Jamie Biesiada
For years, recommendations from your clients' aunts and best friends reigned supreme in the world of travel inspiration. But suggestions from friends and family have officially been dethroned.
New research from Amadeus found that, this year, social media is the new king in the world of travel recommendations -- the No. 1 source of inspiration for U.S. travelers.
That's mostly surprising because ... what took so long? Social media is inherently visual in nature, as many travel experiences are. It's also where a lot of us doomscroll daily. It's almost impossible to avoid suggestions about where to travel next. A topic like "foodie favorites in Copenhagen" is bound to spark wanderlust.
Travel Weekly's Travel Industry Survey offers some insight into how advisors use social media. It is, according to that survey, the top marketing approach used to attract new clients and the second-most popular approach to keeping current clients. Almost half of advisors age 45 or younger use social media to communicate with clients.
But while social media is clearly here to stay and is important to clients and travel advisors alike, please don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I've heard a lot of different social media strategies over the years, but for the most part, advisors tend to pick a few platforms to use based on proficiency and interest. They know they can't be all things to all people and intuit that they should focus on figuring out where their ideal clients are likely to hang out digitally, then establish or enhance their presence there.
Want to arrange incentive trips for small businesses? LinkedIn is probably the place for you. Looking to reach locals in your area? Try neighborhood or regional Facebook groups. Want to reach a younger crowd? TikTok is the spot.
These are all generalizations, of course. My favorite TikTokker, for instance, happens to be a 70-something grandmother, @brunchwithbabs, who shares recipes, cleaning tips and life hacks.
What really matters is finding out where your audience is hanging out digitally and going there.
But be sure not to limit yourself to just one site. Check out emerging platforms and look for possibilities.
Occasionally, uncertainties arise. Consider TikTok: In January, a shutdown of the app seemed inevitable because of security concerns stemming from its Chinese ownership. It did go dark briefly on Jan. 19, but only for a few hours. Details of its future haven't been firmly nailed down, but it seems likely to be sold to an American company and will be allowed to continue operating in the U.S.
On the other hand: RIP to Vine, the six-second video app that shut down in 2017 because it wasn't profitable.
When diversifying, focus on platforms that make the most sense for your business. Look at my TikTok friend Babs: While that app is her primary platform, she's also huge on Instagram. TikTok's videos and Instagram's Reels are similar enough that it's not too hard to recycle content for both. YouTube would also work for many kinds of videos.
The platforms will change. Today's Reel might go the way of yesterday's Vine video. But the strategy of diversifying your presence won't. By building up your brand in several strategic places, you're not just chasing a trendy app, you're future-proofing your business.