04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 1
S.T.U.F.F. Tourists Like
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 2
A bit about me...
You can find my articles at...
– Family Rambling®
– Ireland with Kids
– Uptake Attractions
– TravelingMoms.com
– The Spa Gals
... and more
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 3
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 4
My experiment: a trip to Chicago using only social media
to plan the adventure
© Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 5
Yelp: a fun and easy way to talk about local businessesGowalla: Keep up with friends, share the places you go and discover the extraordinary world around you. Trips feature is great for travelers.SCVNGR: Go places. Do challenges. Earn points. Get rewarded.
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 6
So... What S.T.U.F.F. Do
Tourists Like?
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 7
SocialSocial Media– Don't forget to be social!• Create a conversation• Create a Google alert• Utilize Twitter searches• Make yourself easy to find on Facebook
But don't spam people'sFacebook accounts toshare your message!
© Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 8
Setting up a Twitter search on Tweetdeck
Setting up a Twitter search on HootSuite
Creating a Google Alert is easy and helps you monitor your business online
© Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 10
Facebook is the second most popular search engine. Make yourself easy to find!
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 11
TipsPosition yourself as the expert!– Family friendly
– Romantic
– On a budget
– Splurge• Online• Pamphlet• App• Mobile site
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 12
User FriendlyRemember to KISS– Eye pleasing presentation
– Don't put too much information on the front page• It can be overwhelming
• If everything is on the front page you lose the opportunity create an investment
– Direct your guest• What do you want them to do?
• Lead gently, don't push
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 13
Eye pleasingImages
grabattention
Categorized information makes the site easy to navigate
Not toobusy; nicely
organizedlayout
Gently leading
the guest:
Schedule
Events
Location
Travel Iowa WebsiteButtons to
Easily shareinfo
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 14
Travel Planning Resources
Vacation Planning Resources0
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Vacation Planning Websites (ie: We-JustGotBack)
Specific websites for hotels, cruises, resorts, etc
Word of mouth
Community based review sites (ie: TripAd-visor, Yelp)
Destination & Tourism Websites
Printed resources (ie: guidebooks, news-papers, magazines)
Travel Agents
Other
Family Vacation Survey by WeJustGotBack.com, March 2011. Sample size 1500 participants. Full survey results can be seen at http://www.wejustgotback.com/surveys/vacation_survey_0311.pdf
04/10/2023 © Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 15
Facts & FiguresWho is your target customer?
Are you accessible for those with limited mobility?
What is nearby that will interest your target base?
Why are you their best option?
How much will their visit cost?
What is included?
What is not included?
Do you have any partnerships with other businesses that could save your guest money?
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FriendsPeople love to talk about their
vacations!
– Make sure your guests know what tools to use to best share your information.
• Trip Advisor
• Facebook page
• Flickr
• You Tube channel
• Guest blog post
– Watch your preferred streams.
– Thank your guests for sharing their experiences.
© Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 17
Owners tools on Trip Advisor are priceless!
Now the circle of S.T.U.F.F. begins anew...
What is YOUR Next step?
© Jody Halsted 2011 Family Rambling® 18
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