How on top of your social media are you? Yes, we all know that maintaining a social media presence is important for any business, but fatigue can set in, the motivation can wear off and we fall behind a bit. Consider this your reminder to keep at it.
At last month’s Ultra Summit, held at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, keynote speaker Michael Vasquez, CEO of The Olinger Group, spoke about new ways to identify consumers. Typical research would break them down into demographics, such as their age or income, but The Olinger Group’s recent studies have identified the psychographics—what inspires a person and what actions they take to make those aspirations reality—of different traveler mindsets. He defined three types of consumers: High-impact, Persuadables and Functionals. “I’ll start by saying, [High-impact] are the folks you want. They’re the most valuable and live in luxury,” said Vasquez. “These folks spend more, they’re more loyal, they promote more and they spend time researching the right choice because they care about the decision they make.”
Persuadables are the folks who have a desire to connect, but will not actively seek connection points. You will have to do the legwork for them. Functionals are those who care about price, convenience and those types of things.
To help attract High-impact travelers to your business, Vasquez said it’s imperative to have a strong social media presence, but beyond that, you need to be posting the right type of content that High-impacts find engaging. First and foremost, video tops imagery. If you have the ability to post videos to your social channels, do it. Vasquez also noted the importance of featuring the destination in your content. Simply showing off your room in Hawaii—however nice it is—won’t resonate with High-impact consumers. Instead focus on why this hotel is unique; perhaps its location gives you the best views of sunset over the beach or that its location is very secluded, something you can’t get anywhere else. That is what will have a High-impact consumer inquiring more.
Vasquez also said it’s better to have people in your content. “Use active imagery. People should be living in this resort. They should be actively doing something; that’s how High-impact people see themselves in these experiences.”
And, obviously, don’t forget to promote your expertise. “That’s what [High-impacts are] looking for. They want information from a trusted source,” added Vasquez.
Ok, so we’ve determined the type of client you want and the ways to attract them, but when a prospective client reaches out to you, how can you identify them? First, Vasquez says be sure to ask every client, “What can I do for you that would be most valuable in planning this trip?” This will reveal a lot about the client. “When you start hearing words like, ‘Something I’ve never seen before’ … ‘have always wanted to go’ … ‘really important to take my family,’ you should be going, ‘I’ve got a High-impact person in front of me.’”
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