Meet +1 : Google’s answer to the Facebook Like Button

                This article is interesting and is about the new evolution of Google’s Social Search. Indeed, Google launched recently “Plus one” button, which is similarly to Facebook’s “Lke” button and, to Twitter’s “Tweet this” button.

                The “Plus one” button allows users to share their search results and adverts with people in their Gmail and Google Talk Chat List, people in their “My contacts” group in Google contacts, and, people they follow in Google Reader and Google Buzz. In this sense, now, some Google search users can see a +1 button next to search listings. 

                As the principle of this button is similar to which for Facebook’s “Like” button, there is a big difference between these two things. In this sense, Google owns paid search advertising, and, this “Plus one” annotation has the potential to provide a boost to AdWords campaigns, which is very important.

                I think this new evolution in Google Social Search is very interesting and it can be very successful!! Why? Because for me, if you’re searching, it’s nice to see if there are any answers that are recommended by your friends. It is the same principle that for the other social networks, or reviews sites, we are more interesting and convinced if our friends recommend or not this hotel, this restaurant or another thing. As we know the person who clicked on the “+1” button, and made a recommendation, we would be easier influenced by that. 

                To conclude, I can say that for me this new tool available on Google Search is useful, and it is a proof of the important and of the huge evolution of the social media, the social networks! With this button “Plus one”, we have the question of influencers... In this sense, as I said below, more your friends recommend something like a restaurant for example, more you will influenced to go on this restaurant!  And, inversely, your + 1’s can help your friends, your contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search, it can influenced them.

                And you, what do you think about this new evolution on the Google’s world? Could you influence easier in your research?  For you, is it a real rivalry to Facebook’s Like Button?

Half of business travelers use mobile to search / book hotel, says Travelport.

Nowadays, a mobile is more and more used for many others things that to call and send sms. Indeed, with the iPhones, Smartphones...people can go on internet at any time and anywhere, and, it is that they do!! Moreover, there exist more and more applications for mobile, and, it is more and more a necessity for the hotels to include a mobile marketing strategy in their global marketing strategy.

So, this article is about a research made by Travelport, on the hotel experiences and expectations of the business travelers. This research was made on a survey of 150 respondents.

The most important result of this study is the fact that more than half of the business travelers questioned use their mobiles to search and book a hotel. Moreover, according to this research, 80% of business travelers expect more of the mobile applications. In this sense, they would like to see mobile applications offering suggested restaurants and bars around the hotel location; and suggestions for recreational activities for 67%. Many business travelers questioned during this research expect to see mobile apps less limited, and offering more services and possibilities.

This study shows also the important of the internet in general for these business travelers. In this sense, 71% of the survey think that WIFI is one of the most elements that should be included as standard in hotel rooms.

I think that this article and the study of Travelport are very interesting, because, as Rabih Saab has explained at the end of the article, with this study and its results we can more understand what the business travelers want. Indeed, with these results we can better understand that business travelers are more and more focused on the use of their mobile during their stay (from the preparation to the end of the stay), and they have some specifics expectations for the mobile apps.

If we take the example that 80% would like to see mobile apps offering suggested restaurants and bars around the hotel, we understand very well that these persons want to use their mobile not only to search and book the hotel, but also to organize their stay (restaurants, activities, bars...).

I think that the main result of this study is a proof of the rapid and important increase in the use of mobile technology in the business travel sector. Many businesses have the habit to use their mobiles everyday to check their mails, to contact their colleagues, their clients... so, it is easier for them to use also their mobile for their travels.

To conclude I want to say that the use of mobile technology in the travel industry (as well as for the business travelers as for the leisure travelers) is more and more important and, the hotels must have a mobile marketing strategy. It can be a partnership with a location based services, an official website for mobile,...

And you, when you organize your travel and during your stay, do you use your mobile? If yes, which type of mobile apps do you use? What do you expect for the futures mobile apps?

Social Media ROI

Social media roi

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Comment about Lea's article - Mobile : Transforming the delivery of today's hospitality experience

I totally agree with Lea! Today, companies need to be present on social media and on mobile. Indeed, mobile and social media have an important place in business and leisure travellers searches, so, if a company wants to be competitive , it needs to have a mobile strategy and a social media strategy in its marketing strategy!

Mobile is a new distribution, a new way to organize our travels, and we are more and more to use it to plan our trips.

So, with all the possibilities that a hotel has on the mobile market (mobile web site, mobile apps, mobile advertising...) it is essential and primordial to integrate a Mobile strategy in its overall strategy!

 Link to her comment.

More tips for marketing your hotel on Google Places.

Google Places allows business owners to update and manage their physical business location information. It is a very important and an interesting tool used more and more.

Indeed, according to a recent Google study, 20% of all searches realized on Google are to find location specific answers. As it is said in this article Google Places is a vital channel for the hotels.

With more than four million businesses and growing currently listed on Google Places, there is a real and a big competition between the hotels present on Google Places, for their page ranking. So, it is essential for a hotel to optimize its Google Places page, in order to appear near to the top of Google results.

This article gives and explains ten important tips that hotels need to follow to maximize their Google Places page:

1.      Add as much detailed information as possible  

2.      Fill out the additional, yet optional, information fields.

3.      Take advantages of Google Tags

4.      Optimize your description

5.      Select category listings carefully

6.      Keep your title simple

7.      Use the “share an update” feature

8.      Includes pictures and videos

9.      Take advantage of the coupon feature

10.  Encourage online interaction with your guests.

Google Places  is a vital channel for hotels, and, hotels need to have a Google Places page. This page need to be as detailed as possible but with essential information! Indeed, it is not the official website of the hotel, so the hotel need to be concise using some key words, the goal is to be more visible and attractive!!

For me, I is a good tool and with the use more and more important of Internet (to organize your travel, to search a hotel, to collect information about a hotel…) it is primordial, for a hotel, to have a Google Places page. But, this presence should be active and regular, to face the increasing competition.

ð  Why is it so important to have a Google Places page and to optimize this page?

I think, it is important to have and to optimize a Google Places page, because it is essential to appear near the top of Google results, in order to be more visible and to be present on the first page of Google results. I do not for you, but, for me, when I make a research of hotel on Google, I see and I am more attracted, most of the time, by the first results, and, especially hotels which are localized on Google map. For me, if a hotel has not a Google Places page or if it is not appearing on the top of Google results, this hotel is missing an important and a real opportunity to reach potential customers, travel shoppers, direct bookings… so it can have a negative impact for the hotel.

 

ð  To conclude, I wish to advise the hotels : Go on Google Places, create your page and optimize it!! It is a good deal and a good strategy to use it!!

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Comment about Nodira's article - How to create a killer email newsletter

I found this article and Nodira's comment very interesting and true. Everyday, we recieve many newletters, sometimes very longs, and most of the time we do not take the time to read and, we delete directly these newsletters.

It is essential that companies follow some tips to send an attractive newsletter that client want to read.
For me, a good newsletter need to have a good name (4 or 5 key words that can attract more and more clients). Indeed, the name you choose for your newsletter is very important and literally makes your newsletter's success. It can draw people to open and read it, or, contrarly, to delete it.

So, newsletter can be a very good way to circulate information if it is sufficiently attractive and interesting in order to be read by clients.

Link to Nodira's comment

The Future is now: The emergence of the Customer Engagement Channel in Hospitality

For a few years, very significant developments have occurred, and, radically changed the marketing of hotel, the distribution content and the customer engagement in hospitality. In this direction, the increasingly important use of Internet and social media changes the consumers' behavior, and the hotelier must adapt and change their strategy marketing, their manner of communicating with their customers. 

This article is very interesting, and, is focused on the emergence of a new Customer Engagement Channel. It gives and explains the forces that have been combined to lead to the emergence of this new customer engagement channel.  Indeed, this customer engagement channel is the result of several things, of the combination of several forces, according to this article.

• Internet => Today, it is considered as the main travel planning tool and booking channel. We are increasingly numerous to carry out our booking online, and to plan all our travels with internet.  

• The hyper-interactive travel customers => Thanks to Internet, to Social media, and to Mobile apps we are hyper-connected, hyperactive, hyper-engage and hyper-informed.

•  Social Media =>Today, hoteliers need to engage their customers via social media. Social networks should have a big part of a marketing strategy of a hotel. Hoteliers cannot ignore the success and the importance of social media. 

• Mobile Web => The mobile channel has become a very important travel planning and transaction channel. 

• Channel convergence => There is a convergence of of marketing and distribution channels. As I said below, travel consumers are hyper-interactive, so they need to collect and to share information (actual and interesting) about a hotel, with their communities, at any time. For that, they use various distribution and marketing channels (Traditional website + social media or social media + mobile apps...).

• Multi-channel marketing => It is a new norm. Today, with the development of Internet, of social media, of mobile apps... As the hyper-interactive consumers of today choose how and when they want to interact with the hoteliers’ campaigns, it is essential for hoteliers to reach them at multiple touch-points, and for that, they need to utilize multi-channel marketing for all their campaigns. As you can see on this image, the hotel website will be the hub of multi-channel marketing. 

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I think this article is very interesting because it shows and explains why a there is the emergence of a new Customer Engagement Channel, and what is the most important impact of this emergence.

To conclude, I can say that today’s consumer, considered as the hyper-interactive travel consumer, is communicating every day, at any time, via social media, blogs, mobile applications, internet... This behavior is forcing a channel to change and to have a new approach to hotel marketing and distribution. For that, according this article, the best is a complete channel convergence, in which all marketing and distribution channels are combining into only one and unique channel, in order to engage the customer.

 So, the Customer Engagement Channel is the result of the convergence of all marketing and content distribution channels and of the new hyper-interactive travel customer. The most important impact that this emergence has, it is the influence of the customers (who are in this channel) on their communities about the hotel. Now it is a reality, when we have a good experience with a channel, with a hotel, we commit ourselves promoting this hotel or this chain via social media, or mobile applications… near our community. It is a reality and a new thing to take into account when hotelier wants to establish a marketing strategy.