SOCIAL MEDIA
3 time-saving social marketing tips
BY CATHERINE HEEG
TICK , TOCK ! Saving time has become the mantra of the busiest and most successful people in tourism . Social and traditional marketing take time ( and talent ), so let ’ s think about ways you can save time yet create shareable content that engages your unique clients .
Repurpose , recycle and rejig
You ’ ve spent plenty of time snapping photos , jotting down destination notes and putting together trip guides for your clients , right ? How about turning those things into some amazing marketing pieces ?
Repurpose
All those spectacular pictures from your last tour are just waiting to be used in your marketing efforts . Here are a number of easy ways you can repurpose those photos and extend their benefit .
• Create video from your still images . Check out FlipAGram and Animoto to make this simple . Share these videos socially and add them to your website , blog and newsletter .
• Design a SlideShare with a mix of relevant photos and text . The SlideShare can be shared socially and embedded into your website or blog .
• On Facebook , design Carousel and Slideshow posts ( see bit . ly / 1UagbaQ ) for a simple way to add pizzazz and attract attention . Canvas is another Facebook tool that enables you to add photos and videos into an integrated , immersive visual experience .
Website & Blog
Podcast
Video
Repurpose
Social
Infographic
• Add these photos to your website . Think of the SEO boost you ’ ll gain with these web changes .
• Embed photos and social posts into a blog entry ( see bit . ly / 1TWD0k7 ). This will give you a built-in outline for a blog .
Recycle
Think about all those destination notes you ’ ve taken along the way . You spent time gathering material and writing , so how about recycling your notes into new content ?
• Chop your notes into bite-sized chunks and create blog posts of 200 – 400 words .
• Pull together a short article for your local newspaper .
• Create an audio podcast of your notes and observations . This downloadable piece of content will be appreciated by commuting clients . You can easily embed it into a blog post .
• Compose a series of posts and tweets from your notes — and add photos .
• Design an infographic of highlights from each destination . See the second bullet in the next section for tips and tools .
Rejig ( and redesign )
Tap into those trip guides you ’ ve pulled together over the years . Haven ’ t you spent hours writing itineraries , packing tips and destination notes for your clients ? Here ’ s a great way to rejig them into impactful marketing content .
• Pull little-known destination facts and trivia into engaging social graphic posts or memes . Simply add text to one of your destination photos . Get fancy with PicMonkey or Canva to create shareable , fun graphics . Go crazy and post these socially !
• Do you have a packing list or travel tip sheet ? Rejig it into an infographic using a tool like Easel . ly , Piktochart , Canva , Infogr . am and others . You can add this to your website , include it with your final trip documents and post it to SlideShare .
• Write one blog post about each tip . Writing a blog series like this will fit nicely into your editorial calendar and boost your SEO .
• Pull together a short video ( 20 – 30 seconds ) showcasing these tips and tricks .
What do you say when someone asks how you ’ re doing ? “ Busy !” Now you might have a different answer . When you elevate your social posts , newsletter , blog and website with these tips , you ’ ll save time and energy .
Which will you tackle first ?
Memes
Catherine Heeg , international speaker and trainer , focuses on social media marketing strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry . Presenting at NTA since 2009 , she understands members and their businesses . Connect with her socially and at cmsspeaking . com .
16 July 2016