By: Jim Moul
Social media is indispensable for businesses, including motorcoach operators. Social media allows for countless marketing opportunities for those in the travel and tourism industry—everyone likes to see exotic destinations and unique travel possibilities appear on their feeds. Here are four practices that will keep your business thriving through the power of social media.
Be Visible
Rule No. 1 when it comes to social media is to be visible. This doesn’t mean that you must have an account with every social media outlet out there, but your business should strongly consider utilizing the big three: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Today, a company that doesn’t have a Facebook page appears to be old-fashioned and out of touch, which are characteristics that you don’t want associated with your business. Visibility is essential!
Respond to Reviews
Social media provides an opportunity for customers and business to interact directly, in what is almost real time in some cases. That’s why responding to reviews of your business is one of the best ways to please customers and increase engagement. Responding to reviews (especially negative ones) on Facebook, Google, or Yelp addresses the customer who left the review, and it lets other potential customers see that your business cares enough to take the time to respond and resolve any issues. Everyone wins!
Engage With Video
Did you know that video posts tend to receive significantly more engagement than text-based posts or photos? As a motorcoach operator, you’re in a unique position to use the power of video posts to your advantage. Get creative with video posts that can be added to your Facebook page or other outlets. Showcase prime destinations, create a time-lapse video of a scenic trip through the mountains, give a two-minute tour of your flagship motorcoach—the possibilities are endless.
Offer Incentives
Have you considered incentivizing your customers to engage with you on social media? There are plenty of possibilities: Try running a contest to give away free tickets for a trip once your Facebook page hits a certain number of likes, automatically entering the person who liked your page; offer a voucher for a discounted tour for people who share your page on their own profiles; or create a reward to be redeemed when a customer uses your company’s hashtag.
The social media world and the travel and tourism industry are inextricably linked. Motorcoach operators must capitalize on that and use social media to their business’s advantage. Devoting even a few hours per week on social media can have a real impact on your bottom line in 2018 and beyond.
Jim Moul is a freelance writer based on the East Coast.