Pinterest and the Travel Industry

The following post is from Meghan Veroneau, TIG Global Marketing Coordinator.

You’ve probably heard about Pinterest by now, but do you actually know what it is? Or how it can be beneficial for your brand – whether that be a hotel, restaurant, retail establishment, or DMO?

So what is Pinterest?
According to Pinterest, the site is a virtual pinboard. I could explain it in more detail myself, but Mashable has already developed a great little summary of what it is and how it works in the description below:

“Pinterest is a place to organize and share online images that you find interesting or inspiring. Once uploaded or shared on Pinterest, these images become known as Pins, which the user can place on customized, themed Boards. You can create Boards for any topic imaginable, from cats to classic cars to cats driving classic cars. The possibilities are endless”.

It’s similar to Twitter in that it’s an open network, so you can follow people who might inspire you. You never know, you could be inspiration to someone else. Currently the catch with Pinterest is that it is an invite only network – similar to Google+ at the start. So, since it’s invite only, you’d assume it’s a new phenomenon? Wrong, Pinterest has actually been around for almost two years, but has only recently become one of the top 10 social networks.

Why do people use Pinterest?
Majority of the users on Pinterest happen to be young women in their 20’s and 30’s, a pretty coveted demographic. Most that are on it have become addicted to pinning. My Facebook news feed is covered in people posting about Pinterest, what pins they have added, what topics interest them, which people are influencing them, and much more.

There are a variety of reasons for people jumping on the pin bandwagon. Some are on the site simply to pin pictures of cool stuff they find floating around in cyberspace, while others are using it with a specific purpose or goal in mind. Think vacation-goers and brides-to-be. Not to mention, you can collaborate with people on boards that you set up. So, this could be a new way for groups to organize and plan group vacations minus the back and forth of emails and phone calls – one spot where everyone can put their ideas and inspiration for the trip.

Be cautious as a business however, as using the site solely as a vehicle to spam your boards with your products is frowned upon, and people just don’t respond well to heavy messaging that gets in the way of what is meant to be a fun space. For example, if you are a DMO in DC, this would mean you could take the opportunity to create boards that specifically promote DC tourism and attractions – think pictures of the monuments or events that occur in the area. Be creative in the ways you self-promote, think outside the box and make this an opportunity to showcase your brand personality, as opposed to posting advertisements of your destination partners. Through Pinterest, consumers are going to see how your brand can fit into their lifestyle, and this will be the influencing factor in successfully driving consumers to your site.

How can Pinterest be of use to the travel industry?
The beauty of Pinterest is that it gives marketers a key advantage to consumer insights. How? Use the site as your own personal focus group. By doing so, you are afforded the benefit of learning about the interests and lifestyle of those pinners that follow your brand. This gives you more insight into their choices than the user simple entering “travel” as an interest on Facebook. Using this tool, you stand to gain a huge advantage by leveraging your target customer’s needs, and to better suit your needs as well – everybody wins.

Another smart approach, as is with any good social media strategy, is to find a clever way to involve and feature your guests, customers, and visitors by spotlighting them on your pins. For hotels, think of guests showcasing themselves enjoying your property – think a picture of a guest cannonballing into the pool. For retail, think of a picture of a customer wearing an outfit from your establishment. For a DMO, think of showcasing tourists in front of a landmark. And for a restaurant, think of a picture of a guest ready to dig into an appetizing, signature dish.

In the travel industry, DMOs are going to have the easiest time creating a presence on Pinterest in my view. The point of the site is to drive someone to your tourism destination, which can be done easily through pictures that will tell your story. It will be a bit harder for hotels and restaurants to create a presence without overly self-promoting. It can be done, but will require creativity and patience and a good dose of thinking outside of the box. However, if you use Pinterest with some of the examples above, you should have a strong presence in no time. Don’t forget, be creative and have fun with it!

Of course, my one last suggestion is that you do your homework before joining Pinterest. See how other brands are using the network; especially see how your competitors are using it. Get your footing a bit before jumping in so that you do it right and can make the most of your strategy.

Are you in the travel industry and already have a presence on Pinterest? From your experience do you see any benefits in participating on Pinterest? Sound off in the comments section.

Interested in ramping up your online strategy? Check out the full suite of TIG Global interactive marketing tools, send us an email, or give us a call +1 301.841.4700(US) | +44 (0)20 3004 9468(UK).

Tagged as: Eye on the Industry