Digital media is ‘not just PR’

Travel companies need to stop thinking about social media in terms of ‘likes’ and start integrating it into all aspects of their companies to maximise the business outcome.
That’s the conclusion of a report by analysts Deloitte which says businesses have not kept up with the drastic evolution in technology.
“In 2013, digital media overtook television in the amount of time people spend using it. There hasn’t been a shift that seismic since TV overtook radio more
than 60 years ago,” said the report which was undertaken with Facebook.
The view that digital media is part of PR and marketing is limited - it should be integrated into a company’s overall marketing and operations strategy and become a ‘hard core’ marketing tool.
Although consumers see social media channels as fun and useful, they are actually “sophisticated media channels,” says Deloitte.
“Technology capabilities have evolved drastically, yet businesses have not kept up. The unique ability of digital channels to engage, measure, and create two-way dialogue is reason enough for businesses to take it seriously as a powerful tool.
“If travel companies move from “social media” to a more nuanced understanding of digital channels, the possibilities are endless. Digital media isn’t new anymore, but its reach and potential continues to evolve rapidly. The more quickly companies can adapt to these new technologies and integrate them with their core business strategies, the sooner they can transform their digital efforts from an expense to an investment,” it said.
A survey by Deloitte reported that 50% of travel executives believed their companies were behind the competition in their social media presence.
It says companies need to
 measure the business outcomes and not the social aspects;
 use the targeting ability that makes digital so powerful and
 be smart about where digital marketing sits in an organisation
In a Facebook survey of 10,500 social media users in 12 countries, “holidays” was the third most popular topic respondents reported seeing posts about on Facebook. Only friends, families, and news ranked higher.
The survey found digital channels ranked behind only “friends and family” and “word of mouth” as sources for travel ideas. About one-third said they started daydreaming about a new holiday while using a social site, or noticed a friend’s check-in and thought about going to the same place.
The most popular types of travel brands for consumers to “like” are hotels and airlines. What those brands need to evaluate is the value of a “like,” “share,” or “follow.”
After they return home, consumers use digital channels most often to share photos and videos from the trip. Others actively encourage friends to visit the destinations they just did.
Deloitte gives the example of Hilton which has extended it Twitter based concierge service to all travellers – not just those staying in their hotels. Holidaymakers can ask for local advice and an expert will tweet back.
“Traditional ads could never be anything but one-way channels. They offered no interaction, no window into the identity or mindset or behaviour of the buying audience, and only the most basic metrics. Today, digital channels offer all these advantages to the companies that know how to take advantage of them—and yet many haven’t been taking full advantage of their potential. Yes, you can use likes, follows and shares to build a large audience. But what will you do with it once you build it? it said.