January and February can be hectic months so here are the most-read stories on EyeforTravel for you to catch up on

1. 9 not-to-be ignored trends for hotel distribution in 2014

Given the rise of meta-search and the continued growth of OTAs, a shared strategy could be the key to successful hotel distribution in 2014, is the theme of our most read story this year. As EyeforTravel’s Ritesh Gupta finds out from Chetan Patel, VP, Strategic Marketing & E-Commerce, Onyx Hospitality Group hotel organisations are looking to strengthen their expertise and efficiency in the distribution space. That is a challenge as today the onus is on distribution executives to not only handle their brand websites better, but also to manage their association with third-party channels much more efficiently. Patel talks us through the major developments in the travel space and where he thinks hotel distribution is headed in 2014. These include: the resurgence of meta-search, for Google Hotel Finder to make an impact and more noise on mobile and social.

2. How metasearch is shifting the balance of power

So far this year the rise of metasearch as a channel has been a big focus and in this article we identify some key trends. Ahead of a free webinar, which you can still catch up on, Ritesh Gupta spoke to the presenters to find how the channel is evolving. Pia Vemmelund, managing director, momondo believes “meta’s already come a long way – but we’ve yet to reach the tipping point of consumers fully understanding (and valuing) the insights of this exciting and dynamic sector”. She is expecting to see further mass adoption across new geographies – and explosive growth and this will drive further consoli­dation in the metasearch sector in the coming months and years, with smaller players finding bigger bed-fellows. But will they be able to innovate fast enough? That is the question! Check out this recent story where guest columnist Tom Bacon wonders if innovation in search is happening fast enough. 

3. WestJet’s social Christmas campaign: ‘nothing short of astounding’

If you are still not convinced of the value social can deliver to the bottom line, then this inspiring story is one to catch up on. Within 3.5 weeks WestJet’s Christmas Miracle campaign had been viewed 35 million times in 230 countries and the story has been covered 1600 times by media outlets around the world. Moreover, on December 8, the morning the video was released, it was the number one trending topic on Twitter. On top of that, in the 14 days to Christmas traffic increased by 100%, bookings by 77% and revenues 86% on the previous year.

4. Six steps to using smart travel analytics to maximise revenues

It seems readers like to hear about tips about maximising revenues. In another article, ahead of a free Eyefortravel.com webinar, we heard six tips for doing just that. Here they are: 1. Learn how translate and simplify of data; 2. Beware the rising costs of commissions; 3.Choose the right people to make the magic happen; 4. Expect tools, systems and channels to proliferate; 5. Ensure analytics systems provide relevant information to hotel GMs; 6. Prepare for a refocus on net revenue. This article is packed with top tips so don’t miss it!

5. 2014: the year that analytics will benefit all?

The democratisation of analytics is upon us and will help marketers to make better decisions, is the rallying cry in this story. Jonathan Isernhagen, Director, Marketing analysis, Travelocity and Suneel Grover, Senior Solutions Architect, SAS share their insights into how firms can gain competitive advantage and refine their approach to data management. On things seems clear though, every part of this process from data access to integration, quality, and governance requires focus in order to ensure a strong foundation for making use of data from different sources.

6. How analytics can take the guesswork out of CRM in 2014

The power of real-time analytics in CRM is most notable when it is connected across an enterprise. That’s the overriding message in this in depth piece which sees Ritesh Gupta taking a closer look at the role of the CRM executive in a world of big data.

7. Six small steps for making a bigger impact on Facebook

The smallest of changes on a social networking site like Facebook can have the biggest impact on the way a brand engages with fans. This story examines the impact of some of Facebook’s movements last year – such as simplifying the option to upload a picture by introducing a camera symbol directly below the status box. One of the big trends of 2013 was trend to visual media and as Lucas Schumacher, Fairmont’s regional online marketing manager points out one of the biggest developments is that nearly all posts come with images. “Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram coupled with its attempted acquisition of Snapchat further illustrate the power of imagery in social media,” he argues. Read the full story to find out about the trend to visual and how that must alter a company’s overall strategy.

8. Five barriers to social media integration

In this article we hear from Jonathan Pierce, director of social media at American Airlines about some of the barriers to social integration. We also heard about how the airline’s social media strategy had matured since it embraced the channel over three years ago. Although Pierce says the subject of social integrations is “such a huge topic” that he could “go on forever”, he is still able to condense the challenges into five points: hiring the right people; existing technology infrastructure; competing priorities; Evolving customer behaviour and education and consistent metrics.

9. Silo-bashing is essential for an effective SoLoMo strategy

More talk about social in this piece which takes a look at how SoLoMo is impacting a destination marketer in Australia. Michael Hauser, the organisation’s digital marketing manager, tells us how SoLoMo has altered the way they manage technology and content for the visitor. Hauser also points to wearable technologies, local search and local offers, local bookings and conversions (particularly for attractions/events), increased local social media conversations and so on as very real opportunities in the coming year. Meanwhile Mike Supple, Director of Social Media at Milestone Internet Marketing shares some case studies into how its clients are using social to drive value.

10. TripAdvisor on looking for value and looking ahead

TripAdvisor's Nathan Clapton, VP of Mobile Partnerships at TripAdvisor, made a guest appearance on EyeforTravel in January to talk about where he believes travel is headed in 2014. In essence his view is that it will be more mobile than ever and heading east.