EFT Special: Sales and Marketing in Travel USA 2007As user-generated content continues to gain prominence, it is being coming critical for online travel sites to differentiate themselves in the way they offer users ways to research, search and dec

Published: 17 May 2007

EFT Special: Sales and Marketing in Travel USA 2007

As user-generated content continues to gain prominence, it is being coming critical for online travel sites to differentiate themselves in the way they offer users ways to research, search and dec

From TravelPost.com's perspective, its spokesperson Sam Shank says the site is
focused on relevancy and context.

Shank, VP TravelPost.com, SideStep, one of the speakers during the recently
held Sales and Marketing in Travel USA 2007 in Miami said, "In a world where
there are tens of thousands of reviews of Vegas hotels, readers seek relevant
reviews - the ones from people like them. TravelPost is unique in that we
display demographic information about the reviewer, and let the reader of the
review understand the context of the reviewer. I see this trend expanding, and
we are investing a lot here, as the best hotel for one person could be the
worst for another."

In an interview with EyeforTravel.com's Ritesh Gupta, Shank spoke about UGC,
planning tools and much more. Excerpts:

User-generated content is starting to transform the way users research, search
and decide on their travel plans. What latest trends have you seen in this
arena?

First and foremost, we are focused on relevancy and context. In a world where
there are tens of thousands of reviews of Vegas hotels, readers seek relevant
reviews - the ones from people like them. TravelPost is unique in that we
display demographic information about the reviewer, and let the reader of the
review understand the context of the reviewer. I see this trend expanding, and
we are investing a lot here, as the best hotel for one person could be the
worst for another.

For example, if a grandmother goes to Ft. Lauderdale and rates a hotel 1/10
because of constant partying out by the pool, this could mean the hotel is a
10/10 for 20-year-old Spring Breakers. Context is hugely important in the world
of reviews of subjective products.

Do consumers trust bloggers views more than traditional marketing? What is the
key differentiator?

Many studies show that consumers trust consumer and peer review sites more
than advertising messages, and even more than editorial reviews. The
differentiator is that peer review sites function similarly to "word of mouth"
travel planning, whereby you get ideas from your friends and acquaintances,
traditionally seen as the most trustworthy sources of information. Sites like
TravelPost.com fill the void of providing word of mouth information when I want
to travel somewhere that my friends have not been, because I can check out what
people exactly like me have to say about it.

UGC scores particularly highly with users when it offers a high level of
relevancy to the kind of questions which the users are looking for advise on.
How do you ensure this or encourage relevant UGC (making it easier for
travelers to find content relevant for their needs, to submit every type of
content and ways for travelers to participate on the site)?

In terms of making it easy for people to participate on the site, we spend a
lot of time on usability, and have kept the site low on clutter and with
clearly marked advertisements segmented from user content. We also limit popup
advertising. Our members have responded well, with a doubling of our conversion
rates for posting in the past six months.
One example of this is our recently launched a hotel recommendations feature.
After you write your first hotel review, you'll then start seeing hotel
recommendations - that is, highly reviewed hotels from people similar to you.

TravelPost.com had announced a free hotel Internet marketing programme to help
hotel managers and owners direct customers to their own websites or phone
reservations systems. How has this progressed?
The response has been extremely strong. Hotels see immediate value - and
bookings - from the direct links to their Web site and by including their
official phone numbers. Our visitors, in turn, appreciate getting accurate
hotel information and being able to contact the hotel directly via
TravelPost.com.

How will Travel 2.0 affect the way travelers can generate comments? What
implications will this have for suppliers?
Ultimately, the biggest effect Travel 2.0 will have is automating the word of
mouth process for planning travel, giving travelers better ideas and direction
for planning trips, which will yield richer and more satisfying travel
experiences. For suppliers, the implication is that they will need to be part
of the conversation, not only giving their own advice, but also responding to
feedback about their own establishments, both positive and negative feedback.
It's a win-win for all.

How can you utilise UGC sites as an advertising vehicle?

With tens of millions of travelers turning to peer review sites like
TravelPost.com, UGC sites are an essential media platform for travel
advertisers. We have a number of advertising opportunities on TravelPost,
including graphical and text placement as well as direct booking links offered
on CPC and CPM models.

What's on your agenda as far as TravelPost.com's operations are concerned?

We have a number of ongoing initiatives to continue to make the TravelPost.com
platform more exciting and useful for planning travel, and we are extend
internationally along with our parent company. We are also expanding into new
travel categories that I think will surprise a lot of people. It's exciting
that the TravelPost.com team now has the resources to deliver on our vision.