Social Media 2.0 Get started and get better Erwin Taets VIVES Leisure Management Research & Expertise Center
VIVES previously known as KATHO new name: VIVES since September 2013 VIVES = you will live in Latin Latin future: based on an analysis of the past, using methods of the present, we try to develop a view about the future
VIVES previously known as KATHO new name: VIVES since September 2013 VIVES = you will live in Latin Latin future: based on an analysis of the past, using methods of the present, we try to develop a view about the future what future?
VIVES = the joy of feeling alive
Hello world! Erwin Taets lecturer and researcher at VIVES Leisure Management leisure event cost-effectiveness and profitability attractions yield management social media communication analysis and consulting for leisure attractions erwin.taets@vives.be
First things first Social media is about much more than what you put on Facebook.
First things first Social media is about much more than what you put on Facebook. It s also about Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr.
But it s also about how you interact with what others put online about you: on blogs and forums on fan websites on your social media page on the social media pages of others
Social media is not about communication: YOU your MESSAGE AUDIENCE
Social media is about the conversation: they re talking about YOU right now they re saying good things about you they re saying bad things about you
Social media is about the conversation: they re talking about YOU right now they re saying good things about you they re saying bad things about you they re saying very bad things about you
Conversation management they re talking about you why not: listen to them? talk with them? turn your communication into conversations
It s easy! It s free! Well, first of all: social media are not free. If you re not paying for something, it s because you re not the customer but the product.
Second Most social media companies will find ways to make you pay! e.g. sponsored tweets on Twitter sponsored stories, boosted posts on Facebook
Third running a Facebook page is something for professionals it will take staff technology marketing communication language skills
Take it seriously Social media are serious businnes!
Trends fastest growing demographic on Twitter is the 55-64 year age bracket 1/5th of all Facebook s users are mobile only YouTube reaches more US adults aged 18-34 than any cable network 85% of smartphone using teens say they can t recall the last time their smartphone wasn t next to them Google search results of social networks deliver only 15% of what search results of blogs and websites deliver
So embrace your fans who write blogs and forum posts > they ll get you more Google results than any Facebook post! think mobile, but don t think mobile is all about apps - most people only use 8 apps on average on their smartphone on a regular basis make sure you are active on Facebook and Twitter and measure it!
social media everybody does it almost nobody measures it
measuring most social media environments give you very little information about your users general age distribution general gender distributions general location distributions likes
the like-illusion for many companies, the number of likes or followers is the most important measurement of how well social media are doing
facts 100 000 likes does not mean your message will reach 100 000 people
factors most important factor = social interaction Facebook stops displaying your message to people who don t interact with your message
our research a random message sent to an account of > 100,000 likes only received 3,117 views
increased interaction = increased views who are the viewers? if you have 100,000 followers, you probably prefer 100,000 views if you only receive 5,000 views, who do you want these viewers to be?
the echo trap Facebook shows your message more to people who interact with you people who interact with you, already have an affinity for your product you re creating an echo pit and your most loyal customers echo your message amongst themselves!
our research of one leisure destination Facebook-account in Belgium, we analysed all interactions in 2011
our results account > 30,000 followers in one year, more than 25,000 interactions (like, share or comment) 82% of all interactions were by a small group of less than 400 people 25 people even liked or commented upon almost 90% of all posts
focus who is your message for? who is your target audience? you cannot and will not reach all target groups by one single social media account if you focus on everyone, you will mostly target those customers who like all of your messages: your devotees
social media social medium not all social media are alike Twitter Facebook Foursquare YouTube your own blog every social platform has a different user base: different gender distribution different age distribution different education level distribution
our research in the Benelux-countries, almost no leisure companies really differentiate between their different social platforms target audiences are all over the place: some messages are directed towards fans, others towards youngsters (language and visuals for children), others towards adults, B2B, etc.
10 essential tips 1. Create different social media venues for your different target groups everybody wants to know about your new ride, but only fans want to see pictures about every single phase of the construction
10 essential tips 2. Ask your social media manager for the real numbers: interactions count, not just the likes or views, and analyse who s viewing and interacting with you
10 essential tips 3. Is your social media expert an IT-person or a communication-person? He or she should be both!
10 essential tips 4. learn to know the online behaviour of your followers: when are they online? what kind of messages do they react the most to (pictures, video, questions, etc.)?
10 essential tips 5. don t talk to. talk with. engage. but beware of topics that might start negative reactions e.g. what do you think of our new show if you know that your fans don t really like the show > they will dominate the conversation
10 essential tips 6. don t patronize. People on social media want to be seen as real people. Don t let your characters do the talking for you, let your people do the conversation. Be real. Be authentic.
10 essential tips 7. think about crisis communication before a crisis happens. Don t let one stressed-out conversation manager be responsible for your crisis communication. Act quickly but according to crisis communication guidelines.
10 essential tips 8. social media are social. Don t ignore your customers, even if they ask stupid questions. Don t let questions go unanswered.
10 essential tips 9. learn your high profile staff to handle Facebook and Twitter. They should know about privacy settings, technicalities of sociale media and advanced settings. Make guidelines on how and when and if they can communicate about their job, your business and in what capacity.
10 essential tips 10.We don t know the future of social media. Don t base your entire PR, communication and internet marketing on social media.
Bonus: don t trust social media if you have 100 000 fans that like your product, that s 100 000 people that Facebook can sell your competitor s products too as well
Bonus Facebook only sells you figures: 300 000 fans,30 000 views, 500 likes, 100 shares Don t get caught up in these numbers! The most important figures still are: are you getting more visitors? are they spending more? are you making more profits?
if more people are coming to your Facebook page than to your park,
if more people are coming to your Facebook page than to your park, you re in the wrong business.
Social media 2.0 Thank you! Erwin Taets, VIVES Leisure Management Research & Expertise erwin.taets@vives.be
Digital media Social media
Digital media Social media OPPORTUNITIES Travel is, by its very nature, a "social" pastime! Guests share their experiences with friends and consumers and they are doing this increasingly online. According to surveys, 99% of our guests are satisfied, which makes it easy for Europa-Park to open up to the public.
Digital media Social media RESULT Positive experiences are multiplied via social media while negative impressions are given a positive twist through the swift and individual responses of other guests and Europa-Park itself. For the first time, this gives Europa-Park the opportunity to actively influence the recommendation process among friends! Word of mouth Word of mouse
Digital media Social media OBJECTIVES We find out more about our guests and get real-time feedback from Europa-Park -> quality management We develop constant communications through the daily interaction with our guests. -> increase customer loyalty and the share of return visitors Information on new developments, shows, events is shared on Facebook each day. -> marketing communication tool New target groups and guests are addressed with posts with a viral potential -> acquisition of new customers
Digital media Social media How will we get there? Set-up of a Digital Media department in the Marketing division Organisation chart Marketing / Sales Confertainment Cooperations Sales Advertising / Digital Media Event & TV- Productions
Digital media Social media How will we get there? All Europa-Park fan pages combined on one official site Linking of the pages with Facebook places (fans can check in) Using targeted posts (language, region) Over 20 dedicated fan pages for big attractions and all five of the Park's own themed hotels (e.g. Hypercoaster Silver Star, which has over 200,000 fans) Use of distinct "Facebook language" when communicating with fans (informal, friendship-based, emoticons)
Digital media Social media How will we get there? Advertising on all the relevant channels (cross promotion, integration of the fan pages on attraction and hotel pages) Daily updates of the page and additional information (vacancies, events, etc.) Exclusive content, photos of construction sites and videos (added value, information published on Facebook first) Interaction via competition apps (photo contests, advent calendar )
Digital media Social media RESULT 500,000 fans Top ranking in the "Leisure" category in Germany 55 million friends of fans Weekly reach > 1 million Top 3: F 165,000, D 160,000, CH 95,000 One of the biggest pages in southern Germany
Digital media Social media Over 460,000 check-ins (7th place in Germany)
Digital media Social media Best practice Parallel pleasures! ;-) 500,000 views 18,000 likes 2,000 comments 1,600 shares 150,000 non-fans reached virally No. 1 post in 2013
Digital media Social media Photo contest +10,000 fans in two weeks
Digital media Social media A total of over 300 photos uploaded in two weeks!
Digital media Social media Thank you for your attention!
SOCIAL MEDIA How development and integration of Social media fosters clients loyalty
WWW.PORTAVENTURA.COM Dynamic Packaging has been put on sale to facilitate direct bookings through a complete vacation offer and to generate new revenue sources Social Media features has been added to all pages to share the contents and opinions
MOBILE APP App received more than 2,5M visits since April Pushed crosselling, branding, communication and virality. More than 3.000 sales has been made in 2013 FEATURES INCLUDE: Info: Pre-visit, Inpark&Hotel Shopping, Merchandising, Express Tickets, Photorides Booking of Hotels,Tickets, & Transfers Social media features, check in contests, photoride, info & location sharing
SOCIAL MEDIA SOME FIGURES FACEBOOK 200.000 Fans +30% vs 2012 TWITTER 23.000 Followers +130% vs 2012 TUENTI 17.000 Followers YOU TUBE +90.000 videos about PortAventura +35.000.000 impacts in 2012 Official PortAventura TV Channel 250 videos
SOCIAL MEDIA OUR STRATEGY #1 SEGMENTATION Channels in Spanish, French, English and Russian, In Spain, segmentation by age (young and families) +50% interaction
SOCIAL MEDIA OUR STRATEGY #2 BRAND AMBASSADORS Constant interaction with up to 100 bloggers in the whole EU Partnership with communities about theme parks (70.000 stable followers in Spain) + (rest of Europe)
SOCIAL MEDIA OUR STRATEGY #3 CONSTANT INFORMATION Info & offers through several channels of PortAventura Customed materials to our brand ambassadors EXAMPLE: Shambhala opening has been Trending Topic in Twitter
YOU TUBE PORTAVENTURA TV 250 videos 3 million viewers in 3 years FANS & AMBASSADORS VIDEOS +90.000 videos
REPUTATION MANAGEMENT QUALITY IS KEY Social Media, Advisor sites and internet comments are: Located Monitored Solved Answered Helping PortAventura to get Certificates of Excellence in all Parks & Hotels and therefore, increasing quality reputation and differentiation
CONCLUSIONS Integrating digital channels we have #1 Increased brand awareness by generating relevant content & offers #2 Fostered clients loyalty by solving and answering needs when needed #3 Pushed Direct Sales & Direct Hotel Bookings
THANK YOU
Social Media Crisis 2013-09-18
Social Media Crisis 2013-09-18
Social Media Crisis 2013-09-18
WHAT WE LEARNED The media and social media feed each other. Include the social media and the possibility of viral spread as a factor in your risk analysis. Prepare a crisis plan for crises that only occur in the social media. Do not use more active social channels than you can manage in a crisis. Encourage debate, but steer it towards an area where you can monitor and manage it. Social Media Crisis 2013-09-18
THANK YOU! Social Media Crisis 2013-09-18