SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESS – what you need to know – with Chris Torres

18 Oct 2021 · 42:10

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If you are running a tourism business, the heat is on to become a BRANDING and SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING expert!

Almost 100% of your potential guests will research you online, therefore having a grasp of your digital marketing is essential. Knowing the basic marketing principles of SEO, email, Google Adwords and landing pages will give you an edge over your competitors, as they might not necessarily be using these features.

In this episode we speak about the importance of having a Google My Business Page, as this means you can appear on page one of Google, without having to battle for organic results, through SERP features. Another big aspect is social media, as people are always looking for social proof. And if you’re camera-shy, our guest has also got some great tips to deal with that.

Chris Torres is our go-to for all things branding and social media marketing. He explains why it matters and provides details of how you can be more consistent, persistent, and effective with your marketing.

He also shares key flashes of brilliance that he has found during the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the lessons learned by the travel industry about recovery and change and he describes how he is helping tourism operators.

Chris is an author, podcaster, brand consultant, digital tourism expert, and all-round baller with over 26 years’ experience in the tourism industry. He is the founder and owner of the Tourism Marketing Agency. Chris speaks at many tourism events worldwide, offering his advice and guidance on how travel, tourism, and destination businesses can gain brand recognition and increase bookings.

Chris has focused his business, Tourism Marketing Agency, honing in on tour operator marketing. Over 90% of his client base comes from outside the UK, and he has either worked with or is currently working with some of the biggest players in the industry.

Chris is the author of the best-selling marketing book, How to Turn your Online Lookers into Bookers — a 400-page book full of practical marketing advice dedicated to the tours and activities sector.

Chris also produces a video advice series called The Digital Tourism Show which you can watch on his Facebook Group, YouTube channel, or listen via Google or Apple podcasts.

00:00 SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESS - what you need to know - with Chris Torres

00:13 Intro to Chris and his operation

04:20 Chris’s journey over the past 12 months

05:58 What does the future of travel look like and how can we tap into emerging new markets

11:30 How do you figure out what ‘new products’ your guests are looking for

16:30 Strategies for the camera shy

19:39 Should you use your staff for your company’s social media?

24:08 Chris’s thoughts on OTAs and how to balance between OTAs and direct bookings

27:30 Opportunities from using Google My Business

29:50 Finding and capitalizing on B2B lead magnets

34:00 Utilising Facebook for targeted ads and the math for targeted ads?

37:53 How is it looking in the UK in terms of lockdown