your guests are - vtic · have our social media links on website respond to all guest reviews...

Your guests are controlling your marketing message!

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User-created content, is any form of content, such as images, videos, text and audio, that have been posted by users on online platforms such as social media and wikis.

In most cases it’s your guests who are creating user-created content about your destination and their experiences with your business

= earned media

Topics

● Different forms of guest content● Listening and engaging● How to encourage guest content● Leveraging guest content● How to work with influencers

Passive Active Proactive▢ Have our social media links on

website▢ Respond to all guest reviews

uniquely, using it as an opportunity to offer additional information about your business and/or region

▢ Have connected with a social influencer to promote our business and/or region

▢ Passively encourage guests to leave online reviews and testimonials

▢ Have a surprise and delight strategy that means that service expectations are exceeded

▢ Share positive testimonials on our website and social media

▢ Have a unique hashtag in your Instagram bio for customers to use

▢ Have a strategy to follow-up guests and invite them to leave reviews online on their preferred platform eg Google, TripAdvisor and Facebook

▢ Engage with guest bloggers (travel writers/influencers) to create content for our website

▢ Display our unique hashtag on marketing collateral eg. business cards, uniforms, signage?

▢ Share customer posts on Facebook and Instagram

▢ Have a strategy to create stories or social media posts about our guests

Different forms of guest content

Two-thirds of marketing is occurring without marketers

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Media coverage

Social media posts, videos,

images

Online reviews,

testimonialsBlog

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● Molestie nec amet cum sociis● Social media posts

● Reviews

● Testimonials

Your customers

Influencers

● Blog posts

● Social media posts

● Images

● Videos

● Articles online and print

● Bloggers● Photographers● Videographers● Travel writers

92% of people trust recommendations from other people ahead of branded content

Travel Purchase Cycle

● Reviews

● Testimonials

• Social media posts

• Media articles

• Blog posts

Listening and engaging

In a world of conversations it’s really important to listen

Google Alerts

Free Google tool to monitor words and phrases when they first appear online. The service sends emails to the user when it finds new results—such as web pages, newspaper articles, or blogs that match the user's search term. It’s an easy way to track when your business name, town, region etc is mentioned on a webpage.

Go to google.com/alerts - refer to Guest Content Marketing Workbook

TripAdvisor

● More than 470 million active monthly users

● Number of reviews and opinions – 661 million

● Average number of contributions per minute - 270

What are these popular mentions telling you?

● Are these insights indicators on how to enhance your experiences or services?

● Are all the mentions positive, if not, what can you improve?

● Can you create content that helps tell the stories of these aspects of your business?

Responding to reviews -what your guests expect

● A prompt and personal reply● Polite and courteous responses● Prioritise negative reviews (48 hrs)● Why respond? 78% of consumers say hearing from management about their reviews makes them believe the business cares more about them

Facebook Notifications

Hootsuite.com

Invite to Like Page

Instagram Notifications

Engage

● Respond to comments on your posts, messages on stories, videos etc - look up @_markfitz for the perfect IG engagement

● Search for posts at your location and in your region and comment, comment, comment and comment again

Often forgotten!

Follow

How to encourage guest content

You want quality, recent and many reviews

● Ask during their stay or experience with your business

● Signage on window, tables, in room, reception desk

● Business cards● Part of farewell gift / keepsake● Guest book● Add a link in follow up emails

Generating reviews

Your #hashtag

● Used for searching and following

● It’s part of your brand

● Short, unique and easy to understand

● Once you’ve got it – stick with it and use it always

● Include on your website, emails, print materials

● Make it visible during your event

● Motivate your audience to use eg photo competition

● Always use regional hashtags for destination

branding #visitgeelongbellarine #visitmelbourne

Leveraging guest content

Create stories about your guests

Ideas!★ Turn guest reviews or testimonials into Instagram or

Facebook Stories★ Put testimonials and reviews onto your website★ Do a short video interview with your guests

● What would work for your business?

● Could you create blog posts that include stories about guests?

Share your guests’ images

Share your guests’ Stories

They need to @mention

your business

Working with influencers

Bloggers, writers, photographers, videographers...paid advocates with followers

Niche experiences

Niche markets

Niche styles

Tips to make the most of working with influencers

● Communication is key, ensure there is joint clarity on your goals

and the messages you are trying to convey to your ideal audience

● Start the planning early and at a minimum have itinerary finalised

two weeks in advance

● Have a clear contract

● Agree how return on investment will be measured

● Accompany the influencer as much as you can to ensure they

experience the best and most interesting things in your region and

business

Where are you now - what’s your plan to integrate guest content into your strategy?