Travel Marketing in the Age of Web 2.0 & Beyond

How to market in this new reality?

is the question that came to my mind when reading this entry BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Size doesn’t matter: The distributed media economy by Jeff Jarvis. I don't know the answer but would guess it's challenging to say the least. To reach, engage and convince potential customers to buy from you -  or in the context of a destination - visit you, is now so different than in the past that it defies the old measurement tools used, even the recent ones introduced only a few years ago in the early days of the web.

I guess it comes down to relevancy as one key element. If what you offer is relevant to whoever it is you try to reach, it will find resonance, gain attention and at best action will be taken by the recipient. This can be in the form of an actual visit but hopefully even more by the spreading of the impressions about it to many others. This type of "sneezing" has been made much easier than ever before and is the positive side of the equation.

2007 will be another interesting year for all marketers and I wish everyone of them success and fun in working in this exciting environment.

 

5000 Web Apps in 333 seconds.....

introduced by SimpleSpark Whatever your take is on web 2.0 as a term, it's amazing what's happening with all the new applications being introduced and how many will change the way we interact and communicate on the web.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: web2.0

Couldn't have said it any better than Bill Geist

More Holidays. More Presents.

I can only say "amen" to that. Have a wonderful Holiday(s), everyone.

 

Web 2.0 demystified

Effective Online Marketing in the Web 2.0 World

is a well written paper on the subject. I agree with the author that we run the a certain risk of overhyping the term before the audience has caught up with it. On the other hand it doesn't really matter as the customer doesn't have to understand the meaning of the term. The key is understanding what they do daily online and how they use the internet should fuel our action. Whatever term we use to base our activities to respond to customer behaviors and demands is irrelevant.

One more thing this article makes very clear is that today the website has to be considered the core of any organizations activities and not some appendage or add-on device. It's the most important tool available to become an effective organization bar none.

 

Does anyone still have any doubt?

TIME.com: Person of the Year: You --  the consumer who is increasingly in control.

Marketers, start your brains and find out how to compete in this world of freedom and get invited to the conversation taking place about you and all around you.

 

It ain't necessarily so.....

Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand

Content is certainly important but this article totally overstates the case for it. It reminds me of the days when websites consisted mainly of static brochureware. It also depends a lot on what the purpose of your website is.

In travel I would rate functionality much more important for success. Fast downloads, overall ease of use, interaction design in short is key. Of course, content is necessary but in the world of Web 2.0 this is increasingly user generated and doesn't come from the site owner.

The brand is who you are and that is defined by many more factors than just content. In short, you've got to deliver the whole package to be successful.

 

Better late than never, I guess

Online tavel agents facing several emerging challenges

Nice paper, well presented with attractive charts and photos but, alas no information that hasn't been available for at least a year or more. Amazing, considering how well known they are and how much they charge clients......!

 

Web 3.0 or the Intelligent Web

as defined here by Eric Schmidt, Google, CEO is just around the corner, with implications that we can't quite comprehend today, but it potentially will be a bigger jump than what's today described as web 2.0

Embedded Video

Credit goes to Keven at Travolution.

Tags: web3.0, google, intelligent web,

Here's an interesting comment by Bambi Francisco on MarketWatch

and although it relates to Yahoo! it is very relevant to the travel industry in general and DMOs in particular. Just replace the word "articles" with "information"

In the Internet era, it's not about getting millions to read articles from a few paid experts. It's about making millions of people volunteer experts. It's not about getting millions to watch one program with a few stars. It's about getting a few people to watch millions of programs with millions of stars.
Moreover, it's not just about getting users to express themselves, but providing the means to let users connect with each other.

This is exactly what we're seeing at YouTube, News Corp's (NWS) MySpace and Facebook. The people are the providers or entertainers and the marketers of their own content.

Generation What...?

December 2006 trend briefing | GENERATION C(ASH)

• As always, the people at Trendwatcher have a finger on the pulse
  
• User generated content both for free and paid
• How about destinations rewarding visitors for the best, most unique, funniest, honest etc. contributions?
  
• Maybe enter into a competition and win a return trip?