Here's a useful analogy that I'm borrowing from a book called "Gut Feeling", by Peter Urs Bender...
Take a 3 inch piece of string, lay it out on a table in front of you. Then PULL it along the table by one end. You can make it go anywhere and it will follow you. Now try PUSHING it. The string piles up on itself and nothing happens.
The same can be said for a website. You cannot push a person into a vacation, but you can pull them along a journey with great photos and narrative. You can influence them into wanting to take the same journey by outlining the whole thing from start to finish.
Flashing red buttons that say "Come Here, Come Here" simply aren't going to work. Putting your brochure (verbatium) on your site isn't going to work.
A steady tempting of what awaits them in your little corner of the world is a much better approach.
Nudge, encourage, listen and empathize.
Underperforming web tools (like your website or blog) are a reflection of the organizational objectives rather then the tools or technologies them selves. It really is about the organizational culture and the approach.
Later gators,
Beth
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Twitter among the stars...
Recently Kevin Spacey, one of my favorite actors, and David Letterman had a conversation about Twitter.
When I saw it, I felt that a lot of my readers would be having the same kind of conversation, and be able to relate to the interaction between Kevin and David.
So here is the embedded video.
You'll notice that this is my second embedded video on my blog, and unlike the first one (two posts previous), this one is custom fitted to the proper width. I left the first one AS IS, to show that blogging and embedding is a continuous learning process. And that you don't have to exactly master the whole thing at once. Just pieces.
I've been blogging for a little over a year and during that time video clips have become more and more popular, the code to embed them is presented for you, and so I've started to incorporate them into my blogging. I'm ever evolving :) It's not required that I or you be on the cutting edge, just that we add a splash of the new every now and then.
When I saw it, I felt that a lot of my readers would be having the same kind of conversation, and be able to relate to the interaction between Kevin and David.
So here is the embedded video.
You'll notice that this is my second embedded video on my blog, and unlike the first one (two posts previous), this one is custom fitted to the proper width. I left the first one AS IS, to show that blogging and embedding is a continuous learning process. And that you don't have to exactly master the whole thing at once. Just pieces.
I've been blogging for a little over a year and during that time video clips have become more and more popular, the code to embed them is presented for you, and so I've started to incorporate them into my blogging. I'm ever evolving :) It's not required that I or you be on the cutting edge, just that we add a splash of the new every now and then.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
So you think it only happens to other people...Part Two
One week later - An update on the Sons of Maxwell VS United Airlines
Views on the You Tube video - astronomical and counting
Appearance on Canada AM - check
Appearance on CNN - check
Wolf Blitzer mentioning your name - check
Print media tailgating on your success - check
Numerous Tweets - check
Facebook sharing links - check
Follow up video on You Tube thanking everyone for their support - check
People who whole heartedly agree with you - check
People who totally disagree with you - check
Did it work? Was it worth it? Only time will tell.
Views on the You Tube video - astronomical and counting
Appearance on Canada AM - check
Appearance on CNN - check
Wolf Blitzer mentioning your name - check
Print media tailgating on your success - check
Numerous Tweets - check
Facebook sharing links - check
Follow up video on You Tube thanking everyone for their support - check
People who whole heartedly agree with you - check
People who totally disagree with you - check
Did it work? Was it worth it? Only time will tell.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
So you think it only happens to other people...
Social media frenzy right here in Atlantic Canada.
The band, Sons of Maxwell, recently travelled to the US for a concert with United Air Lines. Long story short, the baggage handlers broke a guitar. After several fruitless phone calls to United, the frustrated band vowed to unleash their wrath on You Tube.
As of this writing, the video, posted 48 hours ago:
The band, Sons of Maxwell, recently travelled to the US for a concert with United Air Lines. Long story short, the baggage handlers broke a guitar. After several fruitless phone calls to United, the frustrated band vowed to unleash their wrath on You Tube.
As of this writing, the video, posted 48 hours ago:
- has received 82,000 (and counting) plays
- was featured on the website consumerist.com
- was played on my local radio station
- was facebooked by many of my Atlantic Canada friends
- was facebooked by my local DJs
- was twittered
- was Dugg
- was shared and forwarded
Check it out, it's a catchy tune
Update: when I went to get that link the views were up to 132,000
How can I do something like this? Or do I even want to?
More importantly - How do I keep my operation from becoming a "United" and forcing someone to blast me on the internet?
All good questions. Ask me when you sign up for your Tourism Technology mentoring session.
beth at tianb dot com
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Thinking outside the box
This week I stumbled across unique uses for Trip Advisor, and I thought what a great outside the box use for a vacation rating site. Especially in the Tourism Industry where we are facing a human resource shortage.
Quoted from a Linked In group discussion:
Tripadvisor.com Secondary Use for Employers & Job Seekers
Two additional uses for Trip Advisor :
Not only is Tripadvisor a great tool for consumers it is also a great tool for employers and job seekers.
1. Recruiters and employers should check all GM candidates past hotel’s placement on Tripadvisor. As past performance is a good predictor of future success.
2. Job seekers should check a hotel rating on Tripadvisor prior to a job interview to learn of any operational weaknesses that they could help to address. I believe most employers would be impressed to learn that a potential candidate took the time to research their property beyond the company website.
So here's the challenge, do you have a favorite website that you use for a purpose that might not be what the developers intended?
Can you think of outside the box uses for other sites?
Send in your ideas and I'll share them in the next post
beth@@tianb.com
Quoted from a Linked In group discussion:
Tripadvisor.com Secondary Use for Employers & Job Seekers
Two additional uses for Trip Advisor :
Not only is Tripadvisor a great tool for consumers it is also a great tool for employers and job seekers.
1. Recruiters and employers should check all GM candidates past hotel’s placement on Tripadvisor. As past performance is a good predictor of future success.
2. Job seekers should check a hotel rating on Tripadvisor prior to a job interview to learn of any operational weaknesses that they could help to address. I believe most employers would be impressed to learn that a potential candidate took the time to research their property beyond the company website.
So here's the challenge, do you have a favorite website that you use for a purpose that might not be what the developers intended?
Can you think of outside the box uses for other sites?
Send in your ideas and I'll share them in the next post
beth@@tianb.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Website / Blog Verses Twitter
I recently read a great quote, unfortunately I've misplaced the source but here goes:
"Make your blog/website your home base and Twitter your outpost"
That strikes me as great advice for those wondering if they should twitter or not. Twitter for kids is all about the status updates, but Twitter for business is about something else... It's about engaging customers with your product, and driving traffic to your website or to your physical store.
Your website is your archive. Twitter feeds are not archived. Facebook events are archived but in a hidden sort of fashion. So if you Tweet that your tourism operation is now serving lobster chowder, if you do not also include that on your website, only the few fellow Tweeters who read that initial Tweet will know about your new product offering.
For tourism operations, archives or history of success is important. It relates stability to new buyers. People do have (rational) fears of airlines going under, hotels closing, and travel agents closing. You must show that you are going to be operating the whole season and they will not be losing their deposit.
Websites and blogs are showcases of true passion and commitment to your operation. If there is one thing I know about tourism operators is that they are passionate. You need to express that to all who visit your site. And if your passion is waning, find someone who's passion is exploding to write the blog for you. A summer student, another employee...
I know you're busy, I know you're stretched thin, and I know you think it's going to take a lot of time. Frankly sometimes it does. Sometimes I sit for a while before I know what to blog. Sometimes it comes quite easily.
If your website and blog are functioning properly then that should lead to less repetitive emails and phone calls that require your time and energy. If your website and blog are functioning properly then your increased sales will justify hiring another part time worker and again leave you with more time and energy to put forth. It's a cycle. You just need to get started.
Twitter is like social sticky notes (another great quote that I can't take credit for). It's snack size content, a nibble to wet your appetite. Your website is the full meal deal. And it should satisfy their hunger.
So first build a great website (actually first take the Tourism Technology website mentoring session to learn how to build a great website)
Then start to Twitter
And know when to draw the Twitter line
"Make your blog/website your home base and Twitter your outpost"
That strikes me as great advice for those wondering if they should twitter or not. Twitter for kids is all about the status updates, but Twitter for business is about something else... It's about engaging customers with your product, and driving traffic to your website or to your physical store.
Your website is your archive. Twitter feeds are not archived. Facebook events are archived but in a hidden sort of fashion. So if you Tweet that your tourism operation is now serving lobster chowder, if you do not also include that on your website, only the few fellow Tweeters who read that initial Tweet will know about your new product offering.
For tourism operations, archives or history of success is important. It relates stability to new buyers. People do have (rational) fears of airlines going under, hotels closing, and travel agents closing. You must show that you are going to be operating the whole season and they will not be losing their deposit.
Websites and blogs are showcases of true passion and commitment to your operation. If there is one thing I know about tourism operators is that they are passionate. You need to express that to all who visit your site. And if your passion is waning, find someone who's passion is exploding to write the blog for you. A summer student, another employee...
I know you're busy, I know you're stretched thin, and I know you think it's going to take a lot of time. Frankly sometimes it does. Sometimes I sit for a while before I know what to blog. Sometimes it comes quite easily.
If your website and blog are functioning properly then that should lead to less repetitive emails and phone calls that require your time and energy. If your website and blog are functioning properly then your increased sales will justify hiring another part time worker and again leave you with more time and energy to put forth. It's a cycle. You just need to get started.
Twitter is like social sticky notes (another great quote that I can't take credit for). It's snack size content, a nibble to wet your appetite. Your website is the full meal deal. And it should satisfy their hunger.
So first build a great website (actually first take the Tourism Technology website mentoring session to learn how to build a great website)
Then start to Twitter
And know when to draw the Twitter line
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Website revamp OR Exercise in discovering your clientele
The key to a successful website redesign is research.
Especially for Tourism Operators.
A successful tourism website has the information that the visitor is looking for... and how are you going to know what information they are interested in unless you ask them ?
Why does a Tourist visit a website?
Especially for Tourism Operators.
A successful tourism website has the information that the visitor is looking for... and how are you going to know what information they are interested in unless you ask them ?
Why does a Tourist visit a website?
- to confirm that they want to visit there
- confirm hours and costs
- confirm directions
- to see other people enjoying the property or attraction (validate)
- to find out what unique things they can do while visiting
- perhaps to find rules or regulations
Are you providing that kind of information?
View your website through the eyes of your target market? Is everything there that I would need to know if I was coming to the area, plus some exciting pictures and tidbits that reassure me that your destination is the best choice.
The summer is the perfect time to research your clients. Are they mainly elderly? Are they families? Ask them if they looked at your website? Ask them what they thought of it?
Then take all that information and compile it over the fall and find a developer over the holidays and have your new site launched for the new year, when visitors are just starting to scope out where they are going to spend their summer.
Trust me
- If you don't tell your developer what you need, you'll have a nice new site but it won't fulfill the needs of your customers and you'll have wasted your money
- If you don't get a nice new fulfilling site for next season, you've missed the boat.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Commitment
Today I thought I'd share a confession of imperfection with everyone. Copied from the ISL newsletter
Monthly Commitmentby Stephanie Lummis
You may have noticed this monthly eNewsletter has not always lived up to its billing. Mea culpa. In site is a year old and ISL is not practicing what it preaches.
It was a big step to start this eNewsletter. We planned and talked for months. We knew we were capable but realized the commitment it would take. It was this very threat that held us back. I could claim it’s a case of the shoemaker’s children - we are busy with client projects and there isn’t enough time or resources to devote to our own Internet marketing efforts.
And it is, but it’s more than that. After all we are also encouraging and advising our clients: non-profits, CPG companies and government alike, to do more of this kind of Internet marketing. The fact is it’s harder to give priority to an email newsletter – or any non-direct-revenue generating activity, such as a blog, Twitter feed or corporate Facebook page.
These activities can be at odds with sales and business development resources as they are direct revenue generators. How do you convince your organization of its value? How do you justify the investment of time and effort?
The True Value is Intrinsic Relationships – People don’t like to be "sold", preferring to come to informed decisions on their own. They are more apt to engage in advice or conversation instead of a sales pitch. It establishes a level of trust and comfort that they will have the ear of those they buy from.
Reach – These types of marketing efforts create long tentacles and expand your circle of influence. These peripheral connections are more apt to produce a customer. They have more to learn and their investment will be greater.
Goodwill – For people who know you already - clients or partners - an eNewsletter can serve as a reaffirmation of your commitment to your company and the industry as a whole.
Measured Success - This eNewsletter has been a tremendous tool for ISL. Subscribers look forward to seeing it in their inbox each month (sorry we’ve kept you waiting), and some print it off to share with their bosses and colleagues. A few articles have even been reprinted in other eNewsletters for tourism and manufacturing industries.
So while you may not be able to tie these Internet marketing efforts directly to sales, you can gauge their influence in many areas: list growth, forwards, referrals, reprints, comments, and time on site. These are all valuable measurements of success that justify the investment.
It has been one year and we’ve published 10 issues. Not how we planned it, but we remain committed and thank you for reading each month. Writing this article was just the pep talk I needed.
Monthly Commitmentby Stephanie Lummis
You may have noticed this monthly eNewsletter has not always lived up to its billing. Mea culpa. In site is a year old and ISL is not practicing what it preaches.
It was a big step to start this eNewsletter. We planned and talked for months. We knew we were capable but realized the commitment it would take. It was this very threat that held us back. I could claim it’s a case of the shoemaker’s children - we are busy with client projects and there isn’t enough time or resources to devote to our own Internet marketing efforts.
And it is, but it’s more than that. After all we are also encouraging and advising our clients: non-profits, CPG companies and government alike, to do more of this kind of Internet marketing. The fact is it’s harder to give priority to an email newsletter – or any non-direct-revenue generating activity, such as a blog, Twitter feed or corporate Facebook page.
These activities can be at odds with sales and business development resources as they are direct revenue generators. How do you convince your organization of its value? How do you justify the investment of time and effort?
The True Value is Intrinsic Relationships – People don’t like to be "sold", preferring to come to informed decisions on their own. They are more apt to engage in advice or conversation instead of a sales pitch. It establishes a level of trust and comfort that they will have the ear of those they buy from.
Reach – These types of marketing efforts create long tentacles and expand your circle of influence. These peripheral connections are more apt to produce a customer. They have more to learn and their investment will be greater.
Goodwill – For people who know you already - clients or partners - an eNewsletter can serve as a reaffirmation of your commitment to your company and the industry as a whole.
Measured Success - This eNewsletter has been a tremendous tool for ISL. Subscribers look forward to seeing it in their inbox each month (sorry we’ve kept you waiting), and some print it off to share with their bosses and colleagues. A few articles have even been reprinted in other eNewsletters for tourism and manufacturing industries.
So while you may not be able to tie these Internet marketing efforts directly to sales, you can gauge their influence in many areas: list growth, forwards, referrals, reprints, comments, and time on site. These are all valuable measurements of success that justify the investment.
It has been one year and we’ve published 10 issues. Not how we planned it, but we remain committed and thank you for reading each month. Writing this article was just the pep talk I needed.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Roger Brooks stole my material ...
If you attended the recent TIANB conference in Caraquet, and listened to Roger Brooks (international tourism guru), then you know what I'm talking about.
Several points made by Mr Brooks, I have been telling you for the past two years. If you had taken the Tourism Technology website mentoring session prior to the conference then little bells should have been going off in your head ... "Beth mentioned the very same thing during her mentoring session"
"I guess she knows what she's talking about"
That's right folks, I'm not just a pretty face.
There's more to the session then the long winded title implies.
70% of tourism shoppers are frustrated with the online experience
80% of operators are still spending more on print, then their website (backwards!)
e-newsletters are essential
user friendly domain names are essential
have seasonal content
have updated content
It's not too late to call me for a session, and at $125, I'm way underpriced.
Beth
PS If you did take the session and haven't done anything yet, dig out that manual and get on it!
Several points made by Mr Brooks, I have been telling you for the past two years. If you had taken the Tourism Technology website mentoring session prior to the conference then little bells should have been going off in your head ... "Beth mentioned the very same thing during her mentoring session"
"I guess she knows what she's talking about"
That's right folks, I'm not just a pretty face.
There's more to the session then the long winded title implies.
70% of tourism shoppers are frustrated with the online experience
80% of operators are still spending more on print, then their website (backwards!)
e-newsletters are essential
user friendly domain names are essential
have seasonal content
have updated content
It's not too late to call me for a session, and at $125, I'm way underpriced.
Beth
PS If you did take the session and haven't done anything yet, dig out that manual and get on it!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Your best home page
Your home page should state clearly, who you are and what you do.
It should relate your core business aspect in a few simple lines. Yes, it can be done.
What are the properties of some of the best home pages?
It's all about knowing your audience. When you surf the web, what pages make you feel tranquil and serene? What pages make you feel adventurous? Why do they invoke these feelings- imagery, colour selection, sounds?
Be upfront and honest about who you are targeting with your website. Grab their attention with imagery and key descriptives that relate to that demographic.
The most simplistic home page could be Google. What is Google's main product? Search. And so what is their home page comprised of? A search box. They haven't changed their core home page since they started. They've added a few buttons off to the side, and they change up their logo every now and then, but the basic core aspect stays the same. And it works for them.
A person who is interested in the latest news, and flashy ads for their home page would be more inclined to choose msn.ca or canoe.ca for their home page rather then Google.
Match your online esthetics to your audience. Your website belongs to your customer not to you!!!
Be totally awesome - not mediocre
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