What I have discovered along my digital journey is that there is a lot of content competing for attention, some of it useful but a lot of it bad. What I really want is to see is more travel agents offering their expertise to online conversations so that I can see their articles, images and videos in my content searches.
I believe that now is the perfect time for travel professionals to establish a content strategy or, if they already have one, to make sure the information on which it is based is current, accurate and designed for maximum engagement.
Recent changes at Facebook, Google and Twitter should serve as extra motivation to travel agents to get in the game.
Facebook has rolled out a new feature in beta (i.e., not available to everyone) called Graph Search. One way agents can enhance their Facebook Graph Search ranking is by making sure their profile page is loaded with content in the About, Company and Mission description sections. Include keywords that describe your business: travel agent, travel consultant or travel agency should be a good start. Don’t neglect to include an address, phone number and website.
Another advantage of Graph Search is that agents can prospect using the new “people, places and things” platform. (You can learn more here: www.facebook.com/about/graphsearch.)
Another area for travel professionals to invest some time cleaning up content is on Google+. If you have not yet set up an account, do so because Google+ is now the second largest social network in terms of active users. Besides getting access to some helpful tools like Circles, Communities and Hangouts, agents can lean into search-engine optimization (SEO) benefits, as well.
If you have a website, make sure it’s verified by Google and that you take the time to complete the Google Authorship procedure. Having a verified site and being recognized as an “author” separates you and your content from others and will help you lean into Google’s definition of authority. (Learn how at http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1408986.)
Even Twitter has generated some buzz lately with the announcement that it has added a new value system that changes content rankings on their site. The new ranking system should be kept on your radar. These changes can affect what tweets show up in search streams. As a travel authority, you will find it helpful to be on the top tier of the ranking system to capture impressions from potential leads.
If your agency is advertising on Twitter, the new value ranking should correlate to better ad performance because sponsored tweets will have a greater likelihood of reaching more influencers via search.
So, what do these changes at Facebook, Google and Twitter mean to your business? For me, Facebook Graph Search, Google+ and the new content ranking at Twitter mean that I need to create quality content on both my website and social media sites.
Here are a couple ideas to help agents clean up their content:
- Do a Google search on your name and the name of your business to ensure that what shows up is current.
- Make sure your bio and company profile are up to date and reflect your business accurately.
- Consistency is key. Use the same company profile description across all your social media platforms and make sure you leave a link to your website for referral traffic.
- Don’t be shy. Use online conversations as a way to drive prospects and clients back to your company’s website.
- Is your website mobile-ready? What does it look like on an iPhone, iPad or Android phone? Go to the nearest Apple Store or cellphone store to check your appearance on multiple phones.
Get your website into the conversation. Use it or your blog as the central hub for your online activity, and then share links to your posts. To encourage engagement, include open-ended questions on your site and at the end of your posts, asking your readers what they think.
If you are looking for ideas about what to write, here are a few resources that I find can get me on track:
- Twitter lists are a great way to find interesting ideas to write about. I have some really good Twitter lists (https://twitter.com/CruiseBuzz/lists) that will help travel professionals monitor what’s happening with regard to hotels, cruise lines and airlines.
- Create “interest” lists on Facebook. I have one just for cruise lines that I look at all the time. This helps me to keep up with what is happening at my favorite brands and see what fans are saying about it.
- Get creative. Find content ideas at online travel communities. Read through member comments to look for interesting topics to address on your own blog or for use as inspiration on social media sites like Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter or Quora.
Let me know how it goes. Send me an email and join me in our next Travel Weekly Twitter Chat to discuss trends in travel with Travel Weekly editors and fellow travel professionals.
Carrie Finley-Bajak is a social media consultant who specializes in building travel industry branding online. Contact her at [email protected].