Social media

Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn… It all feels a bit overwhelming doesn’t it?

At least once a week tourism business owners ask me which social media channel works best, or ‘Do I really have to try to do them all?’, and ‘If I’ve only got time for one, which should I choose?’

It really depends on what you’re trying to do and who your target markets are, but there is one social media channel that works best for most tourism businesses. I’ll get to that in a moment.

If you’re feeling ov…

Where are you spending your time on social media? 

I don't mean where you're scrolling: rather where are you posting and most active in order to attract visitors?

I think many of us have got distracted trying different channels, enjoying the ease of just sticking a photo on Insta, taking a sneaky peak at stupid videos on TikTok. 

We've moaned about the changes to Twitter (X), thought that facebook was 'past it'. If you're anything like me, you've probably also felt a bit tired of social media…

New pens, notepad, clean desk. Good intentions. Freshly scrubbed face, newly cut hair.

Actually my hair isn't even properly brushed today. But the thought is there: that 'back to school' feeling is in the air.

Is there a way you can use this to strengthen your tourism business? 

It's many years since I went to school and quite a few since my daughter was there, but I still get the back-to-school feeling. It's a good excuse for some new stationery, but it also galvanises me into action plannin…

It’s raining. Again.

It might not be raining all the time, but the idea of a rainy summer can deter potential visitors. It dampens (sorry!) the spirits of those who do visit too, so referrals may be lower than usual.

What can you do?

Obviously you can’t stop the rain, but you can change perceptions.

Here are a couple of suggestions that work:

1. Don’t moan, especially on social media. Everyone knows the weather isn’t great. You don’t need to add to the misery

2. Don’t deny that it’s a litt…

This year has been a strange one for the tourism industry. Some incredibly busy periods, followed by gaps in demand. Strong bookings for times that are usually less popular, and yet empty weeks at peak season. Flurries of advance bookings, and then many very last minute bookings. 

It's unsettling and leading to a lot of concern: a roller-coaster ride of optimism and pessimism. 

So what can you do? 

It's tempting to simply discount and hope for the best. After all, many people are struggling a…

This week I've been judging the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence (accommodation) and noticed some positive trends: 

1. Good businesses really are memorable, with stand-out appeal: independents manage to do this well, and some chains are trying to find better ways to differentiate individual properties. Some businesses have made significant investments in their properties, but it's not just about cash - creativity and guest-focus really count.

2. Since last year's judging panel, it seems that…

Emojis make people smile 😃. They're fun. But they're not very professional? 

Using them in your marketing - whether it's in an email, or your social media - would be like speaking slang in a business meeting instead of 'proper' English. Or? 

If you target very traditional people who are perhaps quite formal, they may not react very positively if you pepper your marketing communications with emojis.

However, most tourism-related businesses have an audience who are now very used to seeing plent…

It's the one thing everyone tells me they struggle with - ideas for social media posts.

What can you write about to keep people interested and engaged, and to encourage them to plan a visit to your business? 

Here are a few ideas

Before we get started: instead of just scanning through these ideas, I suggest you get a pen and paper (it works much better if you can actively scribble, not just think or type) and jot down related thoughts as you read each topic. Let the list below spark more idea…

We want people to scroll - to find our posts and information. But then we want them to stop. We need visitors to stop scrolling long enough to take in the reasons why our areas and businesses are worth visiting. We need them to stop scrolling so they can choose us.

We need visitors to absorb essential information on our websites, and visitors don't always have the patience to scroll all the way down your pages to find what they're looking for. 

The answer: use really compelling information and…