Social Networking in Tourism Marketing - Coursework Example

With Reference to Best Practice from Your Experience, Explore How Social Networking (And Particular of Facebook and Twitter) Can Be Used For Tourism Marketing Table of Contents Introduction 3 Facebook and Twitter as Social Media 5 Facebook 5 Twitter 9 Best Practices of Using Facebook and Twitter for Tourism Marketing 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 Bibliography 16 Introduction Social Networking, as the analysts quote, is among the most powerful means to communicate in the current perspective of 21st century. With an overall viewpoint, social networking can be regarded as the grouping of people. It may take place through a face to face communication, but when termed to be as online the communication takes place through social sites, i.e. the websites used for social networking such as the Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, and so on most commonly known as the Web 2.0 (Social Networking, 2010). Online social networking has somewhat the same characteristics as the face to face communication, although with a different mechanism and a higher value in the modern perspective. Evidently online social networking is gaining increasing importance in the modernisation of the business world. Organisations today, in the modern realistic world are tending more towards the inclusion of online social media in their adapted marketing strategies. It is mostly due to the fact that online social networks reward the individuals with an ease to build up relationships with other persons having a common interest in terms of preferences and perceptions. Moreover, the barriers in terms of age group, geographical dimensions, economic status and other variables also have a negative impact while opting for social networking as a marketing tool. But in the case of online social networking, the barriers are nearly ineffective, which is indeed a great advantage for any company or organisation using it as a means of communication with the potential customers (Cerado, 2002). The affect is also evident in the case of tourism industry. Majority of the travel and tourism companies today are using social networking sites to promote their business. The tourism sector deals with a major challenge in terms of geographical limitations in order to attract tourists from the international ground and even set up corporate relationship with other supporting industries comprising mainly of the travel agencies and the hotels. To face these challenges the utilisation of social networking again proves to be beneficial for the tourism groups (Middleton & Et. Al., 2009). This paper thus focuses on two main questions, i.e. how can the social networking be used to promote a tourism company and what are the pros and cons of this process. Hence, the further discussion of the paper shall be concentrated on the features of two most used social networks, i.e. Facebook and Twitter. Facebook and Twitter as Social Media Presently there are numerous social networking sites used by different organisations to promote their business. Few of them are Twitter, Flicr, Facebook, Youtube, Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, Orkut and many others. But among them the most targeted social sites are the Facebook and the Twitter. The impact of these social networks can be evidently witnessed all around the world. Facebook This social site was created by Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskocovitz and Chris Hughes in the year 2004. Initially the site was started to be used only by Harvard students. But after recognising the actual potential of the site it was expanded for the inclusion of high school students, business groups and other internet users by 2008. Presently the site is ranked as one of the most visited social network sites. During 2008, the company had a base of around 67 million active visitors all around the world. And in the current scenario the site has more than 500 million regular visitors. This is indeed a remarkable achievement of the site. The basic features of Facebook similar to other social sites allow the users to enter their personal information along with e-mail, phone number and physical address (Valenzuela & Et. Al., 2008). The social site also offers certain major advantages, which assist an organisation to promote its business and create a strong impulse on its targeted customer base. First, the site offers the benefit of uploading photos in the profile as wall picture or as a collection of the user. This help is attracting the customers’ attention towards the company. Next, the site also benefits an organisation offering it a better option to advertise on the website. Extraordinarily, the site also assists the user company to select its targeted customers and differentiate them from the rest of the population. For instance, if a company such as Luxury Holidays which is an UK based Travel and Tour Company specifically focussed on the elite group of customers in the economy, opts to advert in the site it can publish its advertisement only to the group. Additionally, the company can choose its affordable budget level to ensure the advertising services offered by the site. Apart from the advertising services, the site also offers a complete base of customer relation. To be precise, the site offers profile services to attract customers using the wall option describing the abstract of the organisation and the info services to provide wide information about the organisation to the visitors. Moreover, the photo album creation also assists the organisation to move a step ahead in attracting the potential customers. The site, on the other hand, also provides an easy access to the customers in order to discuss their perceptions, experiences and demands along with suggestions with other customers and the organisation they trust to resemble them. A major advantage that the site renders to its customer tourism organisations is an easy access to more than 500 million active visitors all around the world within a minimum amount of time. On top of that the advertising services rendered are subject to a minimum amount of charge compared to any other advertising media, whether it is print or audio-visual. Therefore, it is quite evident that the number of tourism organisations using the Facebook to promote their business is increasing with amazing rapidity. Twitter The next most used social networking site is the Twitter. Twitter was introduced as a social site just four years ago in 2006 by a group of technology specialists. The code name ‘Twttr’ was inspired by another social site Flickr. The current status of the site undoubtedly makes it one of the leading classes of social sites. The site today has over 175 million accounts and it is also at a rapid increase similar to Facebook. With such a huge coverage and a strong impact on the users it can positively emerge as a significant marketing tool for an organisation. Especially, when it serves with attractive theme and vivid colours showcasing the primary information related to the organisation, it becomes one of the ideal sites for tourism marketing (Brady, 2010). There are certain features which make the site one of the favourites of the tourism companies all around the globe. One such feature is the option to tweet and blog on the site which can be used by a tourism company to publish information related to its special discount offers, services and current market status. Even the creation of a profile can be beneficial for the tour company. The most interesting and beneficial is the feature of tweet rendered by Twitter. To use this facility the company marketers just need to create a Twitter account and promote their business by tweeting. This information will later be highlighted in the accounts of people having common interests related to the travel and tourism sector, i.e. the potential customers. Gradually, the number of followers will increase which in turn shall also enhance the customer perception in favour of the company. Moreover, by blogging and regular twitting the company can also share its special offers and tour packages such as seasonal discounts and tailored tour packages. Additionally, the company marketers can also generate information regarding the viewpoints of the followers through Twitter and develop the product and services accordingly. Best Practices of Using Facebook and Twitter for Tourism Marketing With the reference to the above discussion regarding the features which can be beneficial for a tourism company it is evident that Facebook and Twitter as social networking sites are quite significant in the modern era. However, few examples of best practices which can be used by a tour operating company as a marketing tool are discussed below. Tour companies, in this context also promote their business through the publication of articles and press releases in different digital media. While opting for such publications the company can also highlight the option to share the viewpoint of the visitors with Twitter or Facebook (this has been illustrated on the above image.) As the visitor shares his/her perception through a tweet or writing on the wall of the Facebook profile, he/she automatically ensures themselves as followers of the company. This facility benefits the company to increase the number of followers (in case of Twitter) and the number of peoples liking the company (in case of Facebook), which in turn can be used by the company to promote its services. Another significant advantage of the sites are that both these have a facility to reach the targeted market through mobile networks. Inclusively, in the busy schedule of daily life most of the potential customers are unable to visit these sites regularly and therefore have a chance to get avoided. Although a single visit to the company’s profile through Facebook or Twitter can assist the company to share its information through sending informative SMS in the mobile numbers of the visitors. Therefore, the company can not only reach the active customers visiting the sites regularly, but can also reach the potential customers who are not the regular visitors. Conclusion In the present day phenomenon, travellers or potential customers of tourism industries in the initial stage opt for searching the websites in order to gain information about holiday destinations and the companies rendering services according to their choices. In this context implementing the promotional tactic to promote the services and offers by a tourism company can be undoubtedly advantageous. Moreover, the amounts charged by these social networking sites are comparatively lower than other digital media which is again an advantage for the tourism companies. Conclusively, the social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, can reach millions of potential customers within seconds irrespective of the geographical and the technical limitations (Wheeler, n.d.). References Brady, B., 2010. History and Statistical Data about Facebook and Twitter. Twitter. [Online] Available at: http://searchwarp.com/swa668301-History-And-Statistical-Data-About-Facebook-And-Twitter.htm [Accessed January 06, 2011]. Cerado, 2002. Social Networking for Businesses & Associations. What Is Social Networking? [Online] Available at: http://www.cerado.com/download/Cerado-Haystack-Executive-Briefing-Social-Networking-for-Businesses-and-Associations.pdf [Accessed January 06, 2011]. Middleton, V. T. C., 2009. Marketing in Travel and Tourism. Butterworth-Heinemann. Social Networking, 2010. What Is Social Networking? Social Networking. [Online] Available at: http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/ [Accessed January 06, 2011]. Valenzuela, S. & Et. Al., 2008. Lessons from Facebook: The Effect of Social Network. Sites on College Students’ Social Capital. [Online] Available at: http://online.journalism.utexas.edu/2008/papers/Valenzuela.pdf [Accessed January 06, 2011]. Wheeler, B., No Date. A Guide to Social Networking and Social Media for Tourism. Other Social Networking / Social Media Sites of Interest. [Online] Available at: http://www.wwwmyoasiscom.com/downtown/trail_towns/z_presentations/Social_Networking_Guide.pdf [Accessed January 06, 2011]. Bibliography Buhalis, D. & Costa, C., 2006. Tourism Management Dynamics: Trends, Management and Tools. Butterworth-Heinemann. ECAR Research Study, 2008. Social Networking Sites. EDUCASE. [Online] Available at: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0808/rs/ers08086.pdf [Accessed January 07, 2011]. Lips, K., 2007. Social Media and Tourism. Slide Share. [Online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/katielips/social-media-and-tourism-274877 [Accessed January 07, 2011]. World Tourism Organization and European Travel Commission, 2008. Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destinations. World Tourism Organization. [Online] Available at: http://pub.unwto.org/WebRoot/Store/Shops/Infoshop/48EA/148E/19AC/BB41/5091/C0A8/0164/579A/080926_handbook_e-marketing_excerpt.pdf [Accessed January 07, 2011]. Read More