4. HARDWARE INCLUDES all types of equipment such as: computers, gps units like garmins, mobile and smart
phones, tablets, multi-touch tables, dynamic displays, barcode scanners, digital cameras etc
SOFTWARE INCLUDES: the programs we use for everything from database management for stat collection
and inventory control, to desktop publishing to bookkeeping and so on.
The “internet” is a massive umbrella term that traditionally included email and websites; which, early on, were
relatively easy for us to adopt into our practices and to maintain. However, with the introduction of “Social
media’, the internet evolved into a whole new beast, that continues to grow.
Social media describes the online tools that people use to share content, profiles, opinions, insights,
experiences, perspectives and media itself, Social media facilitates conversations and interaction online
between groups of people.
A few prominent examples of social media applications are Wikipedia (reference), Facebook and Google +
(social networking), Twitter (microblogs), YouTube (video sharing), Flickr and Picasa (photo sharing), del.icio.us
(social bookmarking), RSS Feeds, and specific to the travel industry: Trip Advisor, virtual tourist, foursquare and
gowalla, (geosocial networking sites that are created around and tied to specific places as defined by online
communities).
TECHNOLOGY CONNECTORS: the things that enable users to easily connect hardware equipment with
online content and resources created with software, for example wifi access and the mobile network, QR codes.
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5. (HOLIDAY PLANNING): Often a tourist’s expectations will be shaped by their preconceived ideas about a
destination, based on the conclusions they have drawn from a destination’s online presence and social media
content. Because of this, content syndication becomes extremely important. This means ensuring that your
messages are being represented and distributed by you, in a consistent, appropriate, effective and timely way
across the various channels and platforms.
(TRAVELLING THROUGH OUR REGIONS): With the growing popularity of mobile technology, like smart
phones and tablets and even gaming consoles like the DSis, Visitors have increasing levels of expectation
when it comes to accessing online content throughout their travels, and while we can’t control the reliability of
mobile networks, especially in rural areas, We can offer free Wi-Fi and high speed internet access at our VICs,
and encourage businesses and rest stops throughout our regions to do the same. We can also design
downloadable content and tablet and smart phone apps that function independent of the net, and that, if
designed accordingly, can serve as both an information source (like a traditional guidebook) and a bridge
between mobile access points.
(WALKING THROUGH OUR DOORS): Because visitors have access to so much information about our
regions, thanks to our online content, they often bring a level of knowledge with them when they walk through
our doors. They expect our VIC staff to be able to validate/confirm/affirm/reinforce that knowledge and expand
on it with comprehensive, real-time information and services. In doing this, our travel counsellors can really
serve to unplug the traveller from a somewhat sterile cyberspace environment and start to build tangible,
personal connections between the visitor and our regions.
(AFTER THEY LEAVE): Technology is also extending visitor’s interactions with our destinations and their
relationships with us long after they leave thanks to sites like Trip Advisor, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and
personal travel blogs. We need to be aware of this in our social media plans, so that we can monitor the
different platforms to both manage negative feedback to try to mitigate its impact on a wider audience, thereby
setting back our marketing messages, and so that we can leverage positive comments to encourage these
messages to be spread far and wide – retweets, and thank you posts reinforce your presence in social
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6. cyberspace and your ongoing concern for visitors well-being and enjoyment of our destinations after they’ve left
out centres.
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7. See also Digital Signage at Manchester’s Visitor Information Centre video on You Tube:
http://youtu.be/4kUREJQQpGg
Consider how the town of Vulcan is incorporating very accessible technology into their operations – Computers
and Google Earth in Travel counselling area and Evolution of VR Game to be more of a promotional tool for the
community.
(thank you to Catherine and her Vulcan Tourism Team for their assitance with this presentation)
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8. Technology can also serve to expand our VIC’s counselling services: by making timely visitor information
available after hours, and in the off-season, when our centres may be operating under reduced hours, or closed
down completely
Interactive 24 hour kiosks and Mobile apps are 2 more costly examples of how this can be accomplished,
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9. A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode that consists of black
modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. They can be generated at no cost by a number of
websites, and best of all you can track their useage to measure their effectiveness. QR codes are a form of
mobile marketing that use smartphone and tablet camera technology to link to any of your online content. They
are growing in popularity, and allow users to instantly learn more about your business, organization or region.
Statistics are showing that 52% of mobile users have seen or heard of QR codes, and of those 28% have
scanned one. QR-code scanning rose a whopping 1200% from July to December 2010.
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10. Displaying QR Codes on all of your print advertising, on posters in your windows and on bill boards can give
visitors instant after hours access to some of the travel information they might have asked you about – had your
centre been open. Linking QR codes to your seasonal online content, timely event information, your app’s
download site, staffed 1-800 information numbers (i.e. like 1-800-ALBERTA) or your municipal office’s phone
numbers etc. facilitates visitor’s getting easy access to the services they need when you are otherwise
unavailable.
Beyond the VIC, you can also use QR codes to enhance self-guided tours of your community or region, by
strategically placing them on signage at physical points of interest, or including them in printed maps, OR
getting really creative, and incorporating them into perhaps unexpected places
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11. - database software gives us an efficient way to record visitor stats, so that our reports are always up to date.
This can give us the opportunity to begin measuring the effectiveness of our annual campaigns and compare
them to previous periods much earlier in the season. And if necessary, tweak the campaigns so that they are
more in line with our actual visitor’s demographic.
- inventory control software allows us to keep better track of our printed material distribution, as well as our gift
shop merchandise, again allowing us to run a whole range of reports for a whole range of purposes.
- Various social media sites enable us to do further market research to identify travel trends, narrow in on our
target audience and seek inspiration from other destinations marketing campaigns and online presence.
- And of course the internet and social media has created countless dynamic and creative opportunities for us
to speak directly to our past and potential visitors, and engage them in ongoing, genuine conversations, in ways
we have never been able to with traditional marketing practices.
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14. For the past several years, we have been hearing about the increasing importance of adopting a social media
strategy into our marketing plans. But the social network is growing so quickly, with so many different branches
and opportunities for us to consider that it is challenging to stay on top of it, especially if we don’t have a
dedicated social media expert on our staff. Simply launching a website and signing up for a facebook or
google+ account, and a twitter feed, then updating your status or uploading pictures and videos from time to
time is no longer enough. You might also consider establishing a blog, setting up a flikr or picasa page, starting
a Youtube Channel and maybe even designing a mobile app. But, Whether you are using some or all of them,
they should all be intimately connected to each other, share a common brand spirit, and be monitored and
updated on a regular basis, in a manner that is appropriate to each forum.
Of course THIS TAKES TIME.
But both because of the far reaching impact social media can bring to our marketing plans and because our
visitors are expecting it – developing and implementing a comprehensive social media strategy for our VICs, IS
WORTH IT. Thanks to social media, we no longer have to cast our advertising net as widely, hoping that our
campaigns will stand out in the sea of marketing messages. Instead, social media empowers us to reach out
and not just advertise our destinations, but INTERACT directly with our target audience, developing a personal
relationship with them before they even arrive in our regions and walk through our doors. That is incredible
power to yield for our destinations.
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15. 1): Whenever possible, you should avoid copy and pasting content from one channel to another, because:
- This can have a negative impact on your search engine rankings that look for unique content, and
-because users access different channels in different ways and for different reasons.
You want to encourage users to stay in your social media environment as long as possible, by interlinking to
each channel, but if you have the word for word, exact same information on multiple platforms, users will quickly
get bored and move on.
While it can be challenging to always be coming up with unique content, there are all sorts of tips you can follow
when you’re looking for inspiration. i.e. you can try using the same information in different ways that are
appropriate to each platform, and link them together.
For example, a tweet can be a 140 character announcement about a celebrity guest appearing at your special
event; your facebook page can offer more detailed information about the same celebrity appearance; your
YouTube Channel can feature a video showcasing the special guest’s appearance in your community, and ALL
can be linked to a page on your website where users can buy tickets. Of course each of the platforms can be
optimized separately and accessed independent of each other, but the point is, nowhere along the line is the
exact same language being used to describe the same event.
2) : Twitter tweets use a different syntax and grammar than Facebook status updates. While it is possible to
sync your Twitter feed and your Facebook Status, it is inadvisable to do so, because the twitter vocabulary that
has evolved from the forum’s 140 character limitation, combined with the medium’s prevalence of hash tags
causes synched updates to stick out like a sore thumb when they appears on a Facebook page. Similarily, the
short-form lingo that is commonly used for text messages on your mobile phones, is inappropriate in any forum
but there.
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16. 3): It is almost imperative that your website be optimized for mobile devices; however, you must also
consider that people accessing your online content on their mobile devices want to FIND, not
SEARCH for their information. A good strategy to consider when planning a mobile marketing
strategy is to: remember the 15 second rule – if users can’t do or find something in 15 seconds,
chances are they will become frustrated or distracted, and you will lose them for good.
4): if you’re developing a mobile app, try to design it in such a way as to allow users to 1) manually
turn on and off the energy sucking GPS function as needed and 2) so that it functions independent of
the networks, so that international travellers don’t have to worry about accruing huge roaming charges
every time they use your app for extended periods of time.
5): Remember the 70/20/10 Rule - Social Media Formula for Success:
70% content should be value added and audience based. Whatever news or information our
followers most want to hear about. It can be links to articles or blog posts, tips, information on
national trends etc. It’s sharing information that benefits them, not you.
20% should be spontaneous interaction with your followers, fans or friends. It’s the back and forth
conversation: answering questions, asking questions or just chatting about topics of mutual interest.
This is the part where you show you’re listening and can respond as a human being, not as a “big
company”.
10% can be shameless self-promotion. Talk about your organization, recent accolades, links to
articles about you, promote an event etc.
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