Why Travel Destinations Need to Embrace Blogging and Social Media

I have recently added “travel writer” to my collection of writing hats, as a blogger for VisitIndiana.com, Indiana’s state tourism website. I get to travel around the state, visiting different tourist venues, travel destinations, and interesting sites and special events.

As I travel, I always make sure to do a quick Google search for my final destination(s) so I can see if there is anything I need to check out, make special plans for, be aware of, or even watch out for. Things I may want to know, like hours, admission and ticket prices, or special travel packages.

The problem is I don’t always find the kind of information I need on those searches. If I Google a destination, I typically find reviews from other travelers, incomplete information on some “everything-to-everyone” travel website, and a couple of newspaper articles from 2005.

What I didn’t find is the destination’s own website. I also find they’re not on Facebook, and they’re not on Twitter. If I dig deeply enough, I might finally find a website that hasn’t been updated since Fall 2007, but nothing about the event I want to attend this weekend.

So what’s a travel destination to do?

You need to give social media a try. I know, I know, you’re busy, it’s the peak season, and you don’t like messing with that stuff anyway.

But your guests do. They read blogs (77% of all Internet users read at least one blog). They’re on Twitter (U.S.-based Twitter users number more than 20 million). They’re on Facebook (Facebook users are in the 200 millions). The problem is, if you’re not, and you may be missing out on a great marketing tool.

Think about your most rabid fans, the people who visit you year after year, sometimes more than once a year. They put your bumper sticker on their car, they wear the t-shirts, and they tell their friends about the wonderful time they had.

And they’re telling them online. On their blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook. And you can join them to find even more rabid fans. It’s a great, low-cost way to market your destination to old guests and new friends. You can use it to enhance your other marketing efforts, and even try new programs and specials online before you commit to spending money on expensive traditional marketing outlets.

We’ll talk about how travel destinations can jump onto the social media bandwagon in a future post.

Photo: Stevan