DIGITAL MARKETING

Tourism tips

from MiHi Digital

Mark Holden, MD of Lifton-based online marketing business MiHi Digital, offers some advice and tips on how to stay ahead in these unusual times.

I’m sure you’ll agree that to say it’s been a year like no other could certainly be seen as something of an understatement! However, whilst all has been changing around us, a few of the core principles behind promoting your tourism business online have remained remarkably unchanged; the formula for success still looks a lot like it always has, but as with everything else, just a little different…

YOU ARE THE STAR BEHIND YOUR BUSINESS

All the clients we work with are passionate about what they do; they want their guests to have a great time and they’ll go that extra mile to make sure they get it. If that sounds like you, then you are the star of your business and that means you should play a large role in promoting it.

But how do you go about doing that? You’ll probably already know that video posts on social media gain somewhere between five to fifteen times more engagement, so the first point here is to use more video if you’re not already!

To take that one step further, try sharing videos that include yourself and members of your team; the hospitality industry isn’t just about great food or a stunning cottage, it’s also about you and the other people that create the magical moments they enjoy and remember. You should always form a core part of your marketing efforts and if possible, be included in videos to make the messaging more personal.

ALLAYING FEARS BY BEING CLEAR

Unfortunately, Covid has brought with it a lot of anxiety; what is the cancellation policy? Where will I be able to go? What will I be able to do? What precautions are in place?

A key role for your website is to answer and allay these fears as quickly and succinctly as possible. An efficient way to do this can be through a thorough FAQ section. However, to avoid it becoming too long, try placing your FAQs into an accordion layout so that all the questions can be quickly viewed, or alternatively break it down into topic areas.

Once these are added, ensure they’re also easy to find – that may be in your main menu, through a button in a prominent position on the site or through a popup.

TIMING YOUR ACTIVITY

Whenever you post onto social media you ideally want as much interaction and engagement to take place within the first hour or two of publishing; this will help your post gain more traction and ultimately travel further. To achieve that, you need people to be online when you’re posting. Although every page and social media account is different, historically this would be in the early evening and particularly on a Sunday evening, when engagement levels are notoriously high and research is often conducted on tourism destinations and holiday choices. With lifestyles significantly changed due to working from home, furlough and lockdowns, you may now find that there are actually better times to post, so now is the time to adapt. If you’ve always posted at the same time of an evening, pop some posts on first thing in the morning – or perhaps during the day. Once you find a time that works for you begin posting at that time more often. The resulting momentum from several successful posts will then extend your reach even further.

TAILORING YOUR CONTENT

When we look at the destination sites we work with, the most popular content is invariably linked to the current circumstances people find themselves in. With social distancing having been a part of our lives for more than 12 months, content around places to walk, to cycle, to enjoy wide open countryside and be distanced has proven to be particularly popular and engaging. So, here’s the question… when was the last time you updated the local area part of your website? If it’s been years, take a read through and ask yourself if it is as relevant as it can be to the experience your guests will now be looking for. If it isn’t then tweak it to be a little more tailored.

HANDLING CANCELLATIONS

With changing rules, regulations, and potential self-isolations, some have had to deal with guests or customers cancelling at short notice. If you’re trying to fill a last-minute vacancy, the best place to initially turn to are those that already like your social media and those that have signed up for your emails. We’ve been able to fill most cancellations for our clients within hours by using these two channels, so whilst the temptation may be there to promote and try to reach a new The formula audience, those that already appreciate what you do will be all the more likely to snap up for success still looks a lot like it that opportunity in no time at all. always has, but as MiHi Digital is an award- with everything winning marketing agency that has worked with more than else, just a little 200 tourism businesses and different… leading destinations from across the South West of England.