Social Media Marketing: Should Online Travel Brands Think Beyond Branding?
Sanjay is a technologist and founder of Vervotech , a SaaS-based housing data provider. He also founded Techspian.
Over the years, online travel brand marketers have effectively used social media marketing (SMM) to create buzz for their brand. Through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest ads, travel brand marketers have used SMM to reach specific audiences.
At the same time, the main goal was to accustom travelers to the brand. Not that travel brand marketers don't want to monetize with SMM, but they do. They reach the right audience and redirect it to online travel portals. But it is difficult for travelers to find an offer on one platform and buy it on another. Meanwhile, industries such as fashion and consumer products are creating integrated shopping experiences directly on social media platforms through social commerce features.
It's time the leaders of the online travel industry think the same. This will require a shift in mindset as travel brand marketers no longer view brand awareness and revenue results in isolation and see revenue results as part of their marketing efforts. In this article, I will explain how travel brand marketers can rethink SMM and leverage the growth of social commerce for profit.
Take advantage of the growth of social commerce
The social commerce market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, three times more than it was in 2021. Hence, the growth of social commerce is a great opportunity for the online travel world. Book travel products on social media, a medium they already rely on for travel inspiration.
Social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest already have shopping features. Twitter is also testing an ecosystem of in-app purchases. In general, as the numbers show, social trade will only grow. And now is the perfect time for the travel industry to join the win, harness the growing power of social media, and start thinking about SMM beyond brand results to drive revenue.
With social commerce, a travel brand marketer can use social media analytics to identify customers who have recently shown interest in a specific travel product, such as beach vacation content. You can then create targeted ads for beach destinations and activities such as snorkeling or surfing. This approach will attract customers who are already interested in the product, both of which increase their chances of being interested in the content and becoming customers.
With social media platforms offering photo and video tryout features, customers can better understand what they are buying. It also creates a win-win scenario.
All this is possible without sacrificing the brand. how? We will discuss that later.
Integrating influencer marketing into social commerce
As a marketer of a travel brand, if you see a trend or pattern in your social commerce analytics where a large percentage of travelers are interested in a particular offer, you can create more content around it and connect the more creative content to your potential customers, which requires special attention to your brand ambitions.
This is where you can showcase your verified channels as influencer marketing. Work with influencers and have them create content based on the information you get from your social commerce data. This way, you can connect with loyal followers of influencers as well as potential clients. This means that you can convert customers (experienced travelers) by adding more leads (followers of influencers) to your funnel.
Example
This is an example of how a travel brand like TripScout can use social commerce to generate revenue. TripScout (one of our clients) is a travel planning app that provides customized itineraries, travel recommendations, and booking options. TripScout executives use marketing to connect with loyal followers of influencers and their own social channels. For example, Tripscout marketers create insightful content based on social commerce data and showcase the best Parisian experiences through the TripScout app. This strategy allows TripScout marketers to engage with the company's followers and drive leads to the app, which benefits the brand and revenue.
Additionally, through social commerce, TripScout marketers can use social media analytics to identify customers who have recently shown interest in a specific travel product, such as a trip to Paris. They can then create targeted ads for Parisian attractions, restaurants, and hotels.
ending
Although branding is essential to any marketing effort, the entire marketing function should not be limited to projecting a brand to potential customers, it can also be used in the travel SMM industry. Travel brands should not think of branding and revenue generation efforts in isolation, but should focus on initiatives and opportunities that benefit both segments.
The growth of social commerce provides travel brand marketers with an opportunity to leverage social media efforts to increase revenue and profits for the brand as a whole. And they can interact with their existing community and potential clients in a more innovative way, using channels such as influencer marketing that complement their overall SMM plan.
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