"User-Generated Content: The Functional Level Re-examined"
Published: 17 Mar 2008
In Response to: "Key to Ensuring UGC Works Well at the Functional Level" (3.06.08), By Reggie Bradford
I read an interesting interview with Founder and CEO of Real Travel Inc., Ken Leeder, in Eye for Travel on March 6, 2008. In this article, Mr. Leeder contended that the idea of "Travel 2.0," or the interlacing of social media with travel companies' consumer outreach, may in the future be linked to social networks like Facebook. He pointed out an alleged disconnect in intentions between people visiting travel sites and those accessing social networks, debating if consumers would be reluctant to have their demographic and psychographic information shared with travel agencies and advertisers for no additional value.
Writer Ritesh Gupta mentioned the growing belief that user-generated content (UGC) is effective on an emotional level, but that the concept itself isn't particularly functional. To render it functional, Mr. Leeder suggested bringing "editorial and authoritative content" into the mix.
I am taking the liberty of sharing my own views on UGC in the hope of continuing the discourse started by Mr. Leeder and Mr. Gupta. My goal is to address the concerns above and provide you with a better understanding of social media and how it can improve customer loyalty and ROI. By bringing customers into the mix, travel brands can fuel a mutually beneficial two-way conversation.
One of the ideas mentioned in the interview between Mr. Leeder and Mr. Gupta is that UGC engages consumers on an emotional, "visceral" level. This is very true. It's human nature to seek affirmation from like-minded people. It's easy to be wary of the ambiguous "exploitative" corporate entity, preying on innocent consumers, taking their money, cheating them out of a fair deal. With the slick, professional, multi-million dollar ads played during primetime events and the glossy, airbrushed full-page spreads in magazines, it's no wonder that a consumer's first instinct is to seek out some down-home honesty.
A February 2008 study by Orbitz Worldwide's HotelClub.com found that 37.5% of respondents cited user reviews and online destination guides as having a major influence on their hotel bookings and travel choices. Major comparison sites from Expedia to Travelocity prominently feature traveler reviews of hotels. If someone looking for a hotel in a foreign city comes across a two-star listing he or she might be keen to ignore it. However, if they see fifteen user comments that celebrate the hotel's atmosphere and gracious service, they might opt to stay there regardless of room size or access to an Internet connection. UGC reviews help personalize the experience of planning a trip.
Mr. Leeder and Mr. Gupta caution readers that UGC may not work on a functional level, unless it's attached in some way to professional, researched content. While well-thought-out editorial content can be incredibly valuable, the overall communication becomes all the more powerful when paired with authentic UGC . In fact, some of the best discussions and debates arise from users' interactions with each other via a social media-enriched community.
We worked with the Baltimore Area Conventions and Visitors Association, or BACVA, last year for a social media initiative. My company, Vitrue, helped BACVA create a site called "visitmybaltimore.com," in which people could post videos of their favorite Baltimore hot spots, local restaurants could upload their promotions and tourists could navigate the site to hear firsthand accounts of what makes the city great. The site didn't have editorial content; what it had was a community of loyal fans with diverse ideas who connected with each other and with the city of Baltimore by the nature of sound, image and motion. The site delivered an enhanced user experience.
To ensure that a UGC site is "functional" in terms of delivering ROI, connecting on all levels with consumers and driving brand awareness, the following features should be in place: the site publisher (brand owner) should have parameters set for content they'd like to receive and should actively monitor submitted content to weed out anything offensive or inappropriate; publishers can set expectations for users by producing initial editorial content, but it shouldn't dominate the site once the point is made. The site should prominently feature content created by users to represent an early arbiter of success and drive further contributions. Content should be organized into easy-to-browse categories so the user experience doesn't become overwhelming (and therefore no longer functional). Include easy-to-use viral sharing capabilities to make the content more relevant and attract a more diverse, yet targeted audience. Cap it off with capabilities for user commentary, feedback, message boards, and community groups (which I'll discuss shortly). This engages consumers in driving growth and adoption of your brand while catering to their interests. Simplicity is key – remember, if uploading content or making comments seems like a complex and convoluted process, your users will probably choose to ignore it.
If you feel that your site will prove more compelling with editorial information – present it as such by providing a site blog or informative content from a site "super-member". This will give you room to impart authoritative information, which visitors can view or not, as they like. You can go as far as including a professionally produced featured video on the home page– but be ready to rotate it with authentic UGC if it doesn't prove to be a hit. Remember, many site visitors are more likely to believe the sights and sounds they experience coming from their site "friends" than the site's creator.
Mr. Leeder expresses concern as to how far independent social networks can go without making consumers feel reticent to give out demographic information, possibly alluding to Facebook's controversial Beacon feature. This is why I always tell my clients to host their own social media sites and communities – you should maintain full control of your brand.
Hosting a UGC community is good sense for those looking for advertising ROI because a thriving social community is a willingly captive audience. Communities are a great answer to the question, "how do I find out more about my customers in a non-intrusive way?" Say one of the communities on your website centers on a love for Paris. You're both providing and gleaning value by allowing your customers to write about their favorite trips, food and hotels; share pictures and videos with one another that you can showcase on your homepage; and create online destination guides. By understanding the interests of these communities you can give your advertising partners the exact audience they're looking for, (i.e. marketing a new exhibit at the Musee D'Orsay to the Paris group).
There's no reason to think that travel sites must be strictly for tickets and fees – you can turn your site into a place for customers to stay in touch with friends and bond over shared interests. You can remove the disconnect. Your customers are already looking for a fun experience when planning their travels – all you need to do is give them as many social tools as you can on your site to keep them loyal to you and to your advertisers.
(Reggie Bradford is founder and CEO of Vitrue, a provider of video-centric social media solutions)
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Pitkin said on 17 Mar 08:
This is one of the best articles I've read about online social media in the travel and tourism industries. The technology and the cultural phenomenon of the social media are evolving rapidly, and my guess is that Mr. Bradford's company will be among the most fit survivors.
Just as I was beginning to get a grasp of what all this social media discussion is about, I read last week that Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, is saying "current craze" for social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace will be replaced by networks that connected all types of things — not just people — thanks to a ground-breaking technology known as the "semantic web".
Mr. Berners-Lee explained that the semantic web is the term used by the computer and internet industry to describe the next phase of the web's development, and involves building web-based connectivity into any piece of data — not just a web page — so that it can "communicate" with other information.
I don't fully understand what he is talking about, but based on the past successes of Mr. Berners-Lee, it is likely that the coming "semantic web" is something that the travel and tourism industries should pay attention to.