11
TMR OUTLOOK ON SOCIAL MEDIA
LLC, launched her company a mere three
years ago in the spring of 2016, but didn’t
actually work full-time until the following
January 2017. From 2017 through 2018,
she has more than doubled her sales and
tripled her commissions (booking close
to $400,000 in travel within just the past
twelve months). When asked what she
attributes her growth to, she undoubtedly
replied, “branding and social media
presence,” with a particular focus on the
complementary attributes of Facebook
and Instagram, including referrals gained
from Facebook posts and social media
shout-outs.
Chu-Bermudez employs a formal social
media marketing plan because she said it
helps her stay organized and think about
her goals for each post. For example,
she asks herself: Is this post to generate
a sale? Acquire more followers? Create
more exposure for the business? Prior to
having a formal plan, she said she was
“posting by the seat of my pants,” which
became stressful and unproductive once
her volume started to increase.
The main components of her plan
include a combination of Facebook Lives,
Instagram stories and posts, and hashtag
holidays (i.e. National Hat Day, National
Pizza Day, etc.).
“An important part of my social media
marketing plan is specifying my target
audience so I can gear my content towards
them. There are times when I’ll post more
often because I’m at a conference, on a
fam, or simply traveling in general.”
She is also part of a few professional
groups, one of which focuses on the
wedding industry in Central Florida and
the other on women business owners in
Tampa Bay, whereby she and her business
have been featured in partnership with
their social media efforts.
“If possible, I may interview a few
professionals on Facebook Live who
aren’t in the industry to talk about
something
that
travelers
may
be
interested in. For example, I interviewed
a professional photographer about how
to take the best photos while traveling.
This was mutually beneficial since both
of us received great exposure.”
WHAT WORKS BEST
Visuals (photos and videos), along with
valuable content and storytelling, have
proven to be Chu-Bermudez’s most
effective means of engaging with clients
and prospects. “Through my posts, I
demonstrate my expertise by providing
useful tips, as well as letting people
know that I have experience at what I’m
selling and that I am well-connected to
numerous travel suppliers.”
Keeping her posts updated regularly
helps, too. “Being consistent in my
posts allows me to be found on social
media more easily. Plus, I always make
sure that my voice shines through in my
content, which is why I try not to use
generic social media posts.”
Chu-Bermudez makes a point to
engage with each and every person who
posts a comment or reacts to her post.
“The way they engage on my posts gives
me an idea of the kind of experiences
they are drawn to. For example, if I post
a picture of a river cruise experience and
someone comments, ‘This is something
that I’ve been thinking about doing!’,
then I will reply to that comment as
well as direct message them [see Travel
Market Report’s social media terms
glossary for more information on DM].
Then, whenever a promotion happens
on something I know those clients
would love, or whenever I learn about
an experience I know they’d consider, I
reach out to them with the details.”
The
number
of
bookings
Chu-
Bermudez’s retains from social media
differs
depending
on
the
season,
although she tends to average five large
bookings per month from both Facebook
and Instagram. She cautions fellow
advisors, however, to be patient, noting
that it takes some time for social media
posts to have an effect, so it’s important
to remain consistent and don’t give up.
“I have had clients reach out to me
for a booking inquiry who said that they
have been following me for a while and
were finally ready to start planning their
trip. I also had a client who had only
booked domestic travel with me reach
out for her first international trip. She
said, ‘After following you on Instagram
and seeing all the international trips
you’ve planned, I’m so excited to be able
to plan an international trip with you!’”
1
Know your audience and post with
a purpose.
2
Don’t get caught up on acquiring a
large number of followers on
Facebook or Instagram. The goal is to
generate sales. If you have thousands
of followers, but aren’t converting
them to clients or inspiring existing
clients to book again, then the fact
that you have a large number of
followers isn’t a good metric to
measure your success.
3
Be proactive in learning how to best
utilize social media in a way that
works for you. The social media
landscape is constantly changing, so
make sure to attend webinars, do
your own research, and participate in
learning opportunities to increase
your knowledge.
In summary, Chu-Bermudez
shares her best advice for succeeding
with social media marketing: