Good Ways for Marketers to Use Social Media

[Ed Wetschler]

In a few weeks I'll be participating in a panel about social media, and I'm looking for examples of ways you or other entities have used social media -- from Tripatini to Twitter, from Facebook to Foursquare -- to gain customers, retain client loyalty, etc. I'm grateful for any examples you can give me, and in my comments on the panel I can use real names or not, as you wish.  If you want to email me privately about this, send your comments to [e-mail].  Thanks. 

[Authentic Seacoast Resorts]

Here's an interview we did with the Travel Online Partners where we shared our approach to using social media in the travel and tourism industry http://www.travelonlinepartners.com/remarkable-tourism-makes-world-...

If you have questions, don't hesitate to be in touch.
Doug at the Authentic Seacoast

[Maralyn D Hill]

IFWTWA has used social media to raise awareness of our organization. We started on Linkedin, then FaceBook, next Twitter, and they Tripatini was born. We use these quite successfully and encourage our members to use them to promote themselves. It is working.

Personally, I use LinkedIn and FaceBook the most and find they have enlarged my visibility with other writers, readers, PR companies, and CVB's or Tourism bureaus. I've gotten business as a result of my posts. So I consider that an effective use.

I do limit how much time I spend on social media and try to keep it at 30 to 60 minutes maximum a day.

Maralyn D. Hill, President, IFWTWA

[Ed Wetschler]

Good interview, Doug. Many thanks. Maralyn, thanks for your reply, too. You've been a role model for me as I stumble through my role as prez of New York Travel Writers Association.

[Maralyn D Hill]

Thank you for the role model compliment. I think we learn as we go along with the challenges of an organization. Fortunately for me, I had been on the Board and President of a non-profit a number of years ago. It has helped.

Have a great trip.

M

[Neala at OffbeatTravel]

I use twitter to raise the profile of OffbeatTravel as well as individual articles and contributors. But I also found that it has increased people's awareness of me as a writer.

I like to think I'm a good tweeter, retweeting others who have provided interesting information, as well as posting links to unusual bits of travel news.

I don't use Facebook so much for business as much as for maintaining personal connections with other travel professionals.

By the time I got to Linked In I was just kinda done with social media.

If you find any of this worth quoting, I'm Neala, editor at OffbeatTravel.com

[John Lamkin]

Great discussion! And, if anyone knows social media, it's Maralyn.

[Maralyn D Hill]

Thanks John for the compliment. I wish I knew it better than I do, but I just keep plugging away and it works.

[Liz Borod Wright]

Hi Ed! In my blog, I've highlighted some contests from tourism organizations and hotels that used social media in innovative ways. These aren't case studies or anything, so I don't know how they turned out in terms of entries/exposure. But I felt they were definitively creative.

http://www.travelogged.com/travelogged/2010/01/win-free-trip-to-sri...
http://www.travelogged.com/travelogged/2009/12/san-juan-marriott-tw...

Also, I really liked what Visit Britain recently did for Asian/Australian Bloggers -- The Great Welsh Showdown
http://www.redworks.com.sg/thewelshshowdown/

Lastly, from what I've observed, Yucatan Holidays does a great job on Facebook, keeping their fans engaged and having frequent giveaways: http://www.facebook.com/#!/YucatanHolidays

Liz
editor/publisher of www.Travelogged.com

[Ed Wetschler]

Good to see you the other day, Liz, and thanks for these links. Lots of good ideas here; nicely done.

Countdown to December, Liz. Miracles happen.