Context

They have to know about you before they can talk about you. Here’s how to get them talking.

The Web has evolved into a giant “word of mouth” machine. In the old days (10 years ago?), if a family member or friend recommended something, you might act on it without much research of your own. But that was because you knew the person and trusted their judgment.

Today, the Web is full of reviews and recommendations from complete strangers who aren’t experts in their field. They are just people who have had an experience (read a book, went on a vacation) and then wrote about it online. And based on positive reviews from strangers, people buy.

An interesting phenomena of the Web is how many people actually take the time to contribute. Whether they are posting reviews and uploading pictures on TripAdvisor, reviewing books on Amazon, contributing to Wikipedia, building MySpace sites, or writing blogs, millions of people want to talk. They praise, they complain, they debate, they pontificate. They want their 15 minutes of fame. And many millions more read what they have to say.

So, are they talking about you? How would you know? You can do a search on Google. To really stay on top of it, set one or more Google Alerts for the name of your property, attraction or association. That way, you’ll get an email every time Google finds your name mentioned.

Cheap and cheerful ways to get the talk started
So you’ve got your Web site up to date and you’re ready for business. What are some inexpensive ways to get noticed, get talked about, get your name out there?

Here are ways to start that don’t cost a cent:
• Have you registered your property or service with travel sites such as TripAdvisor? In many cases it’s free. Have a look and get started. And then, make sure you deliver a great product and service, because people will talk!
• Have you submitted your site to the search engines? Each search engine is a bit different, but it makes sense to submit your information to Google, Yahoo and MSN. For that matter, take a look at their Webmaster tools and learn how the search engines “see” your site. You might be surprised, and think of ways to increase your visibility. See what Google has to say to Webmasters. Here’s the Yahoo version, and the guidelines for MSN.
• Do you participate in industry forums or comment on blogs? Get yourself out there, and when you sign off, include your URL. You could even take it a step further and use a special URL that leads to a custom landing page. Look for blogs here.
• Are you a subject matter expert? Sites are looking for experts to contribute. Perhaps you could write a regular column and contribute periodically. In your sign off, include a bit of information about yourself and your URL. So, let’s say you’re an outfitter in northern Ontario. You probably know a thing or two about fishing. Share some of your insights on an appropriate fishing site and see if customers start biting.
• Read a book and write a review. Book reviews on Amazon and Indigo get millions of readers. Write your review and include your URL. Scan the reviews and you’ll get the hang of it.
• Are you using your email signature file to promote yourself? At the very least, your signature file should carry your contact information including your Web URL. But you can go further, and include a small marketing message. Change it every month. That way, every email you send carries an ad.

Work with your association, your region and your natural partners
There’s a lot your association can do for you. Are you participating in co-op programs? Perhaps your association’s Web site has a feature or spotlight on their members. Or they may have a newsletter that needs regular content. Make it easy for them – provide an interesting story, with great pictures of course, in a format that they can use quickly.

Look for opportunities with others who could be natural partners. You could help each other on your Web sites and drive business for both of you.

It’s all about exposure
You just don’t know where people will find you. The Web makes it so easy to go from one site to another, whether they’re related to each other or not. So don’t worry about participating only on travel-related sites.

Just imagine, you posted a comment on a blog. Someone reads it and clicks on your link. It takes them to the home page of your lodge. They remember their brother is looking for a lodge vacation, and send them an email. The email reads, “Hey brother, I stumbled across this, and thought you might be interested….” Do you think that link will get clicked? That’s how word of mouth works on the Web.

The Tourism Marketer’s Bottom Line: You have to be out there to be part of the conversation. There are many ways to participate, and usually it just takes a bit of your time to get going.

Our Offer to You
How should you start improving your e-marketing efforts? Start with our offer of 3 hours of complimentary E-marketing Consulting. This will be three hours of practical, no-nonsense consulting about your site, your e-marketing efforts. We understand your business is unique, so this session will be about you. You’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned immediately and successfully. Imagine if your new e-marketing efforts could increase your business by 10, 20 or 50 percent. What would that mean to you?

After the meeting we’ll follow up with a summary report with suggested next steps. You’ll be able to take immediate action to start a high performance e-marketing initiative for your business. Contact Andy Strote to get started with our offer.