As consumer behavior is dramatically changing and a new era of marketing is emerging, Cindy Estis Green, author of a report on social media and managing partner of The Estis Group, joined a panel of e-commerce experts at the Travel
Industry Association (TIA) Marketing Forum, held Oct. 23, to discuss these emerging trends and analyze the findings of the HSMAI Foundation research titled: The Travel Marketer’s Guide to Social Media and Social Networks.

 

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International under the auspices of the HSMAI Foundation, and the TIA partnered to study, analyze and produce the report which will be released in late November.

Presented in a session titled: The New World of Social Marketing, Estis Green, discussed the importance of social media and the driving impact it will have in the future with a panel of industry professionals including Brad King, managing director of travel category, Yahoo!, and Dale Brill, director of the Florida’s Governor’s office of tourism, trade and economic development.

The report emphasizes that online consumer behavior has shifted radically as more and more consumers are utilizing virtual communities such as MySpace and Facebook, or travel-specific social networks such as TripAdvisor and IgoUgo to obtain and share information on products and services. These social media networks demand a form of consumer engagement that organizations need to embrace and actively engage in.

“How does social media marketing fit into what you are doing now? It’s all about customer engagement,” stated Estis Green, adding: “Social Media is not just another form of media. The control has shifted to the consumer.”

“You will need to educate your bosses on what social media marketing is and why you should be doing it,” states Brill.

According to the report, two-thirds of online adult leisure travelers use video and audio clips, and four in ten read blogs, share photos and take virtual tours. These new social networks of information are not replacing the traditional outlets; rather they are adding more opportunities for marketers to reach potential consumers.

“Make sure you have a plan before you start doing social media marketing, and integrate it into your other forms of marketing,” stated King.

The report expands on some of the strategies that are deployed through social network marketing including customer engagement, building brand equity, influence management, consumer and competitive intelligence and product development. Supported by industry statistics and demographics, and illustrated with dozens of case studies and examples, the topic is clearly mapped out for the travel industry marketer.