Being present online has become crucial, in any profession.
For online Travel Consultants to “survive” the web is indispensable. What is “internet” today? Does it make more sense to create a blog or, focus solely on social networks?
Blog or social network? It is a common dilemma for those who consider that they have little time to devote to activities which aim to strengthen their online presence.
The answer is that one tool should not exclude the other. On the contrary, they are two different channels of communication which are closely linked.
In both cases, we are talking about expressing yourself and ways to transmit each person’s professionalism and personality.
Blogs and social networks should work alongside each other: the blog helps to elaborate, and offers a free space where you can create content (written, video, photos, etc …).
It is the place where you can showcase your expertise, the way you work as an online Travel Consultant: to serve travellers, and their safety around the world.
Social networks, in turn, can mean that certain messages travel more swiftly and immediately. They can be shared and made viral.
Why have a blog nowadays, in the era of social networks?
The blog is still a powerful online tool, especially for professional purposes. With a blog, you are able to:
- introduce yourself, for the benefit of Personal Branding;
- share: tips, knowledge, understanding, emotions, travel experiences, suggestions etc …;
- Communicate: Transmit ideas, professional projects, collaborations and get in touch with potential readers-clients;
- become an influential source: in providing verified and precise insights and information, you become a reference point for readers;
- Sales: Getting the best out of the internet, showing your passion and expertise helps to create trust, making the reader more inclined to request information about a trip.
Maintaining a blog means spending time on it: it is a good idea to regularly update your publications, not leaving it “abandoned” for too many days.
Starting a blog also means implementing its technical structure: many people become blocked at this point, for fear of not knowing how to do it.
In a just a few days, on the personal domains of online Travel Consultants, Evolution Travel, you will be able to start a blog without having to think about technical side.
The platform will be ready to use, so every salesperson can start writing posts right away.
It saves you time and energy, to the benefit of user communication. All that you will have to do is introduce yourself and and show your professionalism through the blog.
And what about social networks?
Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Instagram, and all other social networks have become the most widely used tools for the entire population.
Though they are widely used and reachable, social networks do not “self-feed”: to grow and generate feedback, they need content.
This is why introducing yourself to the world via only a Facebook page can be limiting. Carrying contents of your blog through social media is a good strategy, in order to reach different targets.
An online Travel consultant’s Facebook page is always rich in world travel information, travel deals, and insight about places around the world: this is what one expects from a professional in the industry.
Why always communicate using only external sources, when it is possible to give out information and describe places first hand?
This is where your personal blog allows you to offer your viewers an in depth and interesting insight.
Without blogs, however, this would not be possible: you would end up briefly expressing your idea through posts and articles from other sources. You take viewers elsewhere, dropping them out of our “space”.
That is why setting up a combined blog + social media strategy can aid Personal Branding, which can be easily traced online through search engines, and become a familiar presence for those who love reading travel blogs.
Over the following days, online Travel Consultants will begin to create their own blogs on their domain, without even having to pay for the necessary web space.
An extra card to play to completely expose your name to viewers, and show your expertise in the huge sea that is the web!
We will talk about it again soon, as before long there will be special insights into the social networking theme.
by Stefania Bochicchio
Leave a Reply