If you go to Twitter and search for the hashtag #Travel you’ll get tons of recent posts. It seems that depending on the time of day that new updates pop up every couple seconds.
It’s safe to say that #Travel is a hot topic on Twitter.
As a travel business owner or manager, potential visitors and customers are probably spending time on Twitter and it’s an opportunity to engage them, build a relationship and earn their business.
Here are a few tips for engaging with and responding to potential customers on Twitter.
1. Answering Direct Questions
Sometimes a few potential customers will get the itch to do some traveling. They’ll find their way to your area and to your brand and they’ll start doing some investigating.
Twitter is kind of this communication channel where brands in various industries to answer questions. So you might get a few direct questions from potential customers.
Obviously just answer them the best you can. Keep it positive the best you can.
Some brands might shy away from answering questions, but I think it’s a great tool especially for small brands. You can connect with your potential customers just like you would if they called you or if they saw you in person.
And if you get weird or insulting questions or anything like that you can always choose to ignore them.
2. Responding To Replies And Statements
You’ll also get some direct replies and sometimes just regular statements to your Twitter account.
Let’s say you share a photo. You’ll get some comments from people commenting on the photo. You can certainly engage them back to carry on the conversation. They might say how cool the view looks. You could respond with something like, “Glad you liked it!”
Or you could take it further by explaining a little tidbit about the view like, “The water was 75 degrees that day!” or something like that.
Providing more information can entice people and they’ll feel good knowing that you engaged them.
And again, if people respond with negative replies and statements you can always ignore them. There is no rule saying you have to respond to everyone.
My rule is to keep it positive and to focus on the positive people.
3. Following Hashtags And Engaging
Here is where you can really take advantage of Twitter.
Follow the big hashtags for your industry. I mentioned the #travel hashtag earlier in the post. That’s a really popular one, but maybe too broad for what you want.
However, you can follow hashtags relating to your state, city and area. You can also follow hashtags relating to the activity that your business provides.
These are people that are probably interested in coming to visit. But they might not know you exist yet.
When you follow the hashtags you can see what people are saying. Let’s say someone shares something like, “I would love to visit #Wisconsin this summer again!”
You could respond with something like, “We would love to have you!”
Or maybe something that provides a little tip, “Don’t forget to try the cheese curds at Mullins Cheese.”
You have to be careful about how much you promote yourself. It’s more about just getting to know people at this point.
When you do mention something mention complementary businesses. So maybe you own a boat rental service near Mullins Cheese. You can mention Mullins Cheese as a nice gesture.
That can build goodwill that will come back around to you in the future.
Here is how you follow a hashtag on Twitter.
Step 1. Search for it
Step 2. Hit All
Step 3. Save
Step 4. Click On The Search Bar For Saved Searches
4. Connecting With Influencers
As you follow saved searches on Twitter and get to know what’s going on with your industry on Twitter you’ll start to see some influencers.
These are people that have a lot of followers and who really know about your area or what you’re selling.
Follow these people so you can see what they’re sharing. Re-share their good tweets and reply to them with comments. You can ask them questions or add more to their conversations.
It’s just like meeting a person in real life. Start out with pleasantries and then, over time, get to know them.
The reason you’re connecting with influencers is because they have an influence over your potential customers. The influencer may mention your brand in the future and that can lead to more customers for you. It’s not something you can expect to happen, but it can happen if you build a good relationship.
5. Making People Feel Like Rock Stars By Re-Sharing
This last tip applies to just about all the items above. If you see something great shared on Twitter that relates to what you do and to your area always feel free to re-share it.
You can retweet it. People like retweets.
Or you could build on the tweet and leave a comment.
Let’s say someone shared a great photo from the lake where your boat rental business is located. You can comment like this:
The lake looks beautiful in this photo! RT: @potentialcustomer Me and the fam at the lake! #Wisconsin
People love getting re-shares on Twitter. You can earn goodwill by re-sharing with influencers, potential customers and anyone that is sharing great content. And you can find it by following those hashtags.
Final Thought
Twitter is a great tool for getting new customers for your business. It’s usually not something that will happen over night, but if you commit to the steps above you can build a following and a great reputation that will lead to more interest in your business and more customers through your doors.
Commit to spending 1-2 hours on Twitter each week. More is great if you have the time, but start out with 1-2 hours each week. That will give you enough time to get started with the tips mentioned above!
Image: Andreas Eldh
