7 Reasons Why Having a Facebook Page is Important for Your Business
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One of the most important aspects of running a business is marketing and, amongst the tons of seemingly more important things, you might question the need for using Facebook. Many people feel it may be trivial and a waste of time, but take a look at Facebook and you’ll see that all the big brands have a presence there. Why is this? Everyone is on Facebook and is already addicted to it, which means that your customers are already in one place. You just need to speak to them.
Here are some reasons why you should have your presence on a social networking giant like Facebook and take it seriously:
Customer Interaction: Having your business on Facebook through page is a great way to learn more about your customers. Through comments or posts, businesses can have direct feedback and conversations with their target audience. The people who like your business page are only there because they want to be. They are there to know what they can about you and you can do the same thing.
Give a personal touch to your business: Being well connected is important for any business, especially for a small one. Facebook allows you to give your business an image and then you can actually have live conversations with people who matter, making it a more personal experience.
Develop a loyal fan base: Facebook allows you to develop your very own community. All you need to do is post content that is both relevant and useful to your target audience. You can even have promotional campaigns and contests through your page and offer incentives as well. If done correctly, you will find that you can develop a loyal community for your business on Facebook.
SEO: Search Engine Optimization is a key aspect for any business building a presence on the web and having a Facebook page can help you in your SEO efforts as well. All the links and posts on the page are indexed by search engines which makes your business easier to find in search engines.
Beat your competition: One of the biggest reasons for you to make sure that you are on Facebook is that your competition might already be there. In this cut throat environment, lagging behind will make it really hard for your business to succeed.
Viral promotion: If someone ends up liking your page then it appears in their news feed. This makes it possible for your business to be in their eyes on a regular basis through status updates or content posting. What’s more, if they comment on your post, their friends will also see your post and this can help in viral promotion of your business.
Save money: Apart from these facts, Facebook is free. You do not need to spend anything for promoting your company through a Facebook page.
The Marketing Coordinator is in charge of managing all the marketing activities associated with the route, from social media, print marketing and advertising to brand management and communications.
This Guide covers the Marketing Coordinator’s responsibilities. It is important for the route Marketing Coordinator to familiarise himself or herself with this Guide to understand what is required. The Guide will also help other route leaders and members, since it will give them a good understanding of what the Marketing Coordinator’s role should be and what support they could offer.
This Guide should be read together with other Guides covering the various leadership positions.
Why is the Marketing Coordinator’s Role Important?
As the route is a product in itself, it needs to be marketed across as many different types of platforms as possible. Online marketing is the easiest and cheapest method of marketing and, with the advent and rise of social media, the World Wide Web (the Internet) has merged with social media (Facebook, Twitter etc.) to create what is commonly known as ‘The Social Web.” It is almost impossible to engage in online activity these days without coming into contact with social media.
Websites now contain links to their relevant social media channels as well as share buttons, where customers can share content and help drive online traffic back to the website. The more online traffic or “hits” a website gets, the more attractive it becomes.
This means that anyone with a social media account has the power to share content (articles, photographs and video) on any social media channel. Some of these people have become incredibly influential with many people following what they are doing online. For this reason, social media and blogs have become essential for any business operating in the online space.
There are four main areas of responsibility for the Marketing Coordinator:
1. Brand management
2. Social media
3. Production and distribution of marketing materials
4. Traditional advertising
5. Communications
1. Brand Management
As the route’s brand and logo belong to the route, it is important that the Marketing Coordinator oversees the use of the logo in all aspects of marketing. Brand guidelines are provided by Open Africa during the branding process which need to be adhered to at all times in order to protect and maintain the parent Open Africa brand to which the route belongs and the hospitality experience that it represents.
Misuse of the logo (e.g. incorrect colour, distorted size, low resolution) can severely damage or dilute the brand and potentially have a negative effect on all other brands (routes) associated with the Open Africa route network. For this reason, the brand needs to remain consistent and professional so as not to hurt or cheapen it in any way.
2. Social Media
Social media has come a long way since the days of chat rooms and has increased collaboration, provided a platform for people to share ideas and connected people across the globe. It has become an important tool and it’s important for businesses to understand the impact social media can have on them.
Customers can now interact with brands, products and services directly and even become ambassadors for them and vice versa. Brands now have a direct link to their customers, making it possible to receive constructive feedback and deal with customer complaints in the moment. It can also, of course, have negative effects for brands which is why it is some important for someone to manage a business’s social media accounts.
Customer Reviews have become more important than advertising, especially for tourism-based businesses. Now, consumers can write reviews online about their experience at guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and even attractions for other consumers to read. A lot of good reviews can have an extremely good influence on the success of a business while a few bad ones could mean the end. This is why it’s so important to make sure your business is listed on review sites and complaints are dealt with in a timely fashion. TripAdvisor has become the world’s largest and most renowned review site and interestingly, has three times as many restaurants listed on it than hotels.
Many travellers plan their trips by researching online. This means that they read reviews for accommodation and restaurants online before they decide to make a booking. They listen to what their friends have to say about destinations on social media.
Please see the corresponding guides on how to market using these channels.
3. Production and Distribution of Marketing Materials
The route Marketing Coordinator will manage the production and distribution of all marketing materials and will give the final sign off once he or she is happy with the final product. As the route forms part of the larger Open Africa brand it is imperative that all marketing materials are sent to the Marketing Manager at Open Africa to ensure the parent brand is maintained and not damaged or diluted in any way.
Digital versions of materials such as banners, brochures and signage will be provided to the Marketing Coordinator for future printing needs. The files will be editable to allow for any changes or updates.
4. Traditional Advertising
While traditional print advertising can become costly, many local publications often provide discounted rates which can be a useful platform for routes to advertise. An advertorial is always the preferred type of advert as it looks like an article, can contain images and is generally more widely-read than small adverts placed in advertising sections of publications. Advertorials can vary in length from half a page to a page, to even 8 pages long, depending on the available budget. In the event of an advert being bought for the route, the Marketing Coordinator should manage the process and provide the publication with all the necessary artwork, hi-res images, text (copy) and hi-res logos.
5. Communications and media exposure
The Marketing Coordinator will be responsible for communicating with journalists and encouraging them to visit the route. This also entails coordinating the trips and ensuring that the rest of the route members play their respective parts. See the separate guide on how to invite and host journalists.
How to Create a TripAdvisor Account for your Business (with video)
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TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site, with more than 350-million travellers visiting the site each month to research and plan their trips. If your business is an accommodation, restaurant, or attraction, your property can be listed for free. Being on TripAdvisor will increase your business’ exposure to a large, qualified audience and give you access to many free marketing tools.
Here’s a handy video to help illustrate the guide below:
How to set up an account
There are two ways businesses can set up an account: a representative from your business can request a listing, or a TripAdvisor user can write a review of the property and initiate a listing.
Before you request a listing, go to https://www.tripadvisor.com/Owners to make certain that a traveller hasn’t already added your business to TripAdvisor. Look for the list of categories under the “Start here if you own or manage” header, select your business type and enter your business’ name.
If a match appears in the search box, click “Search” and on the next screen, check that the business name and region matches and then select “Register my business” to confirm that you are affiliated with the business. If your business is already listed, you should register for the existing listing instead of creating a new one. TripAdvisor only allows one listing per business.
Registering allows you to access the Management Centre, where you can manage your TripAdvisor listing and reviews. You can also correct any details that aren’t accurate. Plus, there are free tools to help you build your business. You can find out more information here.
Request a listing
If you enter your business’ name and a match is not found, it isn’t listed on TripAdvisor yet. You can request a listing by selecting the “Tell us more about it” link at the bottom of the search result page. You’ll need to provide a few different types of information about your business to get started. TripAdvisor editors will use this information to confirm that your business meets our listing criteria and determine the best category for it on the site. Complete the request form with as much detail as possible.
Your information
The “Your information” section helps TripAdvisor verify your relationship with the business. Provide your name, connection with the business, and email address. Make sure your email address is correct because they’ll send you a message when your listing is published on TripAdvisor. Then you can register your affiliation with the property to take advantage of free tools.
Listing information for your business
Next, you’ll provide information for your business including your company’s official name and address. Once you’ve typed your address, place the marker on the correct location on the map. Your property’s mapped location will be shown to travellers on the site as they plan their trips. You’ll need to add your company’s website and phone number as well.
Keep in mind that TripAdvisor’s editors use your website or a partner’s website (like a tourist board or reservations partner) to confirm the information you provide. So, it’s important that the data you submit in your listing request matches your website and other resources.
Business details
TripAdvisor will also need you to answer some detailed questions about your type of property. These help them to make sure they’re displaying your business in the right category and including as much relevant information as possible. For more specifics on your particular type of property, check out the categories below:
Accommodations:
As an accommodation owner, your property will be listed on the TripAdvisor hotels section for your destination. There are some specific items you’ll need to provide so they can put you in the correct category within that section:
• Total number of rooms
• Price range
• Minimum stay requirements
• If you have on-site staff and security
• If room cleaning is included
• Front desk staffing details
• If bathrooms are en suite
TripAdvisor uses these characteristics, as well as official, local classifications, to determine if your property should be listed in the Hotels, B&B/Inns, or Specialty Lodging category on TripAdvisor.
You’ll also be able to provide additional information on amenities including whether your property offers complimentary breakfast, suites, tennis/golf, beach/pool access, fitness centre, internet access, etc. These details will be added to the “Amenities” portion of your listing and will help travellers research what they can expect at your accommodation.
Restaurants:
Restaurant listings appear on the Restaurants section of TripAdvisor. Individual restaurants that are open to the public can be listed. You’ll be asked to provide information on your category of restaurant (sit down, café or fast food), type of cuisine, pricing, and any special features. These items will appear on your listing page and will help travellers decide whether or not they’d like to dine at your restaurant.
Attractions:
You’ll need to select a category that best describes your attraction. If your business isn’t a fit for any of the attraction types that are listed, select “Other.” You can also provide your recommended length of visit, pricing information and details on other amenities (bathroom facilities, lockers, etc.).
In order for a property to be listed on TripAdvisor in the Attractions section, it must be a permanent place of interest (not seasonal or short-term) with an official name, address and phone number. The attraction’s hours or regular departure times must be available in a website or brochure, along with scheduled departure locations (if they vary). Tour companies can qualify as an attraction if they offer day tours, are licensed/recognised by the local city or tourism officials and the word “Private” appears in the listing name.
Add a business description
A description of your business helps travellers learn more. It must be written in your local language and cannot include any HTML coding, phone numbers, web/email addresses or text in ALL CAPS. It’s best to keep this description short, so guests can scan the key highlights you’ve provided and make a decision.
Choose a photo
Providing a photo of your business helps you make a strong first impression with travellers. TripAdvisor will display this on your listing page. The photo needs to be a .jpg or .gif (common photo formats). TripAdvisor can’t accept images with borders, logos or files that are larger than 100kb.
Submit the listing
Once you’ve confirmed that all of the information you’ve added is correct, check the box at the bottom of the form to verify that you are a representative of the business, the information you’ve submitted is valid and that you have the rights to post the image you’ve provided. Then click the ‘Submit’ button to complete the process.
Next steps
Once you request your listing, TripAdvisor editors will verify your details and confirm that your property meets the guidelines for the business type you’ve selected. This typically takes about 5 business days.