest byway news.
How does social media affect my byway?
Travelers use social networking to make their travel decisions; they check reviews, comments, and other posts to plan their trips. Your byway can leverage Facebook, Twitter, or its own blog to help generate positive conversations and engage potential visitors. Just be prepared to contribute to the online dialogue daily and always write transparently—a byway volunteer should never pose as a guest traveling the byway.
Where do I turn for help?
By its nature, social media is constantly changing. Reviewing popular social networking sites and checking their “help” sections can provide useful information for developing and maintaining a social media presence. Other sources are listed below.
- Marketing: Social Media for Byways (Webcast), May 24, 2010. http://www.bywaysresourcecenter.org/topics/visitor-experience/marketing/tools/1568/.
- “Convert Online Visitors to Byway Visitors Via Online Social Networking,” Vistas, July/August 2009, page 6. See: http://www.bywaysresourcecenter.org/resources/publications/vistas/2009/.
- WebContent.gov information at http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/social_networks.shtml.
