Transcribed

Vacationing the Social Media Way

by: @MDGadvertising VACATIONING THE SOCIAL MEDIA WAY How Travelers Use Social Media and Mobile Technology Before, During, and After a Vacation Social media and smartphones have disrupted a host of industries, and travel is no exception. Social sites and mobile tech have changed the way the average American prepares for, participates in, and recovers from a vacation. Here's what today's tech-optimized vacation looks like. ........................................................... PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF ........................................................... Finding Inspiration Through Social Media Travelers can find vacation inspiration in most places, but social media is growing to be a top source. Top Sites for Vacation Inspiration |29% |14% 6% 4% use social media for 52% summer vacation inspiration. Percentages reflect portion of those taking a summer vacation who plan to use each site for inspiration according to a survey by Allianz Global. Planning and Booking the Getaway on Mobile Mobile devices are quickly becoming pocket travel agents. ComScore reports that between December 2011 and February 2012, 51 percent of smartphone users accessed flight and/or hotel content, with 4 in 5 users accessing both. Top Mobile Hotel-Related Top Mobile Flight-Related Activities while Planning a Trip Activities while Planning a Trip Checked airfare prices. Looked up hotel address or directions. 26% 1 29% Looked up a phone number (e.g., airline). 25% Researched things to do at the destination. | 23% O Checked flight schedules. 25% Read a hotel review. | 22% Researched airport information. 24% Compared hotel prices and availability. Received price alerts for flights. 21% 19% Booked a hotel room. Booked a flight. 18% 18% Received price alerts for hotels. 18% Building Excitement through Facebook Once a trip is booked, social media users turn to Facebook to post about their upcoming trip and find more information about their destination. 52% "liked" a page 59% posted a status specific to an upcoming vacation. about an upcoming vacation. ..... ..... .... ..... .. ..... BON VOYAGE! ............................ Mobile Use Changing Flyers' Habits According to TripAdvisor, the percentage of travelers using their mobile devices to check flight status or check in for a flight nearly doubled over the last year. Travelers Using a Mobile Device to Check Flight Status Travelers Using a Mobile Device to Check In for a Flight 30% 50% .17% 30% 2011 2012 2011 2012 Americans Stay Social while on Vacation A Rising Tide of Mobile Use while Traveling According to a Marriott survey of 1,000 consumers, American travelers can't seem to take a vacation from social media while they're traveling. According to a global Frommer's Unlimited survey of 1,700 people, between 2010 and 2011 the percentage of those likely to use their mobile devices while traveling jumped from 27 percent to more than half of all adults. Among traveling social media users Adults Likely to Use Mobile Devices while Traveling 18-to-34-Year-Old Adults 72% 52% All Adults use social media (4% while on vacation 27%0 same amount use it the A Variety of Mobile Travel Uses Armed with a smartphone, tech-savvy travelers perform a number of tasks for information, reference, or entertainment. Top Ways Travelers Use Mobile Devices on Vacation 68% 48% 46% 30% 25% Keep in touch. Take pictures or video. Find directions Schedule wake-up times. Make reservations. to attractions. Other Ways Travelers Use Mobile on Vacation ***** Look up reviews for local businesses Translate languages Play games Calculate tips ... ..................................... ......... BACK TO THE GRIND .................... .......... ...... Vacation in Review Sharing Vacation Memories Once travelers are back from their trips and settling back into their daily routines, Lab42 reports that many social media users take time to write and post reviews about their experiences. Gone are the days of in-person vacation slide shows. Social media users post their vacation photos online for friends and family to see instantly. After returning from a vacation ... After returning from a vacation ... 46% post hotel reviews. ***** 55% 40% post activity or attraction reviews. "like" Facebook pages specific to a vacation. **** 76% post vacation photos to a social network. 40% post restaurant reviews. **** mdgadvertising.com twitter: @MDGadvertising SOURCES: MARRIOTT, TRIPADVISOR, FROMMER'S UNLIMITED, COMSCORE, ALLIANZ GLOBAL ASSISTANCE USA

Vacationing the Social Media Way

shared by MDGadvertising on Aug 06

953 views

2 faves

2 shares

0 comments

Social media’s increasing influence on our daily lives has rapidly extended into the ways we get away. From planning a vacation with social media to posting reviews of our trips upon our return, the... re’s no denying social media’s impact on travel today. To demonstrate how more and more people are using social media and mobile technology throughout their vacations, MDG Advertising developed the following informative infographic. The infographic opens by showing how 52 percent of travelers use social media to find vacation inspiration, with 29 percent of respondents flocking to Facebook for travel planning ideas, followed by 14 percent getting inspired by TripAdvisor’s vacation- planning insight. People are also making mobile technology into virtual travel agents as approximately one-quarter of respondents used their smartphones and mobile devices for comparing airfare prices, as well as checking flight schedules, finding phone numbers for travel resources, and researching airport information. Once the trip has been booked, more than half of travelers jump on Facebook to announce their upcoming vacation status and “like” pages related to their getaways. Next, the infographic explains how an abundance of Americans take social media along on their vacations. In fact, research shows that 74 percent of social media users check their social sites and 72 percent of adults are likely to use their mobile devices during their trips. Travelers have multiple uses for their mobile devices throughout their getaways, with a full 68 percent using them to stay in contact and almost half of vacationers using them to take pictures and schedule wake-up times. They also use their mobile devices to make reservations, get directions, check online reviews, and translate languages. Once the vacation is over, many travelers return to social media to report on their experiences. The infographic indicates that 46 social media users post hotel reviews and 40 percent write restaurant and activity reviews on social sites. Forget scrapbooks and slideshows, today’s tech-savvy travelers share their memories online, with 76 percent of social media users posting their photos on social networks. It’s easy to see how digital technology has transformed the way we travel, from planning a trip with social media to taking mobile along for the stay and then using social to share vacation memories. To learn more about the power of social media marketing for travel and vacation planning, contact MDG Advertising today at 561-338-7797 or visit http://mdgadvertising.com