Time to Look at our Online Spend
At all of our conferences and training events there is a figure that is always quoted- sourced from the ETC New Media Review- that in recent years there has been a 90% reduction in requests for paper travel brochures. It’s a great illustration of the rapid decline of traditional marketing, and a wake up call for Africa. How many of us, in both the public and private sector will happily spend more on printing those big, glossy, tree-destroying brochures than we do on our websites and digital marketing?
It’s a reflection of Africa’s lack of exposure to the online world that we are so firmly rooted in traditional marketing and media- and also the root cause of why we have found ourselves virtually invisible in the booming online travel marketplace.
But the times they are a changing folks- and many of us are currently being plugged into the promised digital land courtesy of undersea cabling. But are we ready to make the best use of it? Hands up if you are? Do a little online searching- and we don’t see too many hands raised. There is a long way to go- but the private sector is starting to see the writing on the screen- as the healthy attendance at our seminars and the resulting innovative and inspiring work being done by some companies across the continent proves.
The biggest cause for concern are our destinations- who should be supporting the products and stakeholders they represent and leading the way online. Outside of South Africa- I don’t see many African destination managers taking the digital space seriously. Just take a look at their destination sites- small, static, and seldom updated. In some cases they have credibility destroying errors, inaccuracies and misinformation.
So they should improve their websites? Well yes, but they also need to update their attitudes. Because succeeding online is about much more than a good looking website- with lots of pretty pictures and superlative text. It’s about having a digital strategy in place. This means serious budgetary consideration and resources. A tourist office that has an effective digital strategy involves all of it’s personnel, programs and campaigns to be sure that everything they do is reflected, strengthened and directed digitally. This does not mean having a website that is run by one ‘web guy’ who in many cases is also responsible for running the email network and ordering new printers.
This has to be driven from the top down. Senior managers and decision makers that have an appreciation for new media and use it in their everyday professional lives will make it a valued part of their strategy- and allocate appropriate budgets to it. Not a one off investment into a flashy, bell and whistle rich website which will look great at a launch party but then be poorly maintained, serve no real purpose and be visited and used by nobody. Cost effective online marketing and management resources should be treated as a capital investment and an ongoing cost- this is your face to the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across all markets, timezones and languages- do you really want to skimp on that?
You will have powerful tools that deliver easily measurable results- so why allocate this all important sector less money than vastly expansive television commercials, print ads, brochures and stands at trade shows- all media that are in decline across the globe.
But critically- it is time to start looking beyond just destination sites. Really embracing online is about more than just marketing- it’s about management of resources- and of engaging Social Media- and ‘Social’ means being an active part of the society. Let’s get away from form and talk about function. How many destination sites are actually engaging users? By this I don’t mean giving them lots of pretty pictures to look at- but actually making use of their visits.
Do we ask them what they want to do while they are in the country? Give them lots of options that reflect actual attainable products- and record what they look at and what they are interested in? A simple trip planner that lets visitors search for attractions, hotels and tours by interest, area and budget provides valuable data about our markets- and if this is captured stored and utilized- it becomes a powerful weapon in the destination marketing arsenal. If we encourage those people to enquire, subscribe or submit content, we start building up a database of users and building relationships with them that can become part of a customer life cycle.
And not just our clientele- what do we do to engage our private sectors and be sure that we have the best and most accurate information about our products- and what do we do to bring these two databases together and deliver actual customers and sales to the stakehold?
It is also critical that we understand that increasingly- our destination sites may well be the last place our customers go for information about us. They will be listening to other travellers and their experiences and opinions on blogging sites, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, Trip Advisor and many other sites before they reach your site with a decision already made. So this means engaging your users (past, potential and future) along with the wealth of bloggers, commentators and respected voices in tourism, conservation and culture that are talking about you. Their content will enrich your destination and you can help them to do so. It will be challenging but the rewards will be great. Destinations cannot afford to be afraid of the online community- to deny it, fight it or even worse- try and simulate it by using your own canned, edited versions of user generated content. Be active online- deal with the negatives and promote the positives. Become an active part of the community and engage, inform and educate as you go.
This is why it is vital that Destinations in Africa wake up and smell the cyberspace if they want to gain their rightful share of the vast $120 billion plus online travel market business. We need to start making online a priority and changing outdated attitudes to the management of tourism. We have to give voice to the young, dynamic and creative young people who are making a difference within our destinations and ask for their help to promote and manage our destinations.
We have the richest, most diverse and dramatic destinations on the planet- and the limitless world of the web to tell our stories.
