First it was snow.

Then it was fog.

I was supposed to fly to Nanaimo from Vancouver by floatplane, but the winter weather wasn’t allowing it to happen. My Nanaimo social media workshop, as a result, was canceled. Twice.

Well, three times lucky, right?

Upon planning the third attempt at this workshop, I decided it would be best to scrap the floatplanes and instead take the ferry. Nanaimo, by the way, is the second largest city on Vancouver Island – an island that sits off the coast of Vancouver. It takes 2 hours to get there by ferry or 20 minutes by float plane. To make my plans even more foolproof, I decided I’d head over to Nanaimo the night before. As far as BC Ferries go, only the rarest of windiest storms could spoil their journeys, so it was a chance I was willing to risk.

Realizing I’d never stayed in Nanaimo before, I fired off an e-mail to our Nanaimo-based client for accommodation suggestions. He wrote back immediately:

“The Coast Bastion Inn is the nicest and it’s downtown, but the Buccaneer Inn is better rated and it’s by the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal.”

Hmmm. I’d be arriving early Tuesday evening from Departure Bay and had my workshop south of downtown the following morning, so both options were appealing.

I looked at their websites and noted that these accommodation choices were totally different ends of the spectrum – ultra-modern higher-end hotel vs. a one-of-a-kind family-run motel. I could easily enjoy both for completely different reasons.

I then went to TripAdvisor.

I went to TripAdvisor and did what most people do – I skimmed through the hotel reviews, only to discover that both of my options were good. The Buccaneer Inn’s rated #1 and the Coast Bastion Inn is rated #2.

I then went to the TripAdvisor Nanaimo forum and asked the following:

I got responses almost right away. The responses to my questions were detailed and sincere. Take a look!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g154935-i1422-k4133044-Hotel_dinner_recommendation_for_tomorrow_night-Nanaimo_Vancouver_Island_British_Columbia.html

But what I really found fascinating were the posts by “BuccaneerDave”. He’s the TripAdvisor Destination Expert for Nanaimo, and being a Destination Expert myself, I was familiar with his genuine helpfulness and solid advice he’s given others in the past. But it was at that moment where I put two and two together:

BuccaneerDave obviously must work for the Buccaneer Inn.

If you know anything about TripAdvisor forum etiquette,  you’ll know that self-promotion and solicitation is forbidden. It’s just not kosher. Even if you attempt to write about your own business in the forums, anybody can flag it as inappropriate, thus removing the post permanently. As a business owner you can participate in the forums and be helpful in the forums – you just can’t talk about your business. It’s a delicate balance.

So with all this in mind, I was particularly interested to read his advice. This is what he wrote:

As per my previous experiences from what I saw in the forum, BuccaneerDave gave me valuable local insight on Nanaimo. His answers were all relevant to my questions, making sure they addressed my needs. But even more impressive was that BuccaneerDave was endorsing the competition and all those businesses within its vicinity.

In addition to the above reply, BuccaneerDave sent me a private message on TripAdvisor. The private message explained that he can’t talk about his property (the Buccaneer Inn) due to conflict of interest, but that he recently toured the Coast Bastion Inn (his competition) after their recent $7 million renovations and that, with its location downtown, it would be a perfect place for me during my short stay as it would offer the best experience of Nanaimo for somebody like myself – a single female exploring the city for the first time.

Well, talk about an ambassador! Putting your customer’s needs first before personal gain. Now that is truly commendable! That is what TripAdvisor Destination Experts are all about.

So my question to you is:

Do you know who your local TripAdvisor Destination Expert is?

Perhaps it can be you!

Until next time…

Robyn

A lot of organizations are using social media to reach out to their consumers, but are they communicating effectively? In this second part of our two-part blog post*, we’ll look at some simple best practice tips for communicating with your consumers in social media.

1.    Start conversations with an open-ended question

The easiest way to engage your consumers is to simply ask an open-ended question. These questions don’t always have to be about your business or industry either, but something topical, interesting, or fun – something that will encourage discussion amongst your audience. For example, at Christmas time, ask your audience what their favourite Christmas movie is.

I really love what the Royal BC Museum is doing on Facebook. They ask their fans out-of-the-ordinary trivia questions that pertain to British Columbia:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-BC/Royal-BC-Museum/167577844943

And better yet, the Royal BC Museum follows up:

Not only did they answer the trivial question, but they also acknowledged some of the participants on an individual basis. Now that’s engagement!

2.    Ask people for their advice, opinions, and feedback

Social media is an excellent sounding board. You’d be amazed at the kind of feedback your consumers will give you if you simply ask for it.

For example, the Calgary Stampede asked for their Facebook fans for their opinion on how they could incorporate Facebook and Twitter into their 2011 plans.  They got 19 responses.

They also responded to those who took the time to respond to their question:

3.    Encourage your consumers to share their experiences

People that like your Facebook Page have likely already visited your business and/or destination. They’ve also likely had a great experience because otherwise,why would they become fans? Asking them what those experiences are is a great way for engagement.

There’s also a good chance that there are a lot of locals on your page who know the insider tips that new potential visitors might be interested in hearing. People LOVE sharing those secrets and insider tips – don’t undestimate their willingness to do so, however sometimes all it takes it a call to action on your part.

4.    Run contests and giveaways

Running contests and giving away prizes is great for engagement. Be creative with it! For contests, the prizes don’t have to be epic – give away little things. If you don’t have the budget or the resources to give away freebies, recognition is often enough. For example, host a photo contest where the the winning photo gets published on your blog, your website, or your newsletter.

5.    Cross-communicate with others

Facebook has introduced the ability to tag people and Facebook pages in a Facebook status update. By tagging relevant Facebook pages in your status, it will create a direct link to their Facebook page wall. Depending on their Facebook settings, your Facebook status update then gets posted on their wall, allowing you to open up the conversation to a whole new potential group of consumers. Facebook has created a blog post explaining how to tag: http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=109765592130

* Part one of our two-part blog post: Five Best Practice Tips for Conversing with your Consumers

A lot of organizations are using social media to reach out to their consumers, but are they communicating effectively? In this two-part blog post, we’ll look at some simple best practice tips for communicating with your consumers in social media.

1.  Be personable

Don’t be afraid to show your personality when you’re conversing with people – social media’s the appropriate channel for this, and it’s okay to be more casual conversation-wise in social media than you would on your website. It also makes your social media updates more authentic to your readers.

One of my favourite examples of this is the Police Museum’s Twitter account. The museum’s director, Chris Mathieson, does an excellent job at adding personality to the museum’s social media presence:

http://twitter.com/policemuseum

2.    Respond to questions

If somebody e-mails you a question, do you respond in a timely fashion? Why would it be any different if somebody asks you a question on your Facebook page, or on your Twitter account? If people are asking you questions via social media, don’t leave them hanging! An additional value is that others who might have the same question can benefit from your answer as well.

3.    Respond to comments

If people are leaving comments on the content you’re posting, respond to them, even if it’s with a simple “thank you” message. People like to be acknowledged as it shows that you’re listening and that you care.

The South Garden B&B in Harrison Hot Springs is doing a great job at responding to the comments left on their Facebook page. Their responses are all very personable:

4.    Don’t use canned responses

Social media allows you to reach out to people on an individual basis. Although you may be tempted to automate your involvement in social media, template responses never work – people can see right through it.

By taking the time to write unique responses, it shows that you’re actually listening to your consumers.

5. Communicate online the same way you do in person

When you’re conversing with people online, it’s no different than talking to somebody in person. If it helps, try to imagine the person standing at your front desk. Use the same lingo you’d use in person – don’t treat your consumers as if you’re writing a press release. People want that human on the other end. Be yourself.