Travel Insights 100 Survey Summary“All About Twitter”

September, 2009

Top Insights from the Travel Insight 100 Respondents

• The popularity of Twitter is unquestionable. However it is a recent phenomenon, the majority of respondents just started using the tool in the past twelve months (52%).

• Despite its popularity, there is a nearly equal split between Twitter addicts(31%-use Twitter ten or more times a day and those who use it infrequently (33%-less than four times a day).

• Surprisingly, the majority of respondents recommend using Twitter to find travel information such as deals and tip, only 9% suggested a consumer should not use for trip planning.

• These top travel bloggers shared their top pet peeves including tweets that are too promotional, too mundane or too corporate. Businesses new to twitter need to be personal and interesting.

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: Do you use Twitter?

Do you use Twitter?

Yes 68 (97 %)

No 2 (3 %)

InsightTwitter is very popular amongst the respondents, 97% use the tool and only 3% don’t use it.

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: How many months have you been using Twitter?

How many months have you been using Twitter?

0 to 6 months 9 (13 %)

6 to 12 months 20 (29 %)

12 to 24 months 30 (44 %)

24 months or more 7 (10 %)

Other, please specify 2 (3 %)

InsightTwitter is popular, but it has only recently been adopted, 42% started using Twitter in the past twelve months and 44% began in the past two years.

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: How do you feel about Twitter? Check all that apply.

How do you feel about Twitter? Check all that apply.

I love it 38 (56 %)

I hate it 7 (10 %)

It’s fun 32 (47 %)

It is a necessary evil 16 (24 %)

I hope it goes away 2 (3 %)

It need it, like email and my phone 15 (22 %)

I don’t get it 1 (1 %)

It’s a hobby 6 (9 %)

I can quit anytime 11 (16 %)

No opinion 0 (0 %)

InsightTwitter users have a love/hate relationship with it:• 56% love it / 10% hate it• 47% see it as fun / 24% see it as a necessary evil

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: How many times a day do you tweet or read others' tweets?

How many times a day do you tweet or read others' tweets?

Less than once per day 4 (6 %)

Once to three times per day 19 (28 %)

Four to ten times per day 24 (35 %)

Ten to twenty times per day 14 (21 %)

Continually until I fall asleep at my computer 7 (10 %)

InsightThe twitter users are nearly equally split between addiction (31%) and light usage (34%.)

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: What tools do you use to manage your Twitter account?

What tools do you use to manage your Twitter account?

Twitter desktop software (e.g. TweetDeck) 43 (63 %)

Link shortening tools (e.g. bitly) 45 (66 %)

Photo loading tools (twitpic) 30 (44 %)

Blog feed tools 23 (34 %)

Mobile phone 28 (41 %)

Follower management tools 8 (12 %)

Twitter search 35 (51 %)

I don't use any tools to manage Twitter 6 (9 %)

All of the above 2 (3 %)

Other, please specify 4 (6 %)

InsightThe popular tools are: Twitter search, link shortening tools and desktop management tools.

Suggested tools to manage Twitter • Tweetdeck was first with 14 write-in

votes• Hootsuite (3)• Bit.ly (2)• Sup.r (3)• Time• Blackberry• Twidroid for gmail• Moderation• Twitterfox -is easy to keep track of for

casual users. • UberTwitter for Blackberry• Twitpic• Twittergrid• An assistant • Twittelator Pro

InsightTweetdeck was the most frequently mentioned followed by Hootsuite, a few respondents just rely on time, brains and fingers. One lucky member said, “an assistant.”

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: In general, who do you choose to follow?

In general, who do you choose to follow?

I follow only those people I personally know 0 (0 %)

I follow only those in travel 15 (22 %)

I follow my friends and business associates 11 (16 %)

I manually follow everyone who follows me, except spammers

5 (7 %)

I follow everyone. Bring ‘em on 3 (4 %)

Tell us more 33 (49 %)

Insights: • As expected, everyone has their own “follow” strategy• Not surprisingly, a strong percentage (22%)focus solely on travel• Strangely, an even stronger percentage (33%) wanted to tell us more. We like to share.

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: How do you decide what to tweet? Check all that apply.

How do you decide what to tweet? Check all that apply.

Whatever is on my mind 19 (28 %)

I only tweet about travel related topics 24 (35 %)

I think carefully about my tweets and how they represent my company

29 (43 %)

I only tweet if it will be interesting to my followers 31 (46 %)

I have a strategy but I don’t share it 2 (3 %)

It depends on how much I have had to drink 3 (4 %)

I have a game plan and this is it: 16 (24 %)

Insights: • A minority (28%) tweet about whatever is on their mind • A majority (43%) think very carefully about what they tweet; and • An even greater number (46%) only tweet if it is of interest to their followers

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: What kind of travel information do you tweet? Check all that apply.

What kind of travel information do you tweet?  Check all that apply.

Company product information 17 (25 %)

Travel Industry News 47 (70 %)

Conference coverage (real time) 22 (33 %)

Promotions 19 (28 %)

Blog posts 62 (93 %)

Deals 28 (42 %)

Personal vacation details 32 (48 %)

Quotes 12 (18 %)

Jokes 6 (9 %)

Travel information 55 (82 %)

Tech related topics 23 (34 %)

Events others may want to attend 35 (52 %)

Insights• The top three subjects to tweet about are: blog posts, travel industry news and travel information.•The least favorite subjects tweeted about are: jokes, quotes and company product information.

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: What are your pet peeves about how others use Twitter? Please check all that apply.

What are your pet peeves about how others use Twitter? Please check all that apply.

Too many tweets, it floods my account 35 (51 %)

Too few tweets, are they ever there? 2 (3 %)

Too self-promotional 34 (50 %)

Too corporate 24 (35 %)

Too many links 5 (7 %)

Too mundane 26 (38 %)

No one responds to my tweets 0 (0 %)

No one responds to my direct messages 2 (3 %)

The tweets that are in a foreign language 1 (1 %)

The tweets that are in a foul language 11 (16 %)

Other, please specify 20 (29 %)

InsightsDon’t be boring. If you are boring, don’t tweet or promote yourself too much.

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: How effective do you think Twitter is for meeting these business objectives? A score of five is t ...

How effective do you think Twitter is for meeting these business objectives? A score of five is the best score possible and a score of one is the worst possible. High score wins.

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Brand awareness 0 (0 %) 3 (5 %) 6 (9 %) 27 (41 %) 29 (44 %) 1 (2 %)

Employee communications

9 (14 %) 22 (33 %) 12 (18 %) 11 (17 %) 3 (5 %) 9 (14 %)

Employee empowerment

6 (9 %) 11 (17 %) 18 (27 %) 13 (20 %) 4 (6 %) 14 (21 %)

Customer service 2 (3 %) 3 (5 %) 12 (18 %) 29 (44 %) 16 (24 %) 4 (6 %)

Service recovery 4 (6 %) 11 (17 %) 22 (34 %) 10 (15 %) 5 (8 %) 13 (20 %)

Personal expression

1 (1 %) 3 (4 %) 8 (12 %) 22 (33 %) 33 (49 %) 0 (0 %)

Client relationship

development

3 (5 %) 6 (9 %) 18 (27 %) 22 (33 %) 14 (21 %) 3 (5 %)

Advertising revenue

19 (29 %) 19 (29 %) 14 (21 %) 5 (8 %) 0 (0 %) 9 (14 %)

Access to customer metrics

14 (21 %) 10 (15 %) 25 (38 %) 3 (5 %) 1 (2 %) 13 (20 %)

Content creation 6 (9 %) 10 (15 %) 21 (32 %) 23 (35 %) 4 (6 %) 2 (3 %)

Career development

6 (9 %) 9 (14 %) 20 (30 %) 21 (32 %) 6 (9 %) 4 (6 %)

InsightsTwitter is most effective for 1. personal expression (49%) 2. brand awareness (44%)3. Customer service (24%)Twitter is least effective for:1. Advertising revenue (14%)2. Customer metrics (20%)3. Employee communications (14%)

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: How can a consumer use Twitter to plan their trips?

How can a consumer use Twitter to plan their trips?

Find a deal 42 (63 %)

Look for insider tips & recommendations 50 (75 %)

Connect with Twitterers in their intended  destination 46 (69 %)

Follow others who are on a similar trip 29 (43 %)

Follow the hotel where they will be staying 26 (39 %)

Follow the destination management organization company to learn about the destination 25 (37 %)

They shouldn’t use Twitter to plan trips 6 (9 %)

Other, please specify 14 (21 %)

Insights •Travel leaders suggest Twitter be used for insider tips, deals and to connect with local Twitterati •The leaders did not recommend you follow DMOs or the hotels. This data suggests these organizations need to become more personal and more interesting.

Travel Insights 100 Twitter Survey: Thanks and now for a sneak peek at an upcoming survey: What other social media sites/tools do you ...

Thanks and now for a sneak peek at an upcoming survey: What other social media sites/tools do you find useful for the travel industry? Please check all that apply.

Social networking (Linkedin, Facebook, Myspace) 45 (68 %)

Social Bookmarking (StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit) 40 (61 %)

Video (Youtube, Vimeo) 40 (61 %)

Communities (Travel Blog Exchange) 32 (48 %)

Information Alerts(Google, Yahoo, etc.) 28 (42 %)

Blogging tools (WordPress, Typepad) 49 (74 %)

Photo sharing (Flickr, Picnik) 41 (62 %)

Podcasting 18 (27 %)

Other, please specify 3 (5 %)

InsightsAs expected, blogging tools, social networking and photo sharing are the most popular social media• Surprisingly, podcasts and information alerts ranked as the least popular.