HomeAway Confidential© HomeAway. All rights reserved.
Emerging Social Media
Jennifer Stafford – Social Media Manager, HomeAway
@jennstafford
@jennstafford @homeaway
HomeAway Social Ecosystem
World’s largest vacation
rental marketplace
15 brands globally
working on social
~100 social media
accounts worldwide
– Reach over 175 million
– ~2 million engagements
with our content per year
2
@jennstafford @homeaway
Trend 1: Visual Social Media
Visual social media is the buzzword and focus for successful
social marketers, but visual media is not a new concept
4
52% of travelers use social media for summer vacation inspiration
Source: Google Travel Survey, 2012
@jennstafford @homeaway
Trend 2: Micro-Video
Video falls under visual social media, but new mobile micro-
video apps are creating new opportunities for marketers
5
38.8 billion videos were viewed in April 2013
Source: Comscore
@jennstafford @homeaway
Who Uses Visual Social Networks
– Over 25 million active users
– Avg user has 2757 pins, 35 boards,
355 followers
• 70-75% female
• 31% age 30-64
• 20% college+ education
• 41% $50,000+ income
– 100 million active users
• 17% age 30-64
• 12% college+ education
• 24% $50,000+ income
Vine
– Small but growing
– Age range skews to 25-44
– Skews female
– Skews to college educated
6 Sources: Pew Research, Q4 2012; TechCrunch, App Insider
YouTube
– 1 billion users
– 4 billion views/day
Flickr
– 87 million users
– 40 million+ photos/month
Many more…
– Viddy (Instagram for Video) –
39 million users
– Vimeo – 14 million users
– SocialCam – 56 million+ users
– Path – 10 million+ users
– Imgur – 50 million+ users
– Etc.
@jennstafford @homeaway
What Users do on Visual Social Networks
7 Sources: Pew Research, Q4 2012; TechCrunch, ComScore, Facebook
@jennstafford @homeaway 8 Source: 2012 Google Travel Study,
Watch Travel
Videos:
- 45% leisure
travelers
- 64% business
travelers
Engage with
Travel Videos:
- 41% of leisure
travelers
(watch, upload
or comment)
@jennstafford @homeaway
Conversation Starters
1. Be Inspirational
2. Feature Your Customers
3. Give Back to Fans
4. Showcase Your Product
5. Showcase Your Brand
Be Creative!!
10
@jennstafford @homeaway
Inspire Wanderlust
Highlight the best
features of a
destination
Don’t have an
original photo?
Repost from others
with a comment
12
@jennstafford @homeaway
Inspire Wanderlust
Lots of similar
content to share?
Quality over quantity
Don’t overwhelm
fans.
– Apps like Pic Stitch
or use Photoshop
to push together
similar content
13
@jennstafford @homeaway
Inspire Wanderlust
14
Create a travel
postcard series for
by mixing
destination and fan
content into the
theme
@jennstafford @homeaway
Inspire Wanderlust
15
Create a travel
postcard series for
by mixing
destination and fan
content into the
theme
@jennstafford @homeaway
Inspire Wanderlust
16
Create a travel
postcard series for
by mixing
destination and fan
content into the
theme
@jennstafford @homeaway
Inspire Wanderlust
Take advantage of
timely/seasonal events
to create content
Inspirational/destinatio
n photos can mix in a
marketing message
and still see good
levels of engagement
17
@jennstafford @homeaway
Inspire Wanderlust
18
Focused
boards give
more
opportunities
for a wide
variety of
content
Popular,
tangential
topics can
complement
your brand
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Customers a Starring Role
Tiffany & Co.
Continuous hashtag
#truelovepictures promoted to fans
Fans hashtag photos and many are
featured
Apply It:
– Pull content into a page on your site
or a microsite
– Create a hashtag for fans
– Repost best photos on Instagram,
Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest
20
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Customers a Starring Role
21
Request fans
submit content
and publish
Republish
content you find
where fans have
mentioned your
brand
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Customers a Starring Role
22
Request fans
submit content
and publish
Republish
content you find
where fans have
mentioned your
brand
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Customers a Starring Role
23
Request fans
submit content
and publish
Republish
content you find
where fans have
mentioned your
brand
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Customers a Starring Role
24
Request fans
submit content
and publish
Republish
content you find
where fans have
mentioned your
brand
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Customers a Starring Role
25
Request fans
submit content
and publish
Republish
content you find
where fans have
mentioned your
brand
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Back to Fans
Promote
marketing
campaigns
Freebies for
fans
Online sale?
Try a QR
code image.
27
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Back to Fans
Promote
marketing
campaigns
Freebies for
fans
Online sale?
Try a QR
code image.
28
@jennstafford @homeaway
Give Back to Fans
Promote
marketing
campaigns
Freebies for
fans
Online sale?
Try a QR
code image.
29
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Product
Brand
awareness
Customer
how-to
videos
Testimonials/
Product
Reviews
New Product
Releases
Intro-content
for longer
videos or
marketing
material
31
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Product
Brand
awareness
Customer
how-to
videos
Testimonials/
Product
Reviews
New Product
Releases
Intro-content
for longer
videos or
marketing
material
32
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Product
Brand
awareness
Customer
how-to
videos
Testimonials/
Product
Reviews
New Product
Releases
Intro-content
for longer
videos or
marketing
material
33
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Product
Brand
awareness
Customer
how-to
videos
Testimonials/
Product
Reviews
New Product
Releases
Intro-content
for longer
videos or
marketing
material
34
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Brand
People love behind
the scenes views of a
company
Themes:
– Inside look at the
office
– Company events
– Employee
spotlights
– Philanthropy
36
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Brand
People love behind
the scenes views of a
company
Themes:
– Inside look at the
office
– Company events
– Employee
spotlights
– Philanthropy
37
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Brand
People love behind
the scenes views of a
company
Themes:
– Inside look at the
office
– Company events
– Employee
spotlights
– Philanthropy
38
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Brand
People love behind
the scenes views of a
company
Themes:
– Inside look at the
office
– Company events
– Employee
spotlights
– Philanthropy
39
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Brand
People love behind
the scenes views of a
company
Themes:
– Inside look at the
office
– Company events
– Employee
spotlights
– Philanthropy
40
@jennstafford @homeaway
Showcase Your Brand
People love behind
the scenes views of a
company
Themes:
– Inside look at the
office
– Company events
– Employee
spotlights
– Philanthropy
41
@jennstafford @homeaway
Tips
– Find hashtags relevant to your brand
– Use photo collage apps like Pic Stitch
– Incentives to upload (contests, reposting)
– Discounts (#promocode)
Vine
– Be creative!
– Use it as an intro to longer videos hosted on your site or a video service
– Ensure there is good lighting and remember there is audio recording
– Research how others are using micro-video
Test emerging channels as part of a holistic social strategy with proven
networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Share the love with other brands and users. Be social: Repost and engage!
42
2
Agenda
• Evolution
• How we’ve integrated emerging platforms into our current strategy
• Latest visual social media platforms
• Assessment
4
Integration – Wish I Was Here
Objectives:
Grow followers, boost engagement, promote
hotel partners
Process:
• Share one of 7 beachfront hotel photos
and be entered to win a trip
Tools:
• Dedicated microsite, Facebook Connect
Platforms:
• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest,
Google+, Instagram, email, mobile, blog
Engagement:
• #WishIWasHere and #WIWH
8
Integration - Bedventure
Objectives:
Gain loyalty program sign-ups,
grow followers, boost
engagement, promote
destinations
Process:
• Sign up for program, take pics,
share, enter to win trip
Tools:
• Dedicated microsite
Platforms:
• Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
Instagram, Google+, email, blog
Engagement:
• #Bedventure
9
Integration - Bedventure
Results:
• 250+ new members 1st
event, 500 in 2nd
• 1,000+ photos shared via
email and social media
• $1.5 million in publicity
value and 11 million
impressions
• 2,400+ video views in 1st
event, 3,500 in 2nd
11
Emerging social network - Vine
Twitter’s mobile app Vine is like
Instagram but with video (6
second loops).
You can share videos in the
app or with other social
networks like Facebook or
Twitter.
How to use it:
1) Create Brand account with
Twitter handle
2) Record video and audio
3) Tag, caption
4) Post
5) Explore
12
Uses for Travel Brands
• Promote upcoming events, product launches, announcements
• Brand engagement
• Capture user generated content
• #Hashtag extensions
13
Emerging social network - DAYS
Wander’s mobile app DAYS
groups any in-app photos into a
"visual diary" (5 a.m. to 5 a.m.).
Features animated gifs. You can
share a "day" via text, email, or
post to other networks.
Nothing is shared instantly.
No editing.
How to use it:
1) Create account with Twitter
handle
2) Record moments (all day)
3) Review drafts
4) Post
5) Find Friends
14
Uses for Travel Brands
• Capture user generated content (site reviews)
• Recap major events or programs (SXSW, rebrand, product launch)
• Brand engagement
• #Hashtag extensions
15
Social Graph fans, unlikes,
friends of fans
followers,
unfollows
followers,
following,
unfollowers
Followers
Posts posts, comments,
paid stories
direct messages,
tweets, retweets,
replies
posts Pins
Impressions impressions, page
views, unique page
views, organic
reach, paid reach,
viral reach, total
reach, photo views,
external refers
accounts
delivered to
(a.k.a. reach),
impressions
(a.k.a.
exposures)*
views, photo
views, video
views
Main feed views
Engagements responses,
comments, clicks,
comment rate,
video views,
interactions, people
talking about this
favorites, clicks,
user replies,
retweets, direct
messages, leads
comments, clicks,
video views
Repins, Pins from
site, Repins from
site, comments,
tags,
Sharing shares, likes,
shares/post,
shares/impression,
likes/post, likes/
impression
retweets,
mentions
+1, shares,
shares/view,
shares/post, +1/
views, +1/posts,
mentions
shares,
likes
Measuring Social
16
Is this emerging platform right for your brand?
• How many users are on the network?
• Does your target audience use it?
• What skills/content will you need to play?
• What are your objectives? (SEO, Brand Exposure, Traffic, Engagement)
• How will you measure success?