To build or not to build....your own online community There is much debate about whether an organisation should build their own online community to engage with their customers on their website OR to engage with their customers on already established social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and forums etc. Of course, there is a place for both of these, and Digital Visitor have been at the forefront of creating social media strategies for travel organisations all over the globe that include both onsite and offsite solutions. This session looked at some exciting projects the Digital Visitor team are working on and highlighted the benefits of building your own community and how to use offsite social sites to grow your own loyal community.

1. Building your own online community
March 2011
Simon Jones
Co-Founder & Marketing Director, Digital Visitor
Email: simon@digitalvisitor.co.uk

2. Agenda
Introduction to Digital Visitor
Our philosophy about Social Media
Examples
How to create your own community
Some do’s and don’ts

3. Digital Visitor
Specialise in delivering social media services to the tourism industry
Social media software and services
Created 200+ social media solutions globally
Deliver increased traffic, enquires, business, loyalty...
Clients include:

4. Our Philosophy
Successful social media strategies are made up of two elements
Onsite Offsite
Both need to be addressed with equal weighting
Most companies are really just focussing on offsite social media

5. Offsite social media
Everything not on your
website
A great way to attract new
audiences
Access to millions of new
potential customers
Some very successful
Facebook groups
Direct traffic back to your
website

6. Onsite
Those on your own website and within your own brand
Long-term communication channel – at moment FB/Twitter is
most popular, but what about in the future?
Maintains your online visitors
Drives enquiries & conversions
Many companies are looking to create their own communities

10. Onsite & Offsite
Start with your own brand & use this to generate new audiences

11. Why build your own online community?
Increased browsing times
Provides your visitors with
authentic & engaging information
Increase conversions with peace of
mind
You control & can moderate the
content
Utilise content gathered in other
marketing activities

12. Why build your own online community?
Connect to other social media
websites with Facebook connect,
Twitter updates, Share with 300+
social media sites
Longer term benefits and
marketing opportunities
Your own community should be at
the core of your social media
activities

13. Example – Voyages Jules Verne

14. Background
Group travel over 55s
Communicate post tour
Share reviews, videos, albums
Online feedback and rating
Earn points
Direct to book another group
tours
Staff profiles
Direct to booking pages

15. Integration to website

16. Results so far
Live for 6 months
Nearly 1,500 photos
75 videos
900 members
Browsing time of over 3.5
minutes

17. How to build your own online community
A few things to consider

18. How to build your own online community
Don’t over complicate –
increases barriers to entry
& may reduce user uptake

19. How to build your own online community
Consider all types of users you want
to engage with & will be useful;
a) Customers
b) Staff
c) Company profiles?

20. How to build your own online community
What features do you want & really need;
a) Reviews (all media)
b) Discussions
c) Information push (product watch)
d) Engagement features such as
competitions or loyalty rewards?

21. Some of our finding’s

22. Our findings – Don’ts
Friends & groups – already elsewhere
Long registrations – plenty of ways to
find out useful information about users
(binary questions/use of site)

23. Our findings – Do’s
Reference all content against
your products for maximum
benefit
Allow visitors to contribute
whatever they like
A review, a video, photos, a
discussion, a dream itinerary
Incentivise for the content you
want

24. Our findings – Do’s
No community is an island-
Share with other social
media sites.
Good content shared drives
2.5 x your Facebook
community per month

25. New generation
New release of Visitor Review
focusing on:
reviews
discussions
better integration through API
delivery of relevant content to
members

26. Thank you for your time
Simon Jones
Co-Founder & Director of Marketing
Digital Visitor
email: simon@digitalvisitor.co.uk
mobile: 07974 962 182