Comments on: Marketing travel: travel blogger case studies http://velvetconnect.com/2010/02/marketing-travel-travel-blogger-case-studies/ connect. engage. and grow Sat, 29 May 2010 16:11:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: velvet http://velvetconnect.com/2010/02/marketing-travel-travel-blogger-case-studies/comment-page-1/#comment-91 velvet Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:02:39 +0000 http://velvetconnect.com/?p=306#comment-91 Thank you Stephanie for your excellent comment and ditto tips. Really appreciate it! Cheers, Keith Thank you Stephanie for your excellent comment and ditto tips. Really appreciate it!

Cheers,
Keith

]]> By: TravelDesigned http://velvetconnect.com/2010/02/marketing-travel-travel-blogger-case-studies/comment-page-1/#comment-90 TravelDesigned Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:38:07 +0000 http://velvetconnect.com/?p=306#comment-90 Keith- GREAT post! I had similar results from my trips last year as well. One of my slideshows had over 1500 hits in just a few days. I find the numbers astonishing! The reviews and slideshows are still being used as effective sales tools for both me and my hosts. In my long career as a professional travel consultant, I have had the pleasure of experiencing many destinations through both group and independent fam trips. I know I sell more and recommend with enthusiasm from experiencing hotels and destinations. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind from my experiences on these fam trips: Bloggers and Travel Professionals: These trips, though fun, are hard work and often long hours usually with little free time. It is not easy to tweet, post on facebook, photograph and travel all at once. This is not a vacation, it is work. Be gracious guests. You can have fun but remember to be courteous, professional, presentable (dress appropriately) and please be punctual. This is an wonderful opportunity for you- make the most of it for you, your clients and your host! Travel Industry Promoters: Please remember participants need accomodations with complimentary wi-fi to effectively promote while traveling and some free time to be able to do so. Most resorts require a minimum of 60-90 minutes(depending on size) to see various room categories, restaurants, bars, spas and all the features the property has to offer. Please do not rush through the site inspection-you are selling yourself, make a good impression. Participants are here to see why they should promote you, have your sales kits in hand and it would also be nice to offer a refreshment. Participants need to have hotel site inspections as well as nice dining and a variety of quality destination esperiences. This may mean building an additional day or two into the itinerary. If you want the most out of your participants it will be cost effective to not overschedule your guests as you will have much more positive results and exposure. Last but certainly not least, please don't underestimate the power and potential of social media. Keith- GREAT post!

I had similar results from my trips last year as well. One of my slideshows had over 1500 hits in just a few days. I find the numbers astonishing! The reviews and slideshows are still being used as effective sales tools for both me and my hosts.

In my long career as a professional travel consultant, I have had the pleasure of experiencing many destinations through both group and independent fam trips. I know I sell more and recommend with enthusiasm from experiencing hotels and destinations.

Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind from my experiences on these fam trips:

Bloggers and Travel Professionals:

These trips, though fun, are hard work and often long hours usually with little free time. It is not easy to tweet, post on facebook, photograph and travel all at once. This is not a vacation, it is work. Be gracious guests. You can have fun but remember to be courteous, professional, presentable (dress appropriately) and please be punctual. This is an wonderful opportunity for you- make the most of it for you, your clients and your host!

Travel Industry Promoters:

Please remember participants need accomodations with complimentary wi-fi to effectively promote while traveling and some free time to be able to do so.

Most resorts require a minimum of 60-90 minutes(depending on size) to see various room categories, restaurants, bars, spas and all the features the property has to offer. Please do not rush through the site inspection-you are selling yourself, make a good impression. Participants are here to see why they should promote you, have your sales kits in hand and it would also be nice to offer a refreshment.

Participants need to have hotel site inspections as well as nice dining and a variety of quality destination esperiences. This may mean building an additional day or two into the itinerary. If you want the most out of your participants it will be cost effective to not overschedule your guests as you will have much more positive results and exposure.

Last but certainly not least, please don’t underestimate the power and potential of social media.

]]> By: Rob Langdon http://velvetconnect.com/2010/02/marketing-travel-travel-blogger-case-studies/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Rob Langdon Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:55:52 +0000 http://velvetconnect.com/?p=306#comment-89 This is a nice post, velevet, thanks for sharing. You might be interested to know I got here from an RT by @visit_bham, so your theories on mutliple retweeting are being proved right now! Hope you keep tweeting whilst travelling as I'm following you now - and, as a recent mover to Birmingham, will check out your 10 places to visit! This is a nice post, velevet, thanks for sharing. You might be interested to know I got here from an RT by @visit_bham, so your theories on mutliple retweeting are being proved right now!

Hope you keep tweeting whilst travelling as I’m following you now – and, as a recent mover to Birmingham, will check out your 10 places to visit!

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