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HARDWARE INCLUDES all types of equipment such as: computers, gps units like garmins, mobile and smart

phones, tablets, multi-touch tables, dynamic displays, barcode scanners, digital cameras etc

SOFTWARE INCLUDES: the programs we use for everything from database management for stat collection

and inventory control, to desktop publishing to bookkeeping and so on.

The “internet” is a massive umbrella term that traditionally included email and websites; which, early on, were

relatively easy for us to adopt into our practices and to maintain. However, with the introduction of “Social

media’, the internet evolved into a whole new beast, that continues to grow.

Social media describes the online tools that people use to share content, profiles, opinions, insights,

experiences, perspectives and media itself, Social media facilitates conversations and interaction online

between groups of people.

A few prominent examples of social media applications are Wikipedia (reference), Facebook and Google +

(social networking), Twitter (microblogs), YouTube (video sharing), Flickr and Picasa (photo sharing), del.icio.us

(social bookmarking), RSS Feeds, and specific to the travel industry: Trip Advisor, virtual tourist, foursquare and

gowalla, (geosocial networking sites that are created around and tied to specific places as defined by online

communities).

TECHNOLOGY CONNECTORS: the things that enable users to easily connect hardware equipment with

online content and resources created with software, for example wifi access and the mobile network, QR codes.

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(HOLIDAY PLANNING): Often a tourist’s expectations will be shaped by their preconceived ideas about a

destination, based on the conclusions they have drawn from a destination’s online presence and social media

content. Because of this, content syndication becomes extremely important. This means ensuring that your

messages are being represented and distributed by you, in a consistent, appropriate, effective and timely way

across the various channels and platforms.

(TRAVELLING THROUGH OUR REGIONS): With the growing popularity of mobile technology, like smart

phones and tablets and even gaming consoles like the DSis, Visitors have increasing levels of expectation

when it comes to accessing online content throughout their travels, and while we can’t control the reliability of

mobile networks, especially in rural areas, We can offer free Wi-Fi and high speed internet access at our VICs,

and encourage businesses and rest stops throughout our regions to do the same. We can also design

downloadable content and tablet and smart phone apps that function independent of the net, and that, if

designed accordingly, can serve as both an information source (like a traditional guidebook) and a bridge

between mobile access points.

(WALKING THROUGH OUR DOORS): Because visitors have access to so much information about our

regions, thanks to our online content, they often bring a level of knowledge with them when they walk through

our doors. They expect our VIC staff to be able to validate/confirm/affirm/reinforce that knowledge and expand

on it with comprehensive, real-time information and services. In doing this, our travel counsellors can really

serve to unplug the traveller from a somewhat sterile cyberspace environment and start to build tangible,

personal connections between the visitor and our regions.

(AFTER THEY LEAVE): Technology is also extending visitor’s interactions with our destinations and their

relationships with us long after they leave thanks to sites like Trip Advisor, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and

personal travel blogs. We need to be aware of this in our social media plans, so that we can monitor the

different platforms to both manage negative feedback to try to mitigate its impact on a wider audience, thereby

setting back our marketing messages, and so that we can leverage positive comments to encourage these

messages to be spread far and wide – retweets, and thank you posts reinforce your presence in social

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cyberspace and your ongoing concern for visitors well-being and enjoyment of our destinations after they’ve left

out centres.

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See also Digital Signage at Manchester’s Visitor Information Centre video on You Tube:

http://youtu.be/4kUREJQQpGg

Consider how the town of Vulcan is incorporating very accessible technology into their operations – Computers

and Google Earth in Travel counselling area and Evolution of VR Game to be more of a promotional tool for the

community.

(thank you to Catherine and her Vulcan Tourism Team for their assitance with this presentation)

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Technology can also serve to expand our VIC’s counselling services: by making timely visitor information

available after hours, and in the off-season, when our centres may be operating under reduced hours, or closed

down completely

Interactive 24 hour kiosks and Mobile apps are 2 more costly examples of how this can be accomplished,

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A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode that consists of black

modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. They can be generated at no cost by a number of

websites, and best of all you can track their useage to measure their effectiveness. QR codes are a form of

mobile marketing that use smartphone and tablet camera technology to link to any of your online content. They

are growing in popularity, and allow users to instantly learn more about your business, organization or region.

Statistics are showing that 52% of mobile users have seen or heard of QR codes, and of those 28% have

scanned one. QR-code scanning rose a whopping 1200% from July to December 2010.

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Displaying QR Codes on all of your print advertising, on posters in your windows and on bill boards can give

visitors instant after hours access to some of the travel information they might have asked you about – had your

centre been open. Linking QR codes to your seasonal online content, timely event information, your app’s

download site, staffed 1-800 information numbers (i.e. like 1-800-ALBERTA) or your municipal office’s phone

numbers etc. facilitates visitor’s getting easy access to the services they need when you are otherwise

unavailable.

Beyond the VIC, you can also use QR codes to enhance self-guided tours of your community or region, by

strategically placing them on signage at physical points of interest, or including them in printed maps, OR

getting really creative, and incorporating them into perhaps unexpected places

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- database software gives us an efficient way to record visitor stats, so that our reports are always up to date.

This can give us the opportunity to begin measuring the effectiveness of our annual campaigns and compare

them to previous periods much earlier in the season. And if necessary, tweak the campaigns so that they are

more in line with our actual visitor’s demographic.

- inventory control software allows us to keep better track of our printed material distribution, as well as our gift

shop merchandise, again allowing us to run a whole range of reports for a whole range of purposes.

- Various social media sites enable us to do further market research to identify travel trends, narrow in on our

target audience and seek inspiration from other destinations marketing campaigns and online presence.

- And of course the internet and social media has created countless dynamic and creative opportunities for us

to speak directly to our past and potential visitors, and engage them in ongoing, genuine conversations, in ways

we have never been able to with traditional marketing practices.

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For the past several years, we have been hearing about the increasing importance of adopting a social media

strategy into our marketing plans. But the social network is growing so quickly, with so many different branches

and opportunities for us to consider that it is challenging to stay on top of it, especially if we don’t have a

dedicated social media expert on our staff. Simply launching a website and signing up for a facebook or

google+ account, and a twitter feed, then updating your status or uploading pictures and videos from time to

time is no longer enough. You might also consider establishing a blog, setting up a flikr or picasa page, starting

a Youtube Channel and maybe even designing a mobile app. But, Whether you are using some or all of them,

they should all be intimately connected to each other, share a common brand spirit, and be monitored and

updated on a regular basis, in a manner that is appropriate to each forum.

Of course THIS TAKES TIME.

But both because of the far reaching impact social media can bring to our marketing plans and because our

visitors are expecting it – developing and implementing a comprehensive social media strategy for our VICs, IS

WORTH IT. Thanks to social media, we no longer have to cast our advertising net as widely, hoping that our

campaigns will stand out in the sea of marketing messages. Instead, social media empowers us to reach out

and not just advertise our destinations, but INTERACT directly with our target audience, developing a personal

relationship with them before they even arrive in our regions and walk through our doors. That is incredible

power to yield for our destinations.

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1): Whenever possible, you should avoid copy and pasting content from one channel to another, because:

- This can have a negative impact on your search engine rankings that look for unique content, and

-because users access different channels in different ways and for different reasons.

You want to encourage users to stay in your social media environment as long as possible, by interlinking to

each channel, but if you have the word for word, exact same information on multiple platforms, users will quickly

get bored and move on.

While it can be challenging to always be coming up with unique content, there are all sorts of tips you can follow

when you’re looking for inspiration. i.e. you can try using the same information in different ways that are

appropriate to each platform, and link them together.

For example, a tweet can be a 140 character announcement about a celebrity guest appearing at your special

event; your facebook page can offer more detailed information about the same celebrity appearance; your

YouTube Channel can feature a video showcasing the special guest’s appearance in your community, and ALL

can be linked to a page on your website where users can buy tickets. Of course each of the platforms can be

optimized separately and accessed independent of each other, but the point is, nowhere along the line is the

exact same language being used to describe the same event.

2) : Twitter tweets use a different syntax and grammar than Facebook status updates. While it is possible to

sync your Twitter feed and your Facebook Status, it is inadvisable to do so, because the twitter vocabulary that

has evolved from the forum’s 140 character limitation, combined with the medium’s prevalence of hash tags

causes synched updates to stick out like a sore thumb when they appears on a Facebook page. Similarily, the

short-form lingo that is commonly used for text messages on your mobile phones, is inappropriate in any forum

but there.

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3): It is almost imperative that your website be optimized for mobile devices; however, you must also

consider that people accessing your online content on their mobile devices want to FIND, not

SEARCH for their information. A good strategy to consider when planning a mobile marketing

strategy is to: remember the 15 second rule – if users can’t do or find something in 15 seconds,

chances are they will become frustrated or distracted, and you will lose them for good.

4): if you’re developing a mobile app, try to design it in such a way as to allow users to 1) manually

turn on and off the energy sucking GPS function as needed and 2) so that it functions independent of

the networks, so that international travellers don’t have to worry about accruing huge roaming charges

every time they use your app for extended periods of time.

5): Remember the 70/20/10 Rule - Social Media Formula for Success:

70% content should be value added and audience based. Whatever news or information our

followers most want to hear about. It can be links to articles or blog posts, tips, information on

national trends etc. It’s sharing information that benefits them, not you.

20% should be spontaneous interaction with your followers, fans or friends. It’s the back and forth

conversation: answering questions, asking questions or just chatting about topics of mutual interest.

This is the part where you show you’re listening and can respond as a human being, not as a “big

company”.

10% can be shameless self-promotion. Talk about your organization, recent accolades, links to

articles about you, promote an event etc.

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