Speed and Agility

by Laurel Egan
According to HubSpot in order to stay in the game we need to think smarter and act faster . Duh! Like that's news to us! We've been told that over and over again, and well, there's only so many times one can improve speed and agility before peaking. Yep. Face it the old cliche is true, you simply can't do it all or keep up with it all! Just hold on a minute though, before dismissing it entirely. It actually is good advice. What they are and I have been talking about is utilizing tools.
So how do you keep up? Add more management tools, provided they offer value. Here are a few that may help you:

1. Use notes (not the sticky kind) - Evernote, iPhone notes, Voice recording programs for all smart phones or simply a handheld one. Every time you have a valuable thought record it. David Allen wrote the book on this one, literally! It's called, Getting Things Done or GTD. It's well worth the read and is available at Amazon or check his Google presentation out on YouTube
2. Document scanners (not your basic kind) but one like NeatDesk or NeatReceipts that will scan anything from BCards, to receipts to doc.s and file them correctly. Huge time saver!
3. File sharing - DropBox is excellent (it's what we use), Google Doc's
4. Project management for keeping track of the process of ideas and projects collaboratively - Basecamp is invaluable
5. Emails or newsletters for staying in touch (of course) but more for developing, tracking, and growing  a loyal customer base - Constant Contact (for smaller volume) or SendGrid (for larger volume)
6. SEO (search engine optimization) and social media - HubSpot they're excellent

The Silver Lining in Travel Marketing

"By the end of 2012, one billion tourists will have traveled the globe in a single year," says the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Taleb Rifai. He further states, "Behind this impressive number lies an increasingly important engine of growth and job creation. Few realize that tourism is directly responsible for 5 percent of global GDP, that one out of every twelve people worldwide are employed in tourism or that tourism accounts for 30 percent of the world's trade in services." Furthermore, President Obama unveiled a U.S. tourism initiative to increase travel and tourism in the U.S. stating, "That’s how we’re going to rebuild an economy..." His announcement calls for a national strategy to make the United States the world’s top travel and tourism destination, as part of a comprehensive effort to spur job creation. If that's not a silver lining, I don't know what is. It's astoundingly good news, but it's up to you to claim your share! If you've been thinking the economy is killing your business you could be wrong. It's more likely your marketing.

There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.

"Houston, we have a problem." When those words were first uttered by Apollo 13's crew it wasn't a humorous way to report any problem - it was a genuine report of a life threatening fault. Panicking or throwing in the towel weren't options. It was a call to action and a request for assistance. If you're struggling in this economy you may feel like an astronaut afloat without much hope. It's time to act utilizing every resource you've got including seeking help. In other words, treat it as if your life depends on it.
For those of you already marketing on the Internet and still struggling, if your online presence mirrors your offline presence, you're not much better off than the social media and internet marketing skeptics, naysayers and laggers. Traditional marketing moved on to the Internet is also ineffective. Today's consumers are smarter than that and they will quickly turn away. I'm not suggesting you should completely abandon everything you're currently doing just that you should start to move quickly in a better direction and you might need help refocusing.

HubSpot says it well, "In traditional marketing (outbound marketing), companies focus on finding customers. They use techniques that are poorly targeted and that interrupt people. They use cold-calling, print advertising, T.V. advertising, junk mail, spam, and trade shows.

Technology is making these techniques less effective and more expensive. Caller ID blocks cold calls, TiVo makes T.V. advertising less effective, spam filters block mass emails, and tools like RSS are making print and display advertising less effective. It's still possible to get a message out via these channels, but it costs more.
Inbound Marketers flip outbound marketing on its head.
Instead of interrupting people with television ads, they create videos that potential customers want to see. Instead of buying display ads in print publications, they create their own business blog that people subscribe to and look forward to reading. Instead of cold calling, they create useful content and tools so that prospects contact them looking for more information.
Instead of driving their message into a crowd over and over again like a sledgehammer, they attract highly qualified customers to their business like a magnet."* 

 “We’ve got to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in!” 

“Audiences everywhere are tough. They don’t have time to be bored or brow beaten by orthodox, old-fashioned advertising. We’ve got to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in!” said the CCO of JWT the world's 4th largest Advertising Agency. If you don't start listening to and adapting to the impact of internet marketing in your industry you may just end up in the stratosphere like space junk - barely noticeable. 

Let's have a look at internet marketing in context. Scotty Monty head of social marketing for Ford Motor Co. said, "Social marketing is the convergence of marketing, advertising and PR on the Web." True, but it's more than that. Simply put Internet marketing is networking. Unlike marketing, advertising and PR aimed at consumers, Internet marketing should be about interaction with your potential customers. When you're out networking you're putting your best foot forward, seeking out individuals or groups that matter to your business, not the masses in general, and you pitch them based on what they represent to your business; a potential customer, a lead to customers and sometimes a potential partnership. Equally important, today's customers want interaction; they want a voice and they want responses, so you need to be listening and responding well. According to HubSpot quoting an eMarketer article, these days "the expectation that a company will respond increases by age cohort from 38% of 18-24 year-olds all the way up to 65% of those in the 55+ age category. And it clearly matters in terms of satisfaction." Either percentage is a powerful message that consumers want to be heard. 

Internet marketing is networking amplified. The number of people you can potentially reach on the through it is staggering. Don't let your share go to some other hotel, restaurant or attraction. If it seems overwhelming turn to the management pro's like HubSpot. And if you need inspiration look to the shining examples like Virgin America. There's an endless amount of help out there free and subscribed (many subscriptions come with free trials), but you have to make the first move.

The airline Virgin America is a great example of a company that's doing their due diligence in social media. VA utilizes every popular form of SM from Facebook to Groupon and they're very proactive; they monitor and respond quickly. Like Virgin America be ever vigilant on monitoring especially when it comes to problems or complaints. Believe it - an appropriate response to negative remarks can result in a very positive reaction from consumers. Again, consumers want to know you're listening. Domino's Pizza is another great example of this. They're looking for suggestions and feedback through social media and outwardly admitting their flaws and mistakes - addressing them very publicly. 

If you are not completely convinced to get started today with your Internet marketing campaign, it's not likely you ever will be. If you are, here are some resources I recommend to help you get started, including our amazing marketing website travelvision.com - a showcase for lodging, restaurants and attractions. Travelvision is turning up the volume on marketing. The Internet is ever evolving and you need to keep up with new and innovative opportunities. If you truly want your full share of the silver lining you need to be on travelvision.com - we're travel marketing amplified! 

HubSpot Blog *(full article)

Flowtown - A blog about small business marketing strategies, tools and tactics.

Cheat Sheet Link

There are also helpful links in prior posts.

Destination Marketing 101: Endless Opportunities

Infographic by Theroxor

To say that the internet is big is like saying the sky is big. Not even huge, colossal or gargantuan seem to describe its size. There are 193 million domain names registered, which makes the few that I own suddenly seem like a teensy-weensy amount. As of today the Indexed Web contains at least 7.33 billion pages. 2 billion videos are watched on YouTube everyday. 36 billion photos are uploaded to Facebook each year. Yet these numbers, enormous as they are (illustrated in the Therorox diagram on the right), can still be reasonably calculated. What makes it so incalculable is the vastness of the Internet's reach at any given moment. Anyone want to take a stab at how many emails are sent each year? Each day? It is purported that on average 294 billion emails are sent each day and it's growing. With such a staggering number it seems that the sky is it's only limit!
The Internet has made our lives easier in so many ways. We're not just researching information on it, it's equally become a huge part of our social life. We've reconnected with family and friends and met strangers who've become friends. I love that I can keep in touch my now 90 something year old Great Aunt through email and get updates on how she's doing through my cousins on Facebook. I can only imagine what it must be like to have seen the changes she has seen in her lifetime. It's almost impossible to imagine our lives without computers or the Internet or a time when we weren't dependent on them.
Business computers have become a necessity. Connecting our businesses to customers in ways we could never have imagined a few years ago. The Internet helps us develop, manage and market our products and services. Yet, for many business people the Internet and Internet marketing are daunting tasks. But, if my Great Aunt can learn to use email in her 80's I think the rest of us can conquer our Internet fears.
I know what some of you are thinking, doing business as usual is hard enough work. Maybe it's time to throw out the old ways and learn the new. I'll admit learning to navigate and keep up with the internet while working may be essential, but it's not convenient. Let's see, you need to send and answer emails. You may need an online newsletter. You definitely need a Facebook page and a Twitter account and, of course, you've got built and manage a website. How about a Blog or a Podcast? Could your business benefit from that? Are you on YouTube? Do you Stumble? Do you ChimeIn? It doesn't take long to feel completely overwhelmed. However, you can't continue ignoring the elephant in the room. So listen, nobody is keeping pace with all of it, so ignore the negative voices in your head. Your success may depend on mastering part or most of the above.
But remember, if you have to eat that elephant, its best to do it one bite at a time. Start by taking a first step. Above all don't let the size intimidate you. They're just numbers. You can do this! Begin thinking about the exciting ways you can use it to your advantage. If there are billions of users on the Internet then there are billions of opportunities. If you aren't already doing so it's time to reinvent yourself and your plan. Keep this in mind: most things that you'll do on the Internet, should be simple, searchable, useful, interesting and occasionally entertaining. And always represent your business and yourself professionally and positively.

Last post we talked about tweeting. If you haven't started, then do so! If you have, great! Here are some links to help further your Twitter endeavors: Twitter101, The Twitter Glossary, Getting to Know Twitter. I encourage you to read them. If you're getting the hang of Twitter and don't have a Facebook page it's time to get one of these too. Neither should consume more than half an hour of your time each day. Here are some useful links to help you with Facebook: FB Basics, Creating a FB Business Page, Creating a FB Landing page. Create an account then add a business page that passionately represents your business. Here you can talk about your industry, your facility, your products, services and specials, put up invitations, make announcements and post picture. Social media is all about networking and all of this is to get the word out to more potential guests better than ever before. Let your friends, family and regulars know you have a Facebook and a Twitter page and ask them to please check it out. Your biggest fans on Facebook will be your loyal customers. Let them help you get more loyal customers. Don't forget to have fun with it!

* Indexed Web, 1/26/12