Introduction to Digital Marketing for Tourism Businesses

About this Course:

This course will help you explore how you can market your business on social channels and how to reach a huge audience. You will get an introduction into digital marketing and social media and learn how to use social media. You will also learn about different social media platforms and how your business can be found on Google. 

 

Have you ever wondered how you can market your business on social channels and reach a huge audience? Then you have the same thoughts as restaurant manager Masi. He faces exactly these questions and will answer them together with you in the course of this learning module.

 

This module will enable you to: 

• Explain the value of online media in promoting a tourism business
• Generate leads through online resources appropriate to the tourism business
• Create an e-marketing plan

Who is this course for? 

The course is intended for tourism professionals in management positions, and anyone interested in the topic.

Keywords: Sustainability, tourism, management, marketing, digital marketing, sales, product promotion

What is Digital Marketing and Social Media?

In this session you will not only learn what digital marketing and social media are all about but also how to explain the value of online media in promoting a tourism business.

Lesson 1: Social media & digital marketing

Description

Ibra: Hi Masi, what’s going on?

Masi: Oh, you know Ibra, I don’t understand why we have so few guests. Our food is great quality, traditional and very affordable too. As a manager and owner, it is my responsibility to attract and welcome new customers.

Ibra: Have you ever thought about digital marketing? Maybe people don’t even know that Le Bobotie exists. Let’s see.

Masi: Oh, that’s not good! 

Ibra: Most travellers as well as locals nowadays use search engines and reviews to find a good place to eat. Let’s start to make Le Bobotie famous online and your customers will follow. All around the world people are networking, sharing, exchanging and talking about food. That’s what digital marketing is all about.

Masi: Ohh… I can actually start right away and post my dish of the day on my Facebook page. 

Ibra: Wait, wait, wait… not that fast! Digital marketing is not about random posts once in a while… especially not on your private account.  Here is what worked best for me: Start with research & develop a plan. Decide which platforms are right for you. Know & expand your target audience. Build relationships. Pay attention to trends. Mix up your formats. Focus on quality over quantity. and most important be consistent.

Masi: Let’s get started?

What is social media?

The most well-known social media platform is Facebook, but there are many others. Some of the big ones are Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube and Pinterest. All of these are online sites that allow anybody to share their thoughts and ideas, their photos and videos with many other people all at the same time.

Facebook

Instagram

X (formerly Twitter)

Pinterest

What is digital marketing?

Marketing is all about promoting and selling products and services. In the past, marketing used traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. Today, with digital marketing, also called online marketing,  products and services are also promoted using digital means.

Your digital marketing plan is the process by which you target specific audiences through electronic means (social media, such as Facebook, websites, YouTube, etc) in order to gain new customers by building relationships with people online.

The power of digital marketing and social media means that you can interact with customers before, during, and after the travel experience.

 

 

 

Lesson 2: Engagement

Likes, shares, comments, followers:

To harness the power of digital word-of-mouth, you need to create social media and online content such as photos, videos, stories, etc, that appeal enough for people to engage with your content. They do this by liking, sharing or commenting and following you on social media.

Did you know?

There are 4.9 billion active social media users (2023).

Facebook is home to 2.9 billion regular users (2023).

Internet users spend up to two hours a day, on average, on social media (2023).

Engagement is all about building connections. These people are engaging with you and are more likely to buy your product or service.

Engagement

For example, Masi takes a photo of the delicious food at Le Bobotie and posts it on the Facebook page. Someone seeing the post on a friend’s timeline admires the food, clicks ‘like’ and then shares it on their own timeline — perhaps tagging a friend. This friend becomes excited about the prospect of visiting Le Bobotie and follows the restaurant on social media. Perhaps they leave a comment, asking the best time of year to visit. If Masi replies to the comment with useful information, the friend considers making a reservation at the restaurant. This process is called engagement.

The beauty of digital word-of-mouth is that information shared by one person can very quickly be shared and seen by many.

Lesson 3: How to use social media

Digital marketing via social media channels is suitable for all companies that are in the tourism business. It is not for nothing that there are over 500 million posts on Instagram with the hashtag #travel. Digital word-of-mouth works particularly well with 18 to 34 year olds. 97% of them post regularly on social media while travelling.

 

Why use social media?

Let’s see how social media can be an important tool for building your business:

 

Step 1: Connect with potential customers

Step 2: Drive traffic to your website

Step 3: Show that you are an expert

 

Summary

Ultimately, all of these activities — connecting, driving traffic and establishing expertise — lead to the same place: sales.

So how do you start?

Masi wants to get started…but how?

Masi knows he needs to be present on social media with his business, but as a beginner it’s all a bit overwhelming. Do you feel the same way?

1. Pick the right social network

Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X or others, it’s up to you which network you want to be on. Try to find out what platform your target market is using. For example, if you are aiming at the older generation of tourists who like luxury and comfort, perhaps Facebook is your best choice. While if you are aiming at young adventure seekers, then Instagram may be more suitable.

2. Start creating content

Even if you have no followers yet, it doesn’t matter — no one’s going to follow you if you don’t have any content. So start creating excellent content. 

1. Complete your business profile on whichever platform you choose.
2. Carefully select good quality photos that show off your business well. It’s worth getting a professional photographer to help you.
3. Add a few posts about topics that would interest potential customers — once again using appealing photos and videos. 

You’ll need to keep creating content on a regular basis.

3. Build a connection: Connect with other tourism businesses

You need to build a connection with people — it’s a social network. So make sure you’re ‘friending’ all the people that you know, following them and liking and commenting on their posts. In this way, you’re engaging and building connections. Build connections with other tourism businesses. For example, Masi could connect with hotels, guesthouses and tourist attractions in the area.

 

Now that we’ve looked at why and how to use social media, in this next lesson we’ll look specifically at the most popular social media platforms suited for digitally marketing your tourism business.

Which Social Media Platforms Should I Use?

In this session you will learn which social media platforms best to use and how to generate leads through online resources appropriate to the tourism business.

Lesson 1: Facebook

Facebook Business Page

With billions of monthly users, Facebook is a powerful tool to promote your services, increase customer support and boost recognition.

Facebook Business Pages are really easy to set up and maintain, so it’s possible for every business to have one.

Important: Most people are familiar with Facebook’s pages for personal use. What is very important though, is that you don’t use a personal profile for your business — instead, use a Facebook Business Page.

What you’ll need to set up your Facebook Page

• Your business name and description
  Name your Page after your business, or another name that people search for to find your business. Use the About section to tell people what your business does.
• A profile photo and cover photo
  Choose photos that represent your business well. Many businesses choose to use their logo as a profile photo. For the cover photo, choose an appealing image of your business or products.
• The action you want people to take
  At the top of your Page, you can add a call to action button that directs your Page visitors to do something, such as visit your website or phone your shop.

La Bobotie’s Facebook Business Page

See below how Masi created Le Bobotie’s Facebook business page, drawing the viewer in with beautiful images and a clear call to action to learn more.

Elements of a good Facebook Business Page

Cover Photo:

The Cover of Le Bobotie consists of 3 clear, appealing images that give a good idea of what the business is about. People who are interested in good food in Dakar are immediately attracted to this business.

Profile Picture:

This is a good spot to include your business logo. This is not a personal page so don’t use a selfie.

Contact Details:

Provide all your contact details here, including email, contact telephone numbers and links to any other social media or website that you have.

Call to Action Button:

The call-to-action button tells the reader what you want them to do. Do you want them to link to your website? Send you an email? Sent a whatsapp message?

About:

Provide a clear description of what the business does.

Facebook Messenger:

Let people send your business private messages to ask questions, get in touch or make suggestions. Facebook messenger is integrated with your Page, so you can connect with customers one to one. Ensure that you respond to these messages as soon as possible.

Attention Grabbing Post:

Your page should be active and informative before you start promoting it, so start posting updates as soon as its live. New photos and updates help to keep your Page fresh for visitors. Post anything that would be of interest to your prospective customers, not just about your business, aim to inform and share your expertise.

 

What to do once you’ve created a Page

With a Facebook page, a lot more is possible, as Masi finds out. 

Here are some more of his tips.

 

Add Special Features

To make your page more useful for people, you can also add special content to your Facebook Page, such as displaying your menu, listing your services or showcasing your products with a shop section.

Promote your Page

Once your page has been set up, invite your customers and contacts to connect with you there to get in touch and keep up to date with what’s going on. You can also run ads to find brand-new followers.

Keep Improving

Click on insights at the top of your page to see how people are engaging with your business — you’ll see how many people you’re reaching with your posts and which content they like best. Seeing how your Page is performing can help you to define a better content strategy.

 

Lesson 2: Instagram

Instagram is a free photo and video sharing mobile app that is very popular with younger people.

People on Instagram want to find and discover things that interest them, including products and services. They want to engage with businesses that inspire them. If your business is predominantly aimed at people under 30 years old, then Instagram is an excellent choice for you, although it is increasingly enjoyed by people of all ages.

 

Note: All set-up and changes to your Instagram account must be done through the mobile app and can mostly not be done through a web browser.

Create your Professional account

Starting a Professional business account is quick and easy. Set up an Instagram Professional account to give people more information about what you offer. You can also convert your existing personal account into a Professional account.

• Download and launch the app
  Download the Instagram app from the App Store, Google Play Store or Windows Phone Store.
• Sign up for an account
  In your app choose Sign up and provide your details. This creates a personal account or converts your personal account to a Professional account.
  
  

The Professional account offers features aimed specifically at businesses. For example, real-time metrics on how your stories and promoted posts perform throughout the day or insights into your followers and how they interact with your posts and stories.

Le Bobotie’s professional Instagram channel

Masi has created a professional Instagram account for Le Bobotie and has already filled it with content.

Elements of a good Instagram account

Logo:

Add your business logo, not your personal profile pic.

Username:

Choosing a username can be tricky. It can be difficult to find a username that is still available, but try to make it;

• Easy to spell
• Doesn’t use strange characters
• Can be used across all social media platforms eg on facebook and X
• Include either your business name or what your business does

Business Name:

Here is your actual business name

Bisiness Description

Clearly describe what your business is about.

Website:

Link to your website, if you have one.

Stories:

(Optional) Instagram Stories are posts of photos and videos that vanish after 24 hours. They have many easy to use features that encourage audience engagement – from one click polls to instant emoji slider stickers.

Posts:

Before creating a posting content, think about;

• What is different and unique about your business?
• What is the message that you want to convey to people seeing your posts

Instagram is primarily visual, and to make an impression you need visually engaging and appealing images or videos. Make sure that your posts are vibrant and interesting enough to attract attention.

How to create appealing content

Share pictures and videos of your products or services, preferably starting off with at least 9 posts as this will create an initial grid of images. 

Masi has now understood the ins and outs of Instagram and would like to share his experiences with you here.

Use good visuals:

• Ensure that images are clear and well-focused.
• Use good lighting by placing your subject near natural light or by adding artificial lighting. Late afternoons are the best time for taking photos using natural light.
• Experiment with different backgrounds that are colourful or have texture to add dimension and depth to your product shots.
• Keep your brand in mind — perhaps  use colourful and vibrant images for adventurers or soft and muted images to appeal to those looking for luxury and relaxation.

Create Captions with #

Captions are the text under the images or videos. 

• Keep captions short and interesting.
• Add hashtags (#). Hashtags allow potential customers to find you when they search for a particular hashtag. Think about what people would likely search for and keep experimenting to find what works. Create your own unique hashtag using your business name or something descriptive and encourage your customers to use it in their posts.
• Ask questions to engage people.

Interact with your Community

• Encourage people to take action by liking and replying to the comments that people leave on your posts.
• Use location tags and hashtags (#) to find images and videos of your business that other people have posted, then like or comment on the posts.
• Interact with your community to develop relationships with your followers and potential customers.
• Keep your followers engaged by posting regularly. It is more important, though, to have quality over quantity.
• Follow businesses either in your own local area or your business area of interest — this creates a network that helps you to reach a wider audience.

What do you think?

Which of the these images would you share on the social media channel if you were Masi?

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Lesson 3: X (formerly Twitter)

X (formerly Twitter) is an online news and social networking site where people communicate in short messages called posts. Users post short messages for anyone who follows you on X.

Followers communicate with a user by replying to a post or reposting the post to re-share the update with their followers. Posts and replies are public and visible to anyone, unless tweets are protected.

Users are identified on X by their ‘handle’ or username, e.g @LeBobotie.

Posts can also be searchable by using a hashtag — using the # symbol followed by a keyword,  e.g. #LeBobotie.

Why use X for your tourism business?

Ease of use

X is easy to use and a convenient way to connect with your customers using short, succinct messages.

Share information and content

A post may contain photos, GIFs, videos, links, and up to 280 characters of text. 

Drive engagement

Posting on X can help to increase your reach and engagement for promotional activities.

Interact with customers

People are looking for meaningful connections with businesses just like yours.

Network with your industry

Not only can you connect with your customers, you can also find out what your competitors are up to and engage with experts in your field.

Manage your reputation

Responding quickly and openly to tweets and customer queries helps to build your reputation.

Le Bobotie’s Twitter account

Masi has also created a Twitter account for Le Bobotie. He would like to show you which elements are important.

Create a Username:

You will need to create a username. Your username is unique to you on Twitter and will be preceded with the @ symbol.

Add your Logo:

Include your company name and Logo

Create Content:

Your profile should contain key messages that you want to promote about your business –make it clear what your business does.  Your tweets should convey clear messages (up to 280 characters). You can include links and should work with hashtags # and interesting photos.

Lesson 4: Pinterest

Pinterest is an online pinboard, where users categorise and share images.

Users enjoy finding inspiration on Pinterest for travel locations, ideas and activities. This doesn’t need to be original content — you can ‘repin’ other peoples images to your own account and in this way create a mood board to attract tourists who may be interested in your business.

Because the lifespan of a pin is unlimited, a post on Pinterest has a far longer marketing reach than a post on any of the other major social media platforms. There, interest drops as new content fills the top of the newsfeed.

Terminology

Like any other social network, Pinterest uses its own jargon. So before you start using Pinterest, you’ll need to know the following terms:

Pins

Images published on Pinterest (the equivalent of a social media post). 

Boards

Boards are folders on Pinterest to categorise pins.

Repin

To repin is the act of sharing someone else’s pin with your Pinterest followers by publishing it on one of your Pinterest boards.

Followers

Followers are the Pinterest users who are subscribed to your account and are able to see your pins in their newsfeed.

Following

You can subscribe to other Pinterest users, to see their pins in your newsfeed.

Feed

Feed is what you see when you log in to Pinterest. All the latest pins from the people you follow.

How to open an account

First, make sure you have a business account. It’s free to sign up and you’ll get access to tools like Analytics and a special Business Profile. You’ll also get more control over things like branding and content attribution. You can sign up for a new account or upgrade your existing personal account to use business features.

Le Bobotie’s an Pinterest account

Masi uses his Pinterest account mainly to channel traffic to his website. He shows you here what is particularly important for a Pinterest account.

Elements of a good Pinterest account.

Logo and Profile Picture:

Add your business logo and profile picture here.

Business Name:

The name of your business will appear here. With a business account, you can name your account your brand or business name, so instead of naming your account your first and last name, you name your account the name of your business.

 Website:

Add your website/blog name, if you have one. Add a URL where you want to point your folowers to. It could be your blog or your website, etc….

Description:

A clear description of what the business does. Make sure that you write a keword-rich bio, describing your business and how you help people.

Pins:

These images are pins –either original content or repinned content that is related to the business.

How to create good content on Pinterest and build a relationship with followers

Add Content: Start by creating boards with keyword-rich titles. Make sure you also select a category for each Pinterest board to help people find them and for Pinterest to recommend your Pinterest board. Your boards should be aligned with your topic and be of interest to your target audience. 

It is important to make your boards easily searchable and relevant to your offering. Use high-quality images or even short inspiring videos that will capture people’s attention.

Pinterest is a place where people look for and share unique and interesting images, so pin both images of your own (fresh content) as well as repinning others.

Backlink all your images on Pinterest to the original articles or information on your website so that a user will be directed to your website when they click on an image in Pinterest.

Build your Audience:  When using Pinterest for business, you’ll want to build your audience. To grow your Pinterest followers, a good habit to adopt is following people so a percentage of them follow you back.

Another way to get noticed is by engaging regularly with other pinners’ content, who attract a similar audience as yours. 

You can engage by liking their pins, sharing them and more importantly, by leaving interesting comments

 

Although Facebook is the most popular platform across all ages, Instagram is more popular with young people and so is best suited if you are trying to reach young people (under age 30).

How to Get Found By Google

By the end of this session you will know how your business can be found on Google and you will know how to create an e-marketing plan.

Lesson 1: What is Google My Business

Le Bobotie on Google My Business

Description

Ibra: Hi Masi, wow, you guys are really busy tonight! 

Masi: Yes, that’s really great. The digital marketing activities had a great impact, but we are facing a new challenge. I just noticed that Le Bobotie is listed on Google, but I haven’t completed the profile yet… what’s next?

Ibra: Ah, in this case you have to claim your business. That is actually quite simple. All you need is a Google My Business account, which is free, by the way, and you’re ready to go. 

Masi: That sounds good. Ok, walk me through how to do that step by step.

Ibra: Quite simple. If you have created a Google My Business account. Then scroll down the entry for your business. Just a little bit more… there. Claim your business. 

Masi: Okay and what’s next?

Ibra: Next, Google’s verification process starts. This ensures that not just anyone can claim the business. The verification is usually done by email, and you’re guided through the process step by step. 

Masi: Perfect. Then that’s all set up now. Le Bobotie can then be found more easily now?

Ibra: You can do so much more than just give your address and opening hours. Google My Business is a tool that allows you to manage your business across all Google products. This includes Google Maps and Google Search. We are talking about reviews, star ratings, links to your website, photos and much more.

Can your business be found on Google?

Masi has realised why a Google listing is so helpful. Tourists like to use Google to search for places to stay and things to do. They read Google reviews to find the best hotel or guesthouse or tour. When they are at their destination they use Google Maps to find restaurants, shops or other points of interest.

If, unlike Le Bobotie, your business is not yet listed on Google, you can easily create a Google My Business account and register your business yourself.

What you can do with Google My Business

You can think about the benefits of Google My Business in three categories:

Provide Contact Information:

• Tell Google your hours, website, phone number, and location (a street address, service area or place marker, depending on your business).

Interact with Customers:

• Post photos of your business and its products and services
• Collect and respond to reviews from customers

Attract New Customers:

• Improve how your business appears online so new customers can find you
• Point customers to your website, if you have one

 

Lesson 2: Add business photos and manage customer reviews

Now that you’re listed on Google, you’ll want to make sure that your business listing makes a good impression. As Ibra has already told Masi, photos can also be uploaded.

Make a great first impression with clear, well lit photos

You should add these photos yourself, but your customers can also add their own photos and videos. 

Add your own business photos to showcase your products and services to people who are looking for what you offer.

Note: Your photos won’t show on Google until you verify your business.

Types of photos

Logo: Help your customers recognise your business on Google by adding your business logo.

Cover Photo: Showcase your page’s personality. Adding a cover photo automatically sets it as your listing’s preferred photo. This doesn’t guarantee it populates as the first image for your business, but it does tell Google you prefer to display this photo.

Additional Photos: Add different photos to spotlight features of your business that customers consider when making purchasing decisions.

• Exterior photos
• Interior Photos
• Product Photos
• Team Photos

Manage customer reviews 

Have you noticed the star ratings on Google?

Your business listing allows people to post reviews of your business, from 1 to 5 stars.

Customer reviews are an important part of digital marketing. But what is the best way to handle them? Masi has put together some ideas for you here and answered the following questions.

Should I respond to reviews?

Yes, definitely. 

When you respond to these reviews, you show existing and potential customers that you value their business. Potential customers will read these reviews and your replies to decide whether they should use your travel business or not.

Can I ignore negative reviews?

While responding badly or rudely is the worst thing you can do, not responding is also bad. When you reply honestly and with empathy, it shows that you care.

How should I respond to a negative review?

Mistakes happen and sometimes things will go wrong and a customer may give you a bad review. How you respond can turn the situation around and maybe even get the review changed.

1. Begin with an apology and thank the reviewer for sharing his or her thoughts.
2. Acknowledge the results of the negative experience so the reviewer knows you fully understand what happened.  If appropriate, offer an explanation – not an excuse – for what happened.
3. Explain what you’ll be doing to ensure the problem is addressed and does not continue to happen.
4. Thank the reviewer and apologise again before signing off.

How can I get more reviews?

Encourage happy customers to post reviews for you. Either ask them directly if they take the time to compliment you in person or via email or message, or have a poster up in your business encouraging reviews