Our own @madleeeen toured Montreal recently and stayed at a charming Bed & Breakfast. She loved the curb appeal of Couette et Chocolat so much, she shared this pic with us.

Dear Unnamed Travel Brand,

Thanks to the public nature of Twitter, I overheard your recent conversation about feeling overwhelmed and unnoticed in the giant sea of social media that your competitors have sailed successfully for some time.

After having a look around your social channels, I could see how you’ve been washed away by the wake of those early-adopting companies.

Here are four tips for getting noticed.

Be Attractive

Imagine your social networks as the lobby of your hotel or the lounge for your airline. You want your guests, customers and passengers to not only feel comfortable when they choose you, but to also be impressed with how you attended to the details for their sake. These same people will judge you just as quickly based on how impressive your online image is.

Pay attention to detail in everything from the avatars you select to the background of your Twitter profile to the events on your Facebook timeline. More and more, research is showing that people are interested in visuals, so your pictures and videos should be breathtaking, like this awesome depiction of Alberta by Travel Alberta. What are your examples of breathtaking tourism video?

 

Be Chatty

Quiet kids on a playground typically get chosen last for dodgeball. Many of them may be the best at the game, but because they’re less noticeable, they often get picked only when there are fewer bold and outgoing kids jumping up and down for attention out of the way.

Have you ever exclaimed: “Gosh, that silent cruise line really got my attention” ? I didn’t think so. Talk it up with your community online. In social media, strong and silent don’t partner well. Ask questions, conduct polls, and jump on board with popular memes and hashtags.

Be Thrilling

Being conversational is not enough. Ensure what you’re talking about is interesting. Mix up your messaging while staying true to your brand. Be thoughtful and thought-provoking. Use the language of your audience and wow them by delivering what’s fresh and relevant to them. Don’t know how to figure that out? Spend a bit of time listening before you engage.

Not only is the Virgin America Twitter feed evidence of much two-way banter, it’s witty and entertaining! With contests, quirky photos and general information all mixed with good old-fashioned engaging, I actually make it a point to check out their Twitter feed often. Can your followers say the same about you?

Be Findable

You can look pretty and tell a dynamic story, but if the spotlight is not turned on and the microphone plugged in, it’s all for naught. In my day-to-day, I look at a lot of travel brands online.. Far too often I am unable to find even the brands that I felt were popular. Sometimes I encounter a number of abandoned Twitter handles, or even just too many aliases to make clear sense of clutter the goal of finding you.

Search for yourself the way other people talk about you. Ask others to do the same for you, and then compare notes. Was it easy? Make sure you’ll be found.

While this advice may be old school to some, there are many travel brands (and organizations of all types, really) who are hard to find, and even harder to look at once they’ve been found. Don’t be discouraged about budgets and the fancy creative teams your bigger competitors may have. Use the resources you have — including the opinions of colleagues and friends — to dress up your social media presence and really be ready to greet your customers with your best foot forward.

For more helpful advice on how to make your brand more personal and appealing, have a look at this ebook on building stronger customer relations.