E-Marketing Associates

Companies Want Access to Your Social Networks

Renee Radia by
on March 21st, 2012

Before you get hired for a job, you should expect to be Googled. HR coordinators and interviewers are not only looking for mentions of your name on the web in general, but they are also specifically seeking you out on social media sites. It is not uncommon for a potential employer to scroll through your Facebook photos and wall, Twitter timeline, and of course, LinkedIn profile. The company is looking to learn more about you and see what kind of character you exhibit. It is also looking for anything inappropriate or something that would reflect negatively on the company if it did decide to hire you.

With the various privacy settings available, it is easy to make profiles private or at least only certain aspects visible to the public eye. Facebook profiles can even be removed from Public Search, which means your profile is unsearchable by anyone except your friends. Unfortunately, this has made the job application process a bit difficult for some, as a company may not be as willing to interview you if you aren’t transparent when it comes to social media.

This has also led to an awkward situation in some cases. Some interviewers have begun asking applicants to provide their Facebook logins and passwords. This appears to be more prevalent when the profile is unsearchable, but as most employers are aware of the many privacy settings available, they want to see what job seekers are really posting to their walls and saying to their friends.

This sounds like a giant invasion of privacy to me. The whole point of privacy settings on social networks is so you can be as public or private about your life on the web as you want. This is especially true in the case of job seekers, who are carefully selecting their privacy settings. And what about people who don’t have Facebook, or who have it deactivated? Would a company trust that the person is telling the truth or think that he/she simply won’t want to divulge his/her password? Not to mention, this goes against Facebook’s Legal Terms which directly state: “You will not share your password…, let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.”

I personally feel like I would not want to work for a company that has to check up on me in this way, invade my privacy, and start off our relationship by showing me this obvious sign of mistrust. I understand the job market can be tough and some people can’t be selective, but if applicants stick together and turn these interviewers down then maybe they would stop. If a company does want to get to know an applicant better, why not ask some fun personality-related questions during the interview?

There are currently proposed legislations in both Illinois and Maryland regarding this issue that would forbid public agencies from requesting access to their employees’ social networks. While there may not be a lot that any one person can do, if enough people take a stand against this massive invasion of privacy then interviewers may get the hint that this process is incredibly frowned upon and reflects poorly on the company. In the meantime, be careful what you say or put up on any social network, because you never know who may be watching!

Categories: Blog,Facebook,Google,Social Media,Twitter — Tags: , , , , ;

The Rise of Ambient Social Networking

Golda Criddle by
on March 16th, 2012

There’s a new trend in social networking, coined ambient social networking by this year’s South by Southwest conference. It’s been in the works with new technology, gadgets and social networks coming out every day.

What exactly is ambient social networking, and where did it come from? The term can be used in conjunction with SoMoLo, or social, mobile and local. SoMoLo refers to social networks, mobile devices and local-based intelligence affecting the way we purchase. We use Facebook and Twitter to tell our friends and followers what we have bought, and what they should buy. In turn, we get product recommendations and restaurant tips from Pinterest and Foursquare. Smart phones are now an integral part of many purchases, as we can check out phones to compare prices and see if items are in stock.

Local also refers to consumer location. Social networks that tag your location such as Instagram, Foursquare, and Path are extremely popular. Facebook and Twitter recently added geo-tags to its posts so you know where your friends are tweeting and posting from. Many restaurants, department stores and hotels have picked up on this trend by adding deals when you check-in via Facebook, Foursquare or Yelp.

All of this interconnected activity leads us back to ambient social networking, or sharing without all the extra work. A prime example is Highlight, an application that tells you when your friends are close by. Even further, the app remembers your Facebook Timeline and scans the vicinity for people like you. When it finds someone who has similar interests, or mutual friends, it notifies you.

The possibilities for applications like Highlight are endless. It could be used as a way to make new friends or a location-based dating application. Many have criticized our growing addiction to technology as isolating, but Highlight seems to bridge this gap, as it allows for a way to meet strangers as we go about our lives.

The drawbacks of ambient social networking are over sharing and lack of privacy. People you don’t know will know your location and have a way to get in contact with you. In addition, all the extra information could lead to burnout and deactivation. Do you think ambient social networking will catch on, or do you think privacy concerns will get in the way? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

Categories: B2B & B2C,Blog,Clients,E-Commerce,Facebook,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter — Tags: , , , , ;

Hotels: Optimize Your Twitter Network

Renee Radia by
on March 14th, 2012

I was recently reading a Mashable article about small businesses on Twitter and it got me thinking about a similar issue but for hotels. Building a strong and steady Twitter following for your property helps get the word out about your hotel, improves your SEO, and enhances your credibility. But what is the best way to go about gathering a large but loyal following?

One of the first tips I can give you is embrace the power of following others. When I come across a brand that has a high number of Followers but a very low number of Following, it automatically gives me the impression that the company cares very little about doing actual outreach. I feel like the company is unlikely to interact with me and has a presence on the social network only to promote itself and gain followers so that it can showcase “impressive” numbers.

Who Should You Follow?
It can be tricky figuring out whom exactly to follow because you don’t want to follow just anyone. Show your Tweeps love by following people that frequently interact with you and retweet you. You should not follow back everyone that follows you, especially since you will probably get some spambots in there, so take a minute to read someone’s bio and possibly check out his/her tweets before making the ultimate decision. If what you see is pertinent to your hotel then I recommend following back, especially because you may not know how influential the person is or who he/she knows.

In terms of seeking out people to follow, influential hospitality bloggers or other key industry people are a good place to start, especially because those can be the people that carry compelling Twitter conversations. Community leaders are also interactive on the network. Does your hotel have a killer golf course next to it? Follow golf bloggers or people who have a clear interest in golf. If you have a unique special then seek out people whose interests are relevant and start conversations with them or invite them to check out the special. Don’t forget about local venues or events with Twitter accounts as well.

Following Tools
Twitter Lists are a great way to find people to follow within targeted areas. Your hotel itself will probably be added to others’ Lists and that will only increase your exposure. There are some websites you can use that help you mass follow people, but in general that is frowned upon and can bring you many low quality followers. If you follow a large number of people but want to see who isn’t following you back, sites such as ManageFlitter can tell you and even lets you unfollow people from the site. Unfollowing people is helpful if you are trying to keep your number of Followers and Following balanced and while it may seem a bit unethical, maybe you have nothing in common with a specific user so following him or her might not be the best connection.

Building a following can be time consuming but keep in mind that it’s quality, not quantity! For more tips and hospitality-related articles, follow us on Twitter!

 

Categories: Blog,Hotel Internet Marketing,Hotels & Resorts,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter — Tags: , , , ;

Web Travel Tools Focus on Consumer Discovery and Deals

Golda Criddle by
on March 9th, 2012

The travel industry is rapidly changing with new websites, tools and mobile apps popping up every year. Each has their own unique way of tackling the issue, but I have definitely started to notice a push towards giving consumers more power through discovery and hotel deals. Below are three examples of the trend.

Wanderfly

One such site is Wanderfly, a travel recommendation search engine that recently reinvented itself with a whole new site. Instead of focusing on details such as prices, Wanderfly has opted to provide visual, user-created travel guides with an emphasis on pictures. You can explore restaurants, hotels and other places of interest

Recommendations are tagged with large pictures and categories such as “off the beaten path”, “budget” and “culture.” Users can use the site like a search engine to find exactly what they are looking for in a travel destination with these categories. Each city’s site lists the places to visit recommended by a user’s community. The site looks and feels a lot like popular bookmarking site Pinterest with its emphasis on visuals.

TripSay

Web tool TripSay takes a different approach on travel discovery by displaying recommendations on a world map. Users can rate locations they have previously visited in simple categories like “Best,” “Loved,” “Hated,” and “Wish to Go.” Then TripSay will generate travel destinations based on your input and ratings of other site users.

TripSay’s hotel booking engine is also unique in that it uses its map interface to display hotels by location, budget and ratings. This is useful for booking hotels close to attractions guests may be attending, which can be critical in sprawling citys such as Los Angeles and Austin.

HotelTonight

Users wield even more power with hotel deals startup HotelTonight. The startup is built for the spontaneous decision-makers: with the mobile app, people can find last-minute same-night deals on hotel rooms. Starting at 12pm on any given day, HotelTonight will list three hotel options per city, per day in three simple categories: “hip,” “elegant” or “basic.” Users of the app have until 2am that night to book a same-day stay.

HotelTonight works with more than 300 hotels in 18 different cities to generate these offers. The service is only available via mobile phone, which makes it very easy to book last-minute. The app’s strategy pits local hotels against each other, much like hotel auction site BackBid.

Web and mobile tools such as these three give consumers the power to choose their destinations according to their interests and find great hotel deals in the moment.  With so many tools available to technology-savvy travelers, hoteliers would be wise to use to take advantage of the opportunities to bring in new customers.

Categories: B2B & B2C,Blog,Clients,Hotel Internet Marketing,Hotels & Resorts,Hotels & Resorts,Internet Marketing,Photo & Video,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Travel — Tags: , , , , , , ;

Put a Face Behind Your Company

Renee Radia by
on March 7th, 2012

With so many new startups, agencies, and internet businesses emerging recently, it can be difficult for your company to stand out in the crowd. What sets you apart from the next company? Why would a business want to work with you over someone else? Your website can have all the descriptive content and FAQ pages you want, but there is one important aspect you need to incorporate that is becoming increasingly important as we become more and more social in the digital space. You need to put a face behind your company. You need to exhibit that you aren’t just some anonymous team, but that there is a person, or people, behind the company. Show that you and your team are personable! Relationship building is essential in obtaining new clients and if someone can get to know your business right from the start then you are already ahead of the game. The following are a few ideas of how to spruce up your company’s personality on the web:

  • Make an exciting About Us page. Take fun photos of your workers, or just team leaders if your company is bigger, and have each person put a little bit about his or herself on an About Us page. You could link to each person’s specific social media profiles or do “fun facts” about each person. Use bright colors so the page stands out. The possibilities are endless! Check out our About Us page (and photo below) to see how we made it fun.
  • Don’t use a company logo for your profile pictures. With Facebook’s new Timeline for Pages, businesses have the opportunity to be very creative here. The cover photo that will soon be on all Facebook Pages is a great way to showcase your company in an innovative way. Simply putting up a company logo will diminish the value of the cover photo and will turn people off from your company. On Twitter, use a photo of your company representative or the tweeter herself. We did this on our Twitter account, and have found that more people interact with us because they know someone is actually there and it is not just some anonymous company. People also commonly think it is a Twitter spambot following them if the photo is a logo. If you have a company blog, add photos next to your bloggers so readers can put a face with the author.
  • Integrate video. Making a short video of your company and its members to post on your website or social media channels is another fun way to showcase your business and its personality. You can put this on your About Us page or somewhere else on your site where your readers will see it. Remember to keep it short! If anyone in your company has an interesting talent, or you have a cool office space, why not show that off a little bit too?

There are so many ways you can bring a little personality to your business online! Feel free to share any ideas you may have or links to your own fun pages below.

Categories: Blog,Facebook,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter,Websites — Tags: , , , , , , , ;

Introducing Facebook Timeline Pages for Small Business

Golda Criddle by
on March 2nd, 2012

Finally, Facebook Timeline is coming for Pages. By March 30, all businesses on Facebook will have to switch their pages over to Facebook Timeline. Many brands have started to do so this week, including Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Red Bull. Timeline is a huge change for Facebook, so as a small business, you may be overwhelmed by the new features. Maybe you’re even considering deactivation. Never fear! This post will outline the most important aspects of Facebook Timeline and how you can tackle them to create your own company timeline. I’ll be using screen shots from Coca-Cola’s Timeline as examples.

Cover Image

One feature of the new Facebook Timeline is particularly hard to miss…the Cover image on top of your brand’s page. The Timeline cover displays an enormous 850 by 315 pixel banner on top of your Page.  The goal is to display what your company is all about visually—but not through ads. Covers cannot display calls to action such as “Like this Page” or sales pricing or contact information. Some practical ideas for your cover photo include your store/business front, a lineup of your staff or products, or a collage of images that represents your story.

Application Panels

Instead of the left-side panel of links, Timeline uses rectangular panels to display applications such as photos, home page and stories. Other applications are still accessible but not easily visible, as one would need to click the right-most button for a drop-down box. You’ll probably want to use a Page analytics tool to determine which tabs are most useful to promote, and change them frequently.

Stories & Highlights

With Facebook Timeline, updates and posts will now be “stories” that fit like pieces or scraps into your Timeline, like a scrapbook or diary. You’ll want to edit your past and remove posts if unnecessary or unflattering. You can remove these posts by choosing “Hide from Timeline.”  You can also “star” posts that you think most represent your brand, and they will be highlighted. Most importantly, you will be able to “pin” certain posts so that they stay on top of the timeline for a certain amount of time. You’ll want to “pin” contests, current events, or other popular posts. “Pinned” posts are represented by a small, orange flag. You can also add important events to your business’ Timeline such as when your company first opened, or when you made your first sale in order to create a complete company history.

Private Messages

A long coming new feature of these pages is the ability to send and receive private messages with users. With private messages, businesses can deepen their relationships with customers. They can take customer inquiries and deal with them at length in private messages. No longer will such requests clutter your page!

How will you use Facebook Timeline to profit your business? Feel free to share your ideas and comments below!

Categories: Blog,Facebook,Social Media,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , ;

Facebook Fatigue: Life after Deactivation

Renee Radia by
on February 29th, 2012

At the end of last month, I did the unthinkable. I deactivated my personal Facebook account. One reason for this, I admit, was mild laziness. Facebook’s Timeline was set to roll out on more profiles, and I had no desire to sort through hundreds of pictures to choose what giant cover photo would soon define me to my 1,000+ friends. I was also feeling a bit claustrophobic because of the social network’s constant clutter and frequent changes. I needed to go through and “clean house,” but then the laziness kicked in again. On top of this, a large percentage of my day-to-day job is spent on Facebook, so visiting the site in my free time was at the bottom of my to-do list.

I’m sure we all know that person who sits on Facebook for a disgusting amount of time every day, borderline stalking past boyfriends or arrowing through photo after photo into the wee hours of the morning. Thankfully, that’s never been me. Still, I felt this urge to remove myself from the network altogether and simply not have to worry about any of it. I have a rather large network of friends and acquaintances from my hometown in the Midwest, college on the West Coast, and summer camps spread throughout the United States that I attended growing up. However, I truly felt that the people whose lives I cared about the most would keep in contact with me outside of Facebook, and I could pull the plug without any major consequences. And then I was liberated.

I haven’t been on my personal Facebook for over a month now, and I really don’t feel like I am missing out. Any shocking occurrences or interesting stories that I would normally have read about on Facebook I still hear through word of mouth. My own best friend didn’t even notice I was missing from the site for three weeks! I have found myself spending a bit more time on Twitter, a platform that I have been using for years, on which I can read interesting articles, follow news stories, and converse with other like-minded users. Some of my Facebook friends have even sought me out on Twitter.

I’m not saying Facebook is the devil. I know it’s a good space to keep up with people that aren’t available to talk on a regular basis, such as friends overseas in the military. Everything is on Facebook these days so it can feel weird to not be a part of it. However, I must admit that my overall feeling after a month is freedom.

I know I am not the only one who suffers from Facebook fatigue. Just this past weekend, I noticed “RIP Facebook” trending on Twitter. The tweet stream was filled with people berating Facebook and its recent updates. I have seen many people with that far-off gleam in their eye as they talk about one day deleting their Facebooks. Yet, understandably, it can be a big commitment to take that step.

For anyone who has ever thought about taking a break from the overwhelming social network, I say go for it. If and when you do take a break from the site, whether permanently or temporarily, remember that there is life outside the digital space. You can be more productive – get more exercise, read more books, and grab a drink with an old friend. You may even be less likely to be depressed! And you will definitely spend less time sitting like a zombie in front of the computer screen. As for myself, I imagine my absence from the network is only temporary. I don’t intend on reactivating my profile anytime soon, but to say that I will never return might be a stretch. So to my friends and acquaintances that I really do only communicate with on Facebook…don’t worry. I’ll be back someday.

Categories: Blog,Facebook,Social Media,Twitter — Tags: , , , , ;

Attract Savvy Guests with Simple Online Opportunities

Renee Radia by
on February 24th, 2012

There are a couple resources out there that hotels should be taking advantage of in order to increase their sales and stand out among the crowds. These tools can help hotels bring in guests that might not otherwise stay there or even be aware of their properties. One tool is pretty intuitive but is so far a missed opportunity among the hospitality niche. Another resource is a relatively new and budding startup that has turned the tables on online bidding and has the potential to be very impactful in the travel-booking space.

Unique Keyword Monitoring
At this point, many hotels have cross-platform social media presences and some even use keyword monitoring tools to keep an eye on mentions of their properties in the digital space. If your property isn’t monitoring its mentions, you can set up streams on Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, or use SocialMention, among others, that will keep track of any keywords you enter. If your property doesn’t have a social media presence, well, that’s another story!

As far as keyword monitoring, however, there is huge opportunity in watching for select phrases and hashtags beyond your property’s name. Many travelers post on Twitter or other social networks before booking any travel. They are looking for suggestions from friends or perhaps even for a brand to get in contact with them. Sometimes people tweet looking for discounts, but not always. If you look for people posting on social networks that they are “looking for a #hotel in #LA,” reach out to them! Let them know if you have a special going on or if you have availability. You could offer them a social media discount, but you don’t have to.  Monitor your city’s hashtag and any other hashtags you think are relevant. This can be a great way to reach out to a new savvy customer base, not to mention it can be very impressive to see that a hotel is successfully utilizing this targeted listening.

BackBid
A recent web startup company called BackBid actually allows hotels to bid on their guests. Travelers post their hotel reservations for free on the website and hotels then bid for their business, offering competitive prices for rooms. Unlike Priceline or Hotwire, travelers know which hotels are bidding and they can easily compare hotels by rates, star ratings, amenities, etc. The idea is that travelers would cancel their current hotel reservations (assuming the policy at the hotel allows for cancellations) and then book with these new prices that the bidding hotels offer. While there may be a few minor shortcomings currently, such as it is possible to receive no bids and the service is only available in the US, this innovative idea has the potential to drastically change the online travel industry.

Monitoring certain keywords or phrases and using websites like Backbid are simple and something that can easily be implemented into any hotel’s digital marketing plan. Your property will attract new tech-savvy customers and garner a great reputation in the digital space. Remember, these same people that frequently use Twitter for travel recommendations and utilize websites like Backbid are typically the same people that use Twitter and other review sites to talk about their great experiences at your hotel. Reaching out to these potential guests via new social media channels is a terrific way to ensure their experiences are perfect right from the start!

Categories: Blog,Hotel Internet Marketing,Hotels & Resorts,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Travel,Twitter — Tags: , , , , , , , ;

Plan Your Travel Itinerary with Trippy and TravelMuse

Golda Criddle by
on February 22nd, 2012

Yesterday’s travelers were limited to travel agencies, books, brochures and traditional word of mouth for travel advice. Now the entire world is available at your fingertips through websites, online travel agencies and social networks. New social travel sites are popping up every day with different approaches to help travelers plan their trips.

The latest entry in social trip planning is Trippy, a site that revolves around planning a trip based on recommendations from your friends. The site differs from Gogobot and Gtrot in that it aims to build your entire itinerary from your Facebook friends.

When you create a trip on Trippy, you are told right away which of your Facebook friends “know” your destination, having lived, studied or visited there in the past. You can also specify whether your trip is strictly business, budget, romance or even adventure, and tell your friends what you want to experience during your trip. You can then add places, restaurants and hotels you are considering visiting, eating in and staying at. At the end of the process, Trippy provides you with a customized trip URL that you can share on Facebook or Twitter to get your input from your social circle. When your friends click on this link, they will be able to view your proposed itinerary and make comments. You can plan your trip by the day, and when you’re ready, check rates and book your hotel within Trippy’s platform.

Another great site for planning your trip is TravelMuse. The site acts like a scrapbook for your trip, as you can save any web page into a folder so that all of your ideas are in one central place. TravelMuse offers its own Bookmarker to make this process as easy as accessing your bookmarks through a browser. You can also view your saved items on a map, on a calendar, and look for other things to do when you have a few extra hours.

A unique feature of TravelMuse is the “Get Inspired” tab, which allows you to build a customized trip based on your interests and preferences. You can select when you wish to travel, what airport you are flying out of, your favorite activities, maximum flight time and budget per person. From these parameters, TravelMuse will build an entire trip for you within seconds. Talk about making travel easy!

What social travel sites will you use to plan your next trip?

Categories: B2B & B2C,Blog,Clients,Facebook,Hotel Internet Marketing,Hotels & Resorts,Hotels & Resorts,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Travel,Twitter — Tags: , , , , , , ;

How to Respond To a Negative Hotel Review

Golda Criddle by
on February 17th, 2012

Review sites and social media are tools that all travelers use when looking for hotels to stay in. They are becoming extremely important in today’s travel industry, especially now that OTAs like Kayak are starting to integrate TripAdvisor reviews directly into their searches. In this high-tech world we live in, it is best for general managers to interact with their customers on social media, especially when it comes to online customer reviews.

Sooner or later you’ll encounter a negative review on Yelp or TripAdvisor that isn’t a spammer or false claim. What do you do? In most cases, you should respond. Follow these simple steps in crafting your response.

  1. Respond in a timely fashion. Responding quickly shows the customer that you are monitoring your channels closely, and that someone cares about their con
    cerns. Other people are also more likely to read your response if it is put up quickly.
  2. Be polite, calm, and professional. Treat this review like any customer service request and be courteous.  Be sensitive to the customer’s feelings. Such professionalism will enhance your online reputation.
  3. Be honest. Perhaps the criticism was just a simple misunderstanding. Is there information on your website that addresses their complaints? Or if they had a problem with your staff, apologize if necessary and look forward without accusations.
  4. If the customer’s criticism is valid, acknowledge that there is a problem, and something is being done to fix it. This shows the customer that their opinions have been heard. Perhaps you should speak to your staff about the importance of friendly customer service.
  5. Thank the customer for his or her review.  This shows that you appreciate the customer’s feedback. It also encourages further (possibly positive!) feedback.
  6. Offer compensation if appropriate. Usually a discounted room or upgrade is enough to compensate the customer for any wrongdoing. In most cases, it will also damage your hotel less than a bad online reputation. Ask for the customer’s contact information so that you can contact them immediately upon offering the compensation. This also shows potential customers that you are willing to rectify your mistakes.

Your customers will appreciate that you cared enough to respond to their complaints, and your hotel will look great to other possible guests. Who knows, maybe your response will even get the customer to write a more positive review in the future!

 

 

Categories: Blog,Hotel Internet Marketing,Hotels & Resorts,Hotels & Resorts,HSMAI,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Travel — Tags: , , , ;
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