It has almost been a week since the Social Media & Online Marketing Strategies Conference by EyeforTravel in Munich. And I still have not written about it. I am very sorry. Truth be told, I took so many notes and was so inspired that I do not know where to start.

So here is my offer to you: I will post the highlights of the opening session. Just as kick off. So here we go:

Evaluate which Web 2.0 initiatives will dramatically impact your business

Blaise Fiedler, Head of e-Business Consulting, Amadeus

Social media creates new search channels & engines, but you still have to control the hype.
only 1% of review writing customers will become a review guru, this one will become the driving force of your network, try to treat them well, find the champions, they are your future.

Analyse your web capabilities: your core competence is your own website, if you „do Facebook“ you are investing in Facebook. Whatever you do, it should give you insight into your customers. The goal is to get more response, meaning market intelligence, by putting something Web 2.0-ish on your own site.

So get social media right, but focus on your website. Track, analyse, improve. You have to track whats going on in Social media, if not, don’t engage at all.  The motto should be „from members to insight“

Sarah Newman, Regional VP, Commercial Director, Royal Caribbean Cruises International

You can still do the brochure, but life has moved on. With an increasingly rough economic environment customers need to be confident of value/ of having a good time.

What to make sure their dream perfect holiday is delivered? Information from corporation and communications department is not enough, they want details, insight form people who know about it, not from people with self interest.

They want opinions from people similar to them.
Sources of information & inspiration in the cruise business:
47 % internet, 44 % brochure, 29 % personal recommendation – increasingly important
5 years ago, the brochure was the most important

This is about:

• how do you handle negative feedback
• how do you recover from mistakes
• how do you get people back and strengthen retrieve rate?

You want advocates who give positive messages, stories. We want word of mouth
that is going to make the difference, and help the cruise industry to
grow.

Sandra Leonhard, Director Web Strategy & Business Development, TUI Travel plc

Why we use web 2.0: bringing holiday experience alive. We use the power of social media where users are editors & writers to build lasting relationships across all stages of customer journey – from inspiration to sharing experiences afterwards.

There is no point in investing because it is a trend, if it is not how we want to communicate and engage with customers we are not the center of attention, they have their own social networks and we want to be in it.

Social media enables us to develop. Before we engaged with Social media we invested a lot on customer communication. So this was an evolution. However, our PR department has its own Social media team. We believe that your entire community does need to change.

Also read Vicky Brock’s post at her blog.