Building trusted relationship via top social networking websites
Published: 09 Apr 2008
Social Media Strategies Travel 2008 Special
According to data available, users are spending on an average of 30 minutes on top social networking websites on a monthly basis in the US.
Considering that customers begin planning many months ahead and there is an opportunity to engage them when they are researching, how can travel companies expand their opportunities to develop a trusted relationship?
In order to know more, EyeforTravel.com's spoke to couple of speakers during Social Media Strategies Travel 2008 Conference in San Francisco last month. Excerpts:
Victoria Treyger: The opportunities in this area are almost endless and really focus on providing the content your customers need to research your products early in the funnel, and then win their trust by offering helpful and useful recommendations so that the customer can select the vacation that is right for her. There are several levels that we find important at Travelocity, but in each case, to build a trusted relationship, you have to offer relevant, accurate information that customers can easily locate.
One is offering rich videos and informational content about your travel product or destination. Customers who view images, virtual tours and videos are able to create their own perceptions and really envision the trip they are going to take. This information helps the supplier market their product as well, providing a first look at what a traveler's experience would be at their hotel or destination.
Another level of information is of course reviews and guidance from other people who have been to this destination. In reviews, there are a couple of different levels. The first is travel reviews/recommendations from a travel expert. The second level is reviews from people who have been to this destination or experienced a certain Cruise Line. The third and most powerful level is reviews from people like me and/or from my friends – so what customers are really looking for here is unbiased and honest opinions from people who have similar travel tastes.
On IgoUgo and Travelocity, our customer reviews give you some important information about the reviewer so you can assess whether you have similar tastes. For example on IgoUgo, we provide a link to a background page about the reviewer which tells you their age range, their hometown, and other reviews this customer has written. You can quickly get a sense whether you have similar travel tastes. On Travelocity, review writers include information about their trip so if you choose, you can quickly filter reviews down to travelers like you – e.g., travelers on a romantic getaway, people traveling with kids, travelers with disabilities.
Lastly, travel 2.0 sites are very much about experiencing the destination long before you go. At Travelocity, last year we launched our Experience Finder product which provides customer with rich videos, reviews, and a wishlist functionality so that they can research and build the perfect trip and share it with their friends and family.
Giampiero Ambrosi, General Manager, VirtualTourist.com: People expect a variety of things. In our case, one of the biggest things they expect is community. The VirtualTourist experience doesn't just involve posting reviews; it involves creating friendships, exchanging information, elevating one's view of the world. Yes, you can find out where to get a great bowl of clam chowder, or which hotel has lousy water pressure, but you can also come to understand why someone who lives 6,000 miles away from you thinks a certain way or has a certain sense of humor. When you consider that we have meetings that people come to from literally all over the world, or that we've had 25 weddings thus far, there's no question that community is what sets us apart.
Like everyone else, our members also enjoy a certain amount of recognition—there are members who put an astounding amount of effort into the site and we do our best to reward that with special member titles, rankings, and even a little swag from time to time. Sometimes, even if a member just drops us a really great note, or posts an especially useful or entertaining forum tip, we'll pop a t-shirt or something in the mail. We want them to know that we know how much time and effort goes into making VirtualTourist what it is.
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