A picture used to be worth 1,000 words. Now, it might be worth a vacation.
Today's social media landscape lends itself to the power of a compelling image, one that, once shared, has the ability to influence the way a consumer chooses to travel, said Susan Black, the former chief marketing officer for Travel Impressions.
In terms of travel-related social media content, data compiled from Travel Weekly's 2013 Consumer Trends Survey reveal that consumers are sharing information about their vacations above all else. And, according to Black, the image rules. (Read more from the Consumer Trends report here.)
An image, she said, "inspires people. It can influence where they stay on vacation, and it can promote real dialogue about a place or just dialogue through comments."
Nine out of 10 respondents to Travel Weekly's survey reported having an account with one or more social media services. And of the 539 respondents surveyed, 33% said they routinely solicit opinions from friends and followers about their travel experiences.
In terms of frequency of use, Facebook is the most popular platform for respondents, as 80% of those surveyed have an account, up from 70% last year. Additionally, the website is visited almost four times more frequently than the second most popular site, YouTube.
Lee McCabe, head of travel for Facebook, wrote in an email that 70% of the service's members are updating their status and/or sharing photos while on vacation, while 52% of users said that seeing a friend's travel pictures online inspired them to book a trip.
"Facebook is playing an increasingly important role in the travel experience," McCabe wrote. "People often share their travel experiences on Facebook, and we see that this story-sharing on our platform can guide where friends and families travel to, as well."
According to information from Travel Impressions, Facebook's more than 1 billion active users post 300 million photos per day. Black said she believes that while blogging formerly attracted a heavy amount of online traffic, it has now been surpassed by images.
"Now, there is far more image-sharing," Black said. "It's not even close to the number of written items. When we put albums together with a combination of gorgeous pictures, that's where we see the greater engagement."
An October 2012 study by HubSpot, an inbound marketing company, found that these photos generate 53% more "likes" and 104% more comments than the average Facebook post.
"When you're scrolling through your news feed, where your eye is going to land will be the most compelling photograph," Black said. "Something that takes your breath away."
Facebook isn't the only social platform consumers are using to share destination or vacation photos. They are also "pinning" to Pinterest pinboards, uploading "twitpics" to their Twitter accounts and editing and posting photos to an Instagram feed.
What's more, MDG Advertising research shows that when travel companies use images to advertise their product, 67% of consumers say the quality of a product's image is "very important" when selecting and purchasing the product.
Travel consultants can also benefit from this image-sharing phenomenon. By having a strong social presence with relevant photography, they are more likely to attract business for the companies and places they are marketing, Black said.
She, along with Katie Gorga, senior manager of social media for Travel Impressions, led the June 26 Travel Impressions "Social U" webinar titled "36 Tips to Leveraging Visual Storytelling on Social Media to Boost Your Business."
During the webinar, Black and Gorga encouraged travel agents to upload photos with their agency's logo to different platforms, share a client's travel photos on their own social media accounts and discover what consumers are pinning on community Pinterest boards, such as "Favorite Places and Spaces."
"Travel is in one of the top 10 categories on Pinterest," Gorga said. "People are on there, and they are looking at destinations, and they are looking at places they want to go to."
Tom Carr, president of All Inclusive Outlet, became involved with social media from a business standpoint soon after Facebook moved outside the college demographic. Carr answers travel-related questions through his website, which sells discounted all-inclusive Caribbean vacations.
And while Instagram and, now, Facebook have begun offering a variety of filters that users can apply to dress up a photo before posting, Carr believes in the importance of posting images that are "natural" and "real," as he thinks those types are most effective in connecting with the consumer.
"People want to see real photos, not airbrushed," Carr said. "When you start putting filters [on a photo], it doesn't show you what you're getting. It's the real traveler's photos that people believe."
All Inclusive Outlet now has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Google Plus, among other platforms. Carr has also hired a social media manager, who is in charge of updating the business' profiles and connecting with followers.
"It's about letting people know what you're doing and showing content, and you can be the very center of influence," he said.
Read more from the Consumer Trends report here.
Image of travel photo collage courtesy of Shutterstock.com.