Facebook comes up trumps for travel marketers

62% of travel marketers rate Facebook as the most effective social media network, according to a new EyeforTravel report

When it comes to travel marketing, nothing compares with Facebook, according to a new industry-wide survey from EyeforTravel. The State of Data and Analytics in Travel Report 2017 found that 61.6% of travel marketers think Facebook is the best performing social media network. Instagram, also a Facebook company, trails behind with just 15.8% of respondents, followed by Twitter (10.3%) and YouTube (6.2%). No other social media network had a significant response rate.

Voyages-sncf.com, the ecommerce arm of France’s state-owned rail company, has understood the power of Facebook. Speaking at the recent EyeforTravel Europe Summit, Chief Operating Officer Arnaud Masson said: “You need to be there if you want to deliver a good customer experience.” With over 1.2billion using messenger today, he has a point.

In fact, Masson believes that Facebook needs to be the extension of any website or app. Initially, Voyages-sncf.com used it for customer service, which proved more popular than email. It went on to become one of the first companies to create a chat bot for Messenger, and it’s been so successful that the development team has continued to innovate with new features and extensions.

78% of travel marketers are using social media data in their marketing campaigns EyeforTravel

“Facebook has numerous advantages above its rivals, but the most significant is the depth of information it has on its users,” says Alex Hadwick, Head of Research at EyeforTravel. As people have become increasingly familiar and comfortable with social media, so have they become more relaxed about sharing everything from their interests and preferences to travel plans. People regularly ask for travel recommendations from their ‘friends’, providing a unique opportunity for travel marketers.

“This gives Facebook huge power, which has been multiplied by the strategic acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp,” says Hadwick, who argues that, “these acquisitions also help to future-proof Facebook from potential downturns in usage of the original platform.”

For the moment though, that shows now sign of abating, and Facebook is working hard to provide marketers with the right tools. For example, its ‘dynamic adverts for travel’ allows marketer to push adverts to people who have previously visited a website or app.   

EyeforTravel’s data backs this up with the survey also finding that 78% of travel marketers are using social media data in their marketing campaigns. This level of integration illustrates the importance social now plays in marketing efforts, a position that is only expected to increase in the medium-term. 

Click here to download the full report. Or why not join us at one of our second half events?

Related Reads

comments powered by Disqus