As an introduction for newbies – what is a #TravelChatSA and how does it work?
#TravelChatSA is a non-profit one-hour live community travel chat that happens on Twitter every Wednesday night from 19h00 to 20h00. We focus on promoting and celebrating our country’s natural beauty, traditions, diversity, people, places, experiences and much more. Our chatters use the platform to share their knowledge, learn from others in the travel community and be part of a network of people passionate about Travel. Even though our weekly topics focus on South Africa, it is a dynamic and fun Global conversation that anyone can join, learn from and contribute to.
How it works?
Every week we set a new topic to discuss with our large community. 5 questions posted every 15 min. Great Hosts, Co-Hosts and Prizes Sponsors involved every week. Golden Rule of the conversation is to use #TravelChatSA hashtag which helps keep the chat together. It’s a perfect way to network and connect with others as well as learn, exchange information. It’s a perfect way to showcase your brand too.
Thursday morning is when our weekly Wednesday night #TravelChatSA Live Tweet Chat on Twitter hits the Radio airwaves! Expect anything and everything from can’t-sit-still-in-your-seat road trip music to studio interviews with passionate travel people. We give you fresh information on what to do, see and experience in Cape Town, the Western Cape and beyond – all across the length and breadth of South Africa. Our aim is to be Unapologetically Proudly South African in focus, enticing local travellers and foreign visitors alike to explore and enjoy our beautiful country as a destination.
#TravelChatSA has to be one of the leading local Travel related chats showcasing some really interesting aspects of what our country and its products have to offer – how do you think a travel product can benefit from including these chats in their greater marketing plan?
There are many benefits from participating in Twitter chats. Based on #TravelChatSA, in particular, the most important will be:
– #TravelChatSA helps to grow your twitter following and help you build your own Twitter community;
– It is a perfect way to learn, share tips and information within your industry;
– It’s also a great way to prove your own expertise;
-It is a very cost-effective way to increase brand awareness as well as to connect and engage with potential customers;
Do you suggest marketers/establishments only participate in topics directly relevant to them, or would you encourage them to join in broader discussions?
It’s all about consistency – therefore I would advise participating in as many #TravelChatSA chats as possible – and be actively involved in many conversations not only relevant to a particular brand. It’s all about conversations and creating brand awareness and participating once in a chat won’t help your brand.
There is a fine line between genuine engagement, collaboration and then self-promotion, what do establishments participating in a chat need to be aware of?
This is a very good question. Usually, chats have their own rules of engagement; Do’s and Dont’s which participants should learn about and respect before entering into the conversation. Specific weekly topics are set for a reason and sharing irrelevant tweets or how we call it “hard advertising” tweets will be spotted straight away and most of the time addressed by hosts.
It’s all about respect and knowing the rules.
You also don’t want to be called a “spammer” oversharing and advertising your own product.
The marketing power of a chat like #TravelChatSA doesn’t end once the chat itself finishes – what advice do you have for establishments looking to successfully mine the data and information gained from a chat?
The main thing is to learn from the engagement and listen to what your community/clients got to say; learn about other resources you are able to use within your brand; take opportunities where they are and be active – don’t let your online (social media) presence die.
Outside of #TravelChatSA Wednesdays – use the hashtag to share info, news, articles relevant to the industry on any other social media platforms: Instagram, Google +, Facebook, LinkedIn.
Influencer marketing ties in well with connections garnered through Twitter Chats – what advice do you have for establishments looking to connect with an Influencer post chat?
It is a platform to connect with influencers so do that – learn about influencers and their niche, what they do and what they can bring into your business. Discuss possibilities, set mutual and beneficial agreements and don’t be afraid to pay for their services. Build long-time collaborations.
