Twitter and The Travel Industry

Social media is booming. It can help to get your name out to the public and potentially gain clients or find a job (lets hope!). It is interesting to look at how different industries embrace social media and if they are even using twitter. The travel industry has a very high level of engagement on twitter.

I feel this is a excellent thing. There are millions of people on twitter that, if they really want to find your company and the most up to date information on that company, many people turn to twitter. According to an article, there are three categories that companies will be put into when they use twitter. These categories are:

• Community engagement and customer service
• Broadcast channels for news, articles, and information
• Dedicated sales channel

Travel companies fall into the broadcast channels for news, articles and information. However, there are companies that branch off and reach into all three categories. For example @jetblue does not just have a twitter for their actual company but they have @jetbluecheeps which gives discounted fares. Some companies use this as an extension to their campaigns and marketing strategies that are already taking place. There is a twitter account for the traveling gnome as an extension to Travelocitys Traveling Gnome marketing strategy.

The importance of a presence on twitter can not be underestimated. It can provide breaking news and many people turn to this for their breaking news. There was a journalist who was tweeting the whole time what was going on in a trial of the Cheshire Home Invasion, so people were really getting breaking news before any newspaper articles were written.

Twitter is not just for the major companies or travel destinations. Travel destinations on twitter can range from popular world destinations to the local park or beach. Locally, there is a twitter account for @cityofnewarknj.

Finally, any company should note that using social media, not just twitter, can help to amplify the voice and exposure of people or organizations who would normally only have a small reach. Personally, after searching and using twitter I found many travel bloggers that I now follow. It doesn't just give me information about destinations but it helps to inspire me because traveling is my passion and I wish to incorporate that in my future career path. (Which is 3 weeks away yikes!)

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller