The rise and rise of social media and digital technology have put the power firmly in the hands of the consumer. TripAdvisor is a case in point. Review-led, it shares profiles of hospitality, leisure and tourist attractions that are made up of the venue’s own images and words, along with those of their visitors.
Most businesses have adapted to the need for a Facebook page and a Twitter account in order to market successfully and interact with their customers. Should the leisure and hospitality sector be treating sites like TripAdvisor in the same way?
Absolutely.
TripAdvisor is like a free business consultation service. It was an early adopter of user-generated content. The website services are free to users, who provide most of the content, and the website is supported by an advertising business model. With regular checks it allows you to acknowledge and address any issues with your venue/service, and respond to customers directly about their experiences. Good and bad.
The benefits of good reviews are numerous. Positive reviews allowed a married couple from North Yorkshire to convert their family home into the number 1 bed and breakfast location on the planet for 2015, after only 3 years of operation. Business was booming.
Along with this couple’s success came the positive PR of radio mentions and even TV requests. Advertising job done. (Well, kinda – like all social media, TripAdvisor needs regular feeding).
Good reviews are certainly something to shout about, helping potential customers find their way in a sea of competing businesses. I once spent a long weekend in Paris basing all of my dining decisions on testimonials from TripAdvisor – and damn tasty it was too. Testimonials from TripAdvisor users can be shared across your other social media platforms, helping to distinguish your business from those around you.
Encouraging customers to review your venue can increase your online presence. Once someone has reviewed a location it becomes viewable for anyone who searches for that destination and contributes to the overall score for your business. As a business you can manage your business page with details of your venue and stunning pictures of your services.
With ‘320 million reviews and opinions from travellers around the world‘ influencing consumer decision making, your business should certainly be learning from these reviewers and taking part in the online conversation.
Kate Tyler is the founder of Shake Social and our long time social media expert. A regular speaker at events, Kate offers consultancy and training on a range of digital marketing topics, in particular safeguarding and using social media in an educational setting.