Facebook and Twitter as a resource for travel?
Social Networking has become all the rage in the last year. Just about everyone I know has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. It's been a great place to hook up with friends old and new alike. (A childhood friend found me yesterday who I have not seen or heard from in close to 30 years!)
While writing both here and on my personal blog, I've sent out "tweets" linking to my articles. Because my Twitter account also links to my Facebook account both are updated with my latest article which is designed to drive traffic and create buzz. I wrote about Tybee Island's honor of the Nations Healthiest Beach on Tuesday, which received attention from those who follow me.
What we're starting to see more of in the last 6 months are travel suppliers, vendors, and destinations who also have Social Network accounts. They are now using both Twitter and Facebook to promote and connect with those who are looking for their next travel deal..
They now have a brand new source to provide quality information that is both timely and useful. For example, I just caught wind of next weeks travel deals from Pleasant Holidays before it's even available in print via my Twitter account. Princess Cruises is another informative Twitter account posting destinations and cruise specials. As a family we're fans of Carnival and the Carnival fan page was an obvious choice to connect with other fans and find specials.
For some of the more popular and better managed Social Networking accounts, you can even post a question about a specific destination or deal you may have found and get a direct response back. Others who follow can also provide insight or answers from posting a question because Social Networking is designed to help you interact with others.
All you have to do is sign up (both Facebook and Twitter are free) and then select who you will "follow" such as airlines, hotels, cruise lines, visitor bureaus, travel agents, etc. You can search for specific information or trip planning, using the hash tag (#symbol) to look for #travel or #traveldeals or #cruises.
If you would have told me that either Facebook or Twitter would turn out to be a valuable resource of information six months ago, I don't know if I would have believed you. I saw it as a place to relax and spend time with friends and colleagues' alike. What I have found were several articles written both here and on my blog which were born as a "tweet" and several deals for clients have come directly to me because of my connections in Facebook.
The next time you're looking at a destination or a deal, you might want to look at Facebook or Twitter to help you find your next family vacation.
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