Jamie Biesiada
To post, or not to post - that is the question.
Social media offers agents a vast landscape upon which to build their brand, attract new clients and keep old clients coming back for all their travel needs. But the effectiveness of their social media presence largely depends on the content they post.
"I think that, in general, agents should be on social media," said Brian Hegarty, vice president of marketing at Travel Leaders Group. "If there's an agent out there that's not participating in social media, they should step back and take a look at it. It's a great way to interact with their existing customers and to attract new customers through that inspirational content in positioning themselves as an expert."
Hegarty said there are some do's and don'ts when it comes to what agents should post on their social media accounts.
First, the do's: Hegarty said inspirational content is popular, and the more visual it is, the better. He also suggested posting success stories that clients have shared with their agents (testimonials are an important part of building credibility), as well as posting content from agents' own travels.
Brian Hegarty
"Whenever an agent takes a FAM trip or gets to experience a product, they should be writing about that and sharing it with their audience, because it positions them as an expert," he said.
Now, the don'ts: Hegarty advised strongly against posting deals, promotions or transactional messages.
"The book-now-and-save type offers don't necessarily play well on social because that's not why people are on social media," he said.
He also cautioned from posting too much about suppliers, and urged agents to balance their own agency brand with the brands of their suppliers.
Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion, agreed that photos and videos from agents' own travels are solid posts, as are articles about travel and destinations. She said agents should also consider using another function on Facebook when appropriate: Facebook Live, which enables users to stream live videos to their followers and friends.
"This is especially useful if you are on a trip - it makes viewers feel like they are going on vacation with you," she said.
Sam McCully, vice president of marketing at Avoya Travel, said key to social media is understanding one's purpose and goals, and posting according to the audience and channel.
"Facebook is much different than Instagram, as a good example," he said. "Facebook, you can be a bit more promotional, whereas a channel like Instagram, there's more imagery, it's more branded, it's more subtle. So I think really understand who's there, and then how you need to develop your content and your messaging, because each of those channels are different."
McCully also advised agents to find a "healthy balance" as to the number of posts they make on social media.
"You don't want to overwhelm your community within those channels, so find the right cadence, and don't overdo it," he said.
Friedman said "How often should I post?" is among the more common questions she hears from Nexion members.
"The answer will depend on your business; there's no one right answer," she said. "Generally, you want to strike the right balance between posting often enough to keep your followers interested in your content, but not so much that it overwhelms their feeds."
If an agent is questioning whether or not they should post something to social media, Friedman offered a simple litmus test they can use to help.
"The old saying 'Is it true? Is it useful? Is it kind?' is an excellent barometer for anyone who isn't quite sure if they should hit the post button. Travel professionals who make sure to only post these kinds of content are well on their way to ensuring that their posts will be welcomed by their followers," she said. "Stay away from controversial topics. Ask yourself, 'Will this post be of value to my customer base? Will it help grow my business? Is it on-brand?'"