S.T.U.F.F. Tourists Like

04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 1

S.T.U.F.F. Tourists Like


A bit about me...

You can find my articles at...

– Family Rambling®

– Ireland with Kids

– Uptake Attractions

– TravelingMoms.com

– The Spa Gals

... and more


My experiment: a trip to Chicago using only social media

to plan the adventure

© Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 5

Yelp: a fun and easy way to talk about local businessesGowalla: Keep up with friends, share the places you go and discover the extraordinary world around you. Trips feature is great for travelers.SCVNGR: Go places. Do challenges. Earn points. Get rewarded.

http://www.yelp.com/

http://gowalla.com/spots#l=quad%20cities&order=visitors_count%20desc&per_page=20

http://www.scvngr.com/places?address=bettendorf&commit=


So... What S.T.U.F.F. Do

Tourists Like?


SocialSocial Media– Don't forget to be social!• Create a conversation• Create a Google alert• Utilize Twitter searches• Make yourself easy to find on Facebook

But don't spam people'sFacebook accounts toshare your message!


Setting up a Twitter search on Tweetdeck

Setting up a Twitter search on HootSuite

http://www.tweetdeck.com/

http://hootsuite.com/dashboard

Creating a Google Alert is easy and helps you monitor your business online

http://www.google.com/alerts


Facebook is the second most popular search engine. Make yourself easy to find!

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/FamilyRambling


TipsPosition yourself as the expert!– Family friendly

– Romantic

– On a budget

– Splurge• Online• Pamphlet• App• Mobile site


User FriendlyRemember to KISS– Eye pleasing presentation

– Don't put too much information on the front page• It can be overwhelming

• If everything is on the front page you lose the opportunity create an investment

– Direct your guest• What do you want them to do?

• Lead gently, don't push


Eye pleasingImages

grabattention

Categorized information makes the site easy to navigate

Not toobusy; nicely

organizedlayout

Gently leading

the guest:

Schedule

Events

Location

Travel Iowa WebsiteButtons to

Easily shareinfo

http://www.traveliowa.com/


Travel Planning Resources

Vacation Planning Resources0

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Vacation Planning Websites (ie: We-JustGotBack)

Specific websites for hotels, cruises, resorts, etc

Word of mouth

Community based review sites (ie: TripAd-visor, Yelp)

Destination & Tourism Websites

Printed resources (ie: guidebooks, news-papers, magazines)

Travel Agents

Other

Family Vacation Survey by WeJustGotBack.com, March 2011. Sample size 1500 participants. Full survey results can be seen at http://www.wejustgotback.com/surveys/vacation_survey_0311.pdf

http://www.wejustgotback.com/surveys/vacation_survey_0311.pdf


Facts & FiguresWho is your target customer?

Are you accessible for those with limited mobility?

What is nearby that will interest your target base?

Why are you their best option?

How much will their visit cost?

What is included?

What is not included?

Do you have any partnerships with other businesses that could save your guest money?


FriendsPeople love to talk about their

vacations!

– Make sure your guests know what tools to use to best share your information.

• Trip Advisor

• Facebook page

• Flickr

• You Tube channel

• Twitter

• Guest blog post

– Watch your preferred streams.

– Thank your guests for sharing their experiences.


Owners tools on Trip Advisor are priceless!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Owners-g37682-d234634-c5-Econo_Lodge_Inn_Suites-Bettendorf_Iowa.html

Now the circle of S.T.U.F.F. begins anew...

What is YOUR Next step?


S.T.U.F.F. Tourists Like

Travel

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