TopTips - Free slide-show app from Trip Advisor

Did you know that TripAdvisor has a very handy little application called TripWow that takes your images and creates stunning slide-shows out of them?

Whilst the app is aimed at consumers who want to set their holiday photos to music and then share them with friends via Social Media, the technology can be very simply re purposed for promotion of your Destination, Business, Event or as a presentation tool.

Which is what I did - have a look.

Digital Top Tips For 2012 Slideshow: Martyn’s trip to Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom was created by TripAdvisor. See another Bath slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

Features include:
Animated maps - "Indiana Jones"-styled animated maps are both fun and informative.
Free music - Pick from a great collection of songs or you can upload your own music to add a personal touch.
Download & DVD - Download your slideshow to your computer to enjoy at any time and then burn it to a DVD.
Share with friends - Whether you want to share it on Facebook, by email or on another site, the site makes it easy!
Embed on your own website - like I have done above.

In minutes, you can create an amazing slideshow using pictures from your computer or Facebook albums and easily share it with anyone in your Social Media networks.

Oh and did I mention that it is FREE!

Follow this link to find out more: http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/ 

Going Digital - Top Tips for 2012

I really enjoyed speaking at the Bath Tourism Plus conference yesterday and thanks to everyone who had questions, who just wanted to say hello or who were simply quite happy to listen. 

The presentation is available below if you'd like to revisit it to jog your memories. There were 4 Top Tips!

#BTPForum Going Digital Top Tips on Prezi

If you'd like any further help with your tourism marketing please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

CHINA - the #FriFotos on Pinterest

Last week travel tweeters across the globe united to share their favourite images of China as part of #FriFotos on Twitter. 

Click on the image to see the whole collection on Pinterest.

#FriFotos is a Jonathan Epstein (@epsteintravels) production starring Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned) and Charles Yap (@HotelPRGuy). Joined by guest co hosts Mark Sukhija (@MarksTravels) and Jane Carswell (@heliyes). Jeffrey Epstein (@BestLovedHotels), Publisher of Best Loved Hotels and Carpe Noctem, was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Hotels & Social Media

One of the biggest industries impacted by the prevalence of social media is the hotels industry.
Ultimately, it’s a question of who do you trust more? The hotel website telling you how clean and comfortable they are, or the third party review site that details the grim details of their dirty laundry?


Marketing vs User Reviews

In 2010, Accorhotels - the owners of Motel 6, Sofitel and more – made a daring move; they decided to skip their own review selection entirely.

Why Use Facebook for Business?

Should your business be on Facebook? As part of American Express's Social Media Show + Tell series, Facebook employee Neha Kulkarni explains how the world's largest social networking site can help you attract and connect with customers.

   


If you need some help making the most of the opportunities now available to you through Social Media please drop me an email and I'll get back to you straightaway.

2012 is going to be “the Year of SoLoMo” for travel marketers – Social, Local and Mobile

Social, local, and mobile are lending a new dimension to plans of travel marketers. 

To get started, travel brands must have a mobile website optimised with fresh, local content and location-based offers; accurate and optimised listings on local mobile directories; and mobile engagement via SMS and social platforms.

7 Steps To Creating a Social Media Strategy

Nice and simple. Short and to the point.

Here are 7 tips on how to create a Social Media strategy for your hotel.

1. Identify Objectives – What is your main goal? 

Set objectives based on a clear understanding of how Social Media changes the communication loop between your hotels and your guests. Social Media is not about reaching a mass audience and blasting out discounts or advertising. Social Media is about reaching influencers and key decision makers, developing relationships, having conversations, building an online community and gaining insight into your prospect’s needs.

Pinterest and Exotic #FriFotos

Do we really need another social network to waste hours of our lives? 

Better yet, how has a network that is still invitation-only managed to get 2.7 million users (and that is just those who are signing in with Facebook)?

Pinterest is a social bookmarking tool used to “pin” images found around the Web into categorized collections, or boards. Think of it like an interactive, shareable scrapbook. Like any good social network, you can follow other users, share their content, make comments, and tag users. Similar to a Twitter stream, you get real-time updates of what the people you follow are pinning. You can also easily share your pins on Facebook and Twitter.

Why People Are Obsessed

7 Video Best Practices in the Era of Social Media

If a picture is worth a thousand words, you could say that a video is priceless.


We live in a time when a single video can tell your story, tip your brand — or change our world. 

Over two billion videos are downloaded every day on YouTube. That is roughly equivalent to the programming that the three major television networks put out. In one year. And, in my estimation: user-generated videos are just getting started. As these tools (such as smartphones) become more pervasive — and they are — an increasing number of people will produce video content.

Social Media ROI Metrics Still Chaotic

Brand marketers continue to struggle with determining return on investment for social media campaigns. Eighty-eight percent admit to gaining positive ROI on campaigns, but a study released Wednesday from Wildfire, a social media platform company, shows that the metrics remain all over the map.

While inconsistencies make it difficult to create and follow industry standards, Wildfire CEO Victoria Ransom said 75% of survey participants said they still plan to increase their social media budgets this year.

Gaining positive ROI is great, but what do marketers measure?

President Obama's new National Travel & Tourism Strategy

Speaking at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a national strategy to boost international arrivals in the United States.

The number of travelers from emerging economies with growing middle classes in China, Brazil, and India are projected to grow by 135%, 274% and 50% respectively by 2016 (compared to 2010).

(I think we'd like a similar policy for the UK please Mr Cameron! - Editor)

How travel marketers calculate ROI on social media and why the future is mobile

Via SimpliFlying – Helping airlines and airports engage travelers profitably | Grab the code to embed this infographic on your site.