Top 4 Ways Tour Operators can Engage Guests on Social Media

Social media has revolutionized the way that we communicate and interact with each other. The travel industry, in particular, has had to change and adapt in order to accommodate the global social environment that exists today. As a tour and activity operator, it’s essential that you have a strong and engaging presence on all of the most popular social networking platforms.

Why Should Tour Operators Engage on Social Media?

Social media provides you with an outlet to engage with your past, present and future customers. When your customers follow your pages and routinely like your posts, you become an integral part of their daily lives. An effective social media strategy will allow you to increase your repeat bookings as well as your direct bookings, and can help you reach new market segments around the world.

4 Ways to Increase Engagement on Social Media

1. Communicate at the local level. Most travelers use social media to share updates about their trips and to provide their friends and followers with additional information about their experience. Whether they are posting a photo of your tour bus or talking about how the tour operator treated them, they will be providing their acquaintances with social proof of their experience. Always strive to connect and engage with the local people who are discussing your brand online.

2. Create guidelines for your frontline staff. Inevitably, there will be social moments that require swift response. Your frontline staff — including your tour operators and your administrative assistants — need to know how to react. Create a set of guidelines that offer clear and consistent guidance for your staff members. Remember that social responses should be conversational and personal. You never want to sound like you are working off of a pre-determined script.

3. Take note of feedback. You are going to generate all kinds of feedback from your different social platforms. Keep a record of the types of comments and suggestions that you are receiving, and try to incorporate those that are frequently recommended by your customers. In addition, create a feedback response plan so that your frontline staff can make the most of their time monitoring your social platforms. You don’t need to respond to every social post, but you will want to showcase your customer service skills on the most powerful social platforms. Facebook, TripAdvisor and Instagram are particularly valuable for tour and activity operators.

4. Recognize that social listening is key. Your social strategy should not be a reactive one. Rather, you should take note of the feedback you have received and become proactive in your social approach. Give the customers the type of social content they want, and use social media to highlight your commitment to customer service.

Social media is a critical component of your online marketing strategy. To learn more about the best ways to promote your company to your target audience on social media and boost your brand recognition on a global scale, download the Rezdy online marketing ebook now.